Monthly Archives: August 2020

Gas sensor technology heads to Mars on board NASA’s Perseverance rover – Envirotec

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The Perseverance rover vehicle will take about 7 months to travel to the red planet.

An international collaboration is taking technology from gas measurement expert Vaisala and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) to Mars onboard NASAs Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. The rover was launched on 30 July 2020. Vaisalas sensor technology combined with FMIs measurement instrumentation are being used to obtain pressure and humidity data from the surface of the red planet.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) is among the scientific partners providing measurement equipment for the new Perseverance rover, expected to land on Mars in February 2021. The pressure and humidity measurement devices developed by the FMI are based on Vaisalas sensor technology and are similar but more advanced than the ones sent to Mars on the first Curiosity rover in 2012.

While working on Mars, the Curiosity and Perseverance roverswillform a small-scale observation network. The network is onlythefirst step, anticipating a much more extensive observation network to be situated on Mars in the future.

Gathering knowledge about the Martian atmosphereThe Mars 2020 mission is part of NASAs Mars Exploration Program. In order to obtain data from the surface of the Red Planet, NASA selected trusted partners to provide measurement instruments for installation on the Mars rover. A Spanish-led European consortium is providing the rover with the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA), a set of sensors that provide measurements of temperature, wind speed and direction, pressure, relative humidity, and the amount and size of dust particles.

As part of the consortium, FMI is delivering instrumentation to MEDA for humidity and pressure measurements based on Vaisalas sensors.

Mars, as well as Venus, the other sister planet of Earth, is a particularly important area of atmospheric investigations due to its similarities to Earth. Studying Mars helps us also better understand the behavior of Earths atmosphere, commented Maria Genzer, Head of the Planetary Research and Space Technology group at FMI.

The harsh conditions of Mars present a requirement for the most reliable sensor technology capable of providing accurate data and without the possibility of maintenance or repair.

We are honored that Vaisalas core sensor technologies have been selected to provide accurate and reliable measurement data on Mars. In line with our mission to enable observations for a better world, we are excited to be part of this collaboration. Hopefully the measurement technology will provide tools for finding answers to the most pressing challenges of our time, such as climate change, said Liisa strm, Vice President, Products and Systems of Vaisala.

Same technology, different planetIn theextreme conditions of the Martian atmosphere, NASA will be able to obtainaccurate readings of pressure and humidity levels with VaisalasHUMICAP and BAROCAP sensors.The sensors long-term stability and accuracy, as well as their ability to tolerate dust, chemicals, and harsh environmental conditions, make them suitable for very demanding measurement situations, including in space. The same technology is used in industrial and environmental applications such as weather stations, radiosondes, greenhouses and data centres.

The humidity measurement device MEDA HS, developed by FMI for Perseverance, utilizes standard Vaisala HUMICAP humidity sensors. HUMICAP is a capacitive thin-film polymer sensor consisting of a substrate on which a thin film of polymer is deposited between two conductive electrodes. The humidity sensor onboard is a new generation sensor, with superior performance optimised for the low pressure conditions expected on the red planet.

In addition to humidity measurements, FMI has developed a device for pressure measurement, MEDA PS, which uses customized Vaisala BAROCAP pressure sensors, optimized to operate in the Martian climate. BAROCAP is a silicon-based micromechanical pressure sensor that offers reliable performance in a wide variety of applications, from meteorology to pressure sensitive industrial equipment in semiconductor industry and laboratory pressure standard measurements. Combining two powerful technologies single-crystal silicon material and capacitive measurement BAROCAP sensors feature low hysteresis combined with excellent accuracy and long-term stability, both essential for measurements in space.

Our sensor technologies are used widely in demanding everyday measurement environments here on Earth. And why not if they work on Mars, they will work anywhere, strm concluded.

You can follow live updates on NASAs Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission at space.com.

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Gas sensor technology heads to Mars on board NASA's Perseverance rover - Envirotec

Mazz: Did JD Martinez quit on the Red Sox? – 98.5 The Sports Hub

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By Tony Massarotti, 98.5 The Sports Hub

This is almost a week late, so bear with me. But during a pandemic, amidst of flurry of sports leagues reactivating, the Red Sox played a game on Saturday night in which it certainly feels like J.D. Martinez refused to pinch hit in a situation where he would have represented the tying run.

If that doesnt bother you, it should.

In fact, its the kind of thing that should send you into orbit.

Lets back up here for minute.

In Mondays Boston Globe, Red Sox beat reporter Pete Abraham reported the following:

Saturday nights 5-2 loss against the Yankees was a good example. With J.D. Martinez available to pinch hit, Andrew Benintendi took his turn at the plate and struck out on four pitches to end the game. That left him 2 for 24 on the season.

Martinez at that point had hit .320 against the Yankees with a 1.022 OPS since joining the Red Sox.

But he was not available. Here was how manager Ron Roenicke explained it.

He had been in the cages trying to get loose. Its a little harder to get J.D. quickly loose. But we had given him a couple of innings before and talked to him about it.

Hes used to certain routines that he goes through and he knows different situations when they come up that there may be an opportunity. But Jerry [Narron, the bench coach] had gone down there a couple of innings before and just kind of gave him a heads up to be ready.

I would rather give him the day off, which we did. But if we needed it to win a ballgame we thought we may put him up there.

So he could have hit?

We could have, Roenicke said. Again, both of us probably rather would have not, him and us. Thats kind of what the decision came to.

Excuse me?

Before I go any further, let me make this clear: this isnt about the manager. There is a tendency in baseball and, for that matter, life to blame the boss for everything, which is fine. But lets not be ridiculous or disingenuous. Everyone knows that Ron Roenicke ended up as manager of the Red Sox through a series of events didnt leave the team with many options. You, I and everyone else will be shocked if Roenicke is still the manager of the team on Opening Day 2021.

So please, dont make this about the manager. Its deflecting the argument and, more importantly, letting Martinez off the hook.

Now lets get back to the crux of that Abraham report, specifically this line: both of us probably rather would have not, him and us. And again, before we make this about Roenicke, we all know the reindeer games that teams and managers play. Roenicke wasnt about to throw Martinez under the bus by putting it all on him, so he was sure to say him and us.

I think Roenicke is deflecting blame here. I think Martinez didnt want to hit. And I think the manager is covering for him because as a longtime, respected baseball guy and man who is refreshingly decent and gentlemanly Roenicke is covering for his player because he understands the magnitude of Martinez transgression and the pure selfishness with which the player acted.

MAZZ: We'll Still Learn Plenty About Who These Red Sox Are

Seriously, is everyone really OK with this? Have we reached that point of apathy? The Red Sox had played eight games entering Saturdays affair against Yankees. They were 3-5. We all know Bostons pitching staff was assembled from yard sales and clearance bins, but Martinez is the highest-paid player on the active roster. He is also one of the most senior. He loves to paint himself as a hitting guru who imparts wisdom on his younger teammates, mostly through the use of the infamous tablet he uses during games.

How many times have you read that Martinez makes the other Red Sox better in a multitude of games?

But this?

This made them much worse.

At the moment, the Red Sox dont have a ton to hang their hats on. The pitching stinks. Chief baseball office Chaim Bloom was hired to rebuild the Red Sox from the inside out in the image of the Tampa Bay Rays mostly on the pitching staff but here is something that obviously hasnt been instilled yet: the Rays, in good years or in bad, always play hard, maximize their talent. They certainly dont quit.

Martinez? Unless or until we find out more in a world with limited media access, he has no defense or excuse. It sure feels like Captain Video pulled a Manny Ramirez in New York last weekend, refusing to hit in one of the few games where the Red Sox have had a chance this season. Whether they won or lost the game is irrelevant. The whole point, this year especially, is to try.

But if Martinez, in particular, cant even do that, well then why is even playing this year at all?

You can hear Tony Massarotti weekdays from 2-6 p.m. EST on the Felger & Massarotti program. Follow him on Twitter @TonyMassarotti.

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Mazz: Did JD Martinez quit on the Red Sox? - 98.5 The Sports Hub

Mets’ Peterson getting more comfortable with every start – Newsday

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David Peterson saw an opportunity and grabbed it. With Marcus Stroman sidelined by a torn left calf muscle, the rookie lefthander has assumed a spot in the Mets starting rotation and performed very well.

In the Mets 8-4 win over Miami on Saturday night at Citi Field, he allowed two runs in five innings and improved to 2-1 with a 3.78 ERA. His fastball sat around 93 mph and his slider was effective as he pitched deeper into the game. Twice he stranded a Marlin in scoring position.

With every start, I feel I get more comfortable here. I learn more . . . Ive gotten a good taste in three starts and Im trying to work off the successes that Ive had, said Peterson, the Mets first-round pick in the 2017 draft. Ive been up here for a reason and that gives me confidence to get out of any jam and I take that into my starts.

He looks like a polished pitcher, Michael Conforto said.

Stroman threw 80-plus pitches in a simulated game on Thursday and will throw another no earlier than Tuesday. Mets manager Luis Rojas said the former Patchogue-Medford star is pitching effectively and healing well but still isnt able to field his position because of the calf. The very soonest he could return is next weekend, and that is not assured.

Rojas said that when Stroman returns, we want him to finish the season. In the meantime, Peterson will try to make it a hard decision.

Hes a competitor, he wants the ball and he wants to attack you, Rojas said. Hes been giving us what we want from a starter.

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Hes a competitor, he wants the ball and he wants to attack you, Rojas said. Hes been giving us what we want from a starter.

he Mets have a pair of blossoming young infielders in starting shortstop Amed Rosario and utility infielder Andres Gimenez. Its not a stretch to envision them starting together in seasons ahead.

The duo has started twice together on the left side of the infield and once on either side of second base. Brian Dozier started at second Saturday night and Gimenez was a defensive replacement in the eighth.

Its a pleasure to play alongside him, Rosario said of Gimenez on Saturday through an interpreter. Hes a talent that you cant hide. Its super-obvious how talented he is.

Gimenez, a rookie, came up as a shortstop but has played second and third base with Rosario firmly installed at short. When Rosario had a day off, Gimenez started at short.

There will be plenty of time for the relationship to grow, and Rosario said it has been easy working with him in the infield.

I dont know if (people) have realized, but hes a super-intelligent player, Rosario said. He pays attention to the little details, which is always big in the team aspect. But he always brings a lot of energy.

The Mets started Jeff McNeil in leftfield and J.D. Davis at third base for the second straight game Saturday. The previous six times both started, it was the other way around Davis in left and McNeil at third but this might be the new paradigm.

Davis hit a three-run homer in the seventh Saturday night to give the Mets a four-run cushion in their 8-4 victory.

Davis is a much better third baseman than outfielder he had some awkward moments in leftfield the first week and McNeil is the more experienced outfielder. Davis made a pair of excellent defensive plays this past week, and his strong arm has made an impression.

Roger Rubin covers high school and college sports for Newsday.

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Mets' Peterson getting more comfortable with every start - Newsday

‘Burnt orange runs through my veins’: Westlake’s Blake Peterson to play baseball at Texas – Hookem.com

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BEVO BEAT Baseball

Posted August 5th, 2020

Before he earns his first varsity at-bat, Blake Peterson has decided where hell take his cuts in college.

Peterson gave a verbal commitment to UTs baseball program on Wednesday. In a post on Twitter, Peterson said that I was born here and Ive been raised here, burnt orange runs through my veins.

Peterson is a rising sophomore and utility player at Austins Westlake High. He becomes the fourth member of Texas 2023 recruiting class. Previously, the Longhorns received commitments from Rockwall infielder Brayden Randle, Denton Guyer utility player Lane Allen and Conroe Oak Ridge pitcher Hayden Morris.

Peterson plays for the Lonestar Baseball Club during the summer. This spring, he was a member of Westlakes junior varsity program. Peterson will soon join a varsity team that went 13-1-1 during a coronavirus-shortened season. The Chaparrals wont need a third baseman in 2021 since Oregon State pledge Reece MacRae starts at that position, but Westlake coach JT Blair said that Peterson can really play anywhere.

The skys the limit for him, Blair told the American-Statesman on Wednesday. Hes got a great work ethic. I dont see him getting anything but better.

News on Bevo Beat is free and unlimited. Access to the rest of Hookem.com is included with an Austin American-Statesman subscription in addition to Statesman.com and the ePaper edition. Subscribe today at statesman.com/subscribe.

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'Burnt orange runs through my veins': Westlake's Blake Peterson to play baseball at Texas - Hookem.com

Adrian Peterson reflects on favorite run of career back in 2009 – Vikings Wire

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Adrian Peterson is 35 years old.

Hes had plenty of memorable runs over his career, and that will continue this season with the Redskins as Peterson will compete for the starting running back job.

For NFL.com, Peterson reflected on his favorite run from his career thus far.

Peterson took us back to Sept. 13, 2009. It was the first game of the season and Petersons third season in the league. The Vikings were playing the Browns in Cleveland. Not only was Brett Favre starting his first game with the Vikings, but Jim Brown, who Peterson admires, was in attendance.

With just less than six minutes left in the game, Peterson busted off a 64-yard touchdown run, which was his third of the day. Peterson used his classic combo of strength and speed to eventually get to the end zone.

What makes this more remarkable is that Peterson had to get IVs pumped into him at halftime.

It was an amazing feeling, Peterson said. I remember Rodney Poole was coming down and I kind of gave him a shoulder to the right and cut to the left and he ate grass. . . Thats definitely my favorite run play in my career.

Peterson ended the game with 180 rushing yards and three touchdowns, the biggest coming on his last touch of the day.

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Adrian Peterson reflects on favorite run of career back in 2009 - Vikings Wire

Bus driver shortages occurring locally due to pandemic – Picayune Item – Picayune Item

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Along with the challenge of implementing new procedures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on school buses, two of the three local school districts started the year short on bus drivers.

Bus drivers are always hard to come by. Nationwide theres a shortage of bus drivers on a regular basis, said Betty Jo Peterson, Picayune School District Transportation Director.

We had a couple that did not come back due to COVID-19, but we always start off the year a little short.

The Picayune School District started the year with 35 drivers, two less than Peterson would like. Two weeks before the semester started she needed four drivers, but two former bus drivers returned.

The Poplarville School District started this semester five drivers short, said Transportation Director Rossie Creel. The district has 24 regular routes, so needs at least 24 full time drivers and one full time substitute.

Some drivers in Poplarville left due to COVID-19 concerns, while others left for better paying jobs. Every driver who left their full time position stayed on as a part time substitute, said Creel.

At both school districts, staff members who are certified to drive school buses fill in when needed.

Were very blessedwe have a great superintendent that if I get short, hell get on a bus and drive, said Peterson.

Currently, all bus driver positions in the Pearl River County School District are filled, said Pearl River County Transportation Director Lisa Beech.

Basically theres peaks and valleys. Youll go through a shortage of a few and then a couple months later youve got all your positions filled. Its difficult to say what really causes that, said Beech.

Often, drivers leave for better paying jobs, said Beech. Creel noted that bus drivers are not paid especially well.

Most of the people that work here, they love working with children, theyre not looking for a full time job and theyre not here for the pay, said Beech.

Becoming a Driver

Bus drivers in the Picayune School District need to be able to pass a background check and a drug screen, as well as have a license with endorsements for CDL B with air brakes, passenger and school bus, said Peterson.

If they dont have the license part we can help them train, she said.Along with good driving skills, school bus drivers need patience and a love for children, said Beech.

New Precautions

Bus drivers now face the additional risks and work that comes with a pandemic. But the Pearl River County School District has not had any drivers leave due to COVID-19, which Beech credits to additional measures the district has taken to make buses safer.

We have automatic temperature checks installed in our buses. We also have hand sanitizer stations in the stairwell as people are getting on the bus. We feel like with those extra measures, everyone on the bus is safer, said Beech.

With the automatic temperature checks, students will present their forehead or wrist as they board the bus. The no touch device beeps once if the temperature is acceptable and twice if it detects the student has a fever.

The driver just has to listen for the beep, said Beech.

The districts business manager is a very forward thinker and found the devices early in the pandemic, she said.

With the statewide mask mandate passed by Governor Tate Reeves on Tuesday, children are required to wear a mask on school buses.

We had an amazing day yesterday, said Peterson. For first days, I would probably count it as one of our best. Im just amazed with how well the students have done with the masks, even the little bitty ones. Theyre troopers.

School districts are also loading buses from back to front to prevent students from walking past each other, enacting additional cleaning and encouraging parents to drop their child off at school when they can.

Creel said the Poplarville School District is asking parents to check their childs temperature before putting them on a school bus. Student temperatures will be taken once they arrive at school. As the semester begins, transportation may be slowed due to the development of bus seating charts, he said.

In the Pearl River County District, parents need to request transportation through the transportation department, whereas before it was automatic, said Beech. If a parent needs to request transportation and has not spoken with the districts transportation department already, they can call 601-798-9977.

All three districts have shortened the time spent in class in order to have additional time for transportation.

The Pearl River County School District has added additional routes to reduce the number of students on the bus. The Poplarville School District was unable to add routes because it covers such a large geographic region, according to previous coverage. Due to the driver shortage Picayune School District combined some routes, said Peterson, but she still expects the number of students on buses to be lower than previous years.

Theres not as many registered and there are many parents bringing kids to school, she said.

The school districts have differences in how they are running their buses, along with broader differences in how they are reopening schools. Beech said its good that districts have the ability to make reopening plans specific to their resources and needs.

Each district is different, as far as money it receives for education, some are more rural and some are more city, which makes a difference as far as transportation and for Internet, said Beech.

While Picayune and Poplarvilles school districts started classes on Thursday, buses in the Pearl River County School District will not run until Aug. 17.

Their semester starts Aug. 13, but the first two days will be virtual to educate students on the various procedures before they return to a physical campus. The two days of virtual instruction will also provide a test run to ensure students and parents can access virtual education in case a closure occurs.

After five months without school buses on county roads Peterson is worried distracted driving and texting while driving could be a significant problem, she said. In recent years, the district has added brighter lights on school buses to make them more visible.

Keep your eyes on the road. Keep your eyes on the buses, said Peterson.

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Bus driver shortages occurring locally due to pandemic - Picayune Item - Picayune Item

Full Sturgeon Moon Sparkles Then Creeps Up On Mars: What To Watch For In The Night Sky This Week – Forbes

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A full moon rises seen from Hirzel, Switzerland.

Each Monday I pick out the northern hemispheres celestial highlights (mid-northern latitudes) for the week ahead, but be sure to check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy and eclipses.

This week begins with Mondays full Moonvariously known as the Sturgeon Moon, Red Moon and Grain Moon, among many other names. Whatever its called, its rise and set when full will take place close to sunset and sunrise, respectively.

In a clear sky it will look glorious.

So too will a waning full Moons assault on Mars later this week when, on Saturday and Sunday, it gets to within a 0.8 of the red planet. Thats what stargazers call an occultation. Thursday will also see Mars at perihelionthe closest it gets to the Sun in 2020and theres a chance to see Venus and Mercury.

This is also a great week to find the beautiful constellation of Delphinus, the Dolphin, close to the cant-miss-it Summer Triangle. All is explained, timed and mapped below.

The Delphinus (Dolphin) constellation.

Augusts full moon will occur at 15:59 UTCthats 16:59 BST, 17:59 CEST, 11:59 EDT and 08:59 PDT. However, to appreciate it you should ignore those times and instead make a plan to watch it rise above the eastern horizon tonight after sunset. Only then will you see it rise as a briefly spectacular orangey orb.

Known as the Sturgeon Moon by some Native American tribes and as the Grain Moon in the UK, Augusts full Moon will be visible all night, and hang relatively low in the night sky.

However, the rise of the full Moon takes place at a very specific time according to your location, so do check for the exact time of moonrise where you are and set aside 30 minutes from that rise time to observe. Be patient! It will appear ... unless clouds do first.

Mars is also at perihelion todaythe point in its orbit when it gets closest to the Sunwhich potentially triggers ferocious dust storms on the red planet.

How and when to see the Mars and the Moon in conjunction.

A waning, 73% illuminated waning gibbous Moon will tonight make a very close apparent approach to Mars. Look east around midnight (so early on Saturday). Only those in North America will see the closest conjunction, at around 4:00 a.m. EDT on the morning of Saturday, August 8.

However, everyone can catch the two Solar System bodies apparently close to each other in the east after sunset on Friday, before sunrise on Saturday, or after sunset on Saturday.

This morning its worth watching Venus and trying for Mercury before sunrise. If youve never seen the Solar Systems smallest planet with the unaided eye, look just before sunrise in a north-easterly direction through binoculars to find this tiny red dot of a world. Be careful not to point your binoculars at the Sun as it rises. Venus will be far easier to find above it.

How to find Delphinus, the dolphin, close to the "Summer Triangle" asterism in summer night skies.

One of the smallest constellations in the night sky, Delphinus, the Dolphin, isto my mindalso one of the most beautiful. Its in the constellation of Aquarius, but close to the much easier to find Summer Triangle. Best found in summer skies, Delphinus los a little like a dolphins, but more like a diamond.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.

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Full Sturgeon Moon Sparkles Then Creeps Up On Mars: What To Watch For In The Night Sky This Week - Forbes

Significant progress in halting Apple Fire NBC Palm Springs News, Weather, Traffic, Breaking News – NBC Palm Springs

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Firefighters report significant progress in slowing the advancement of the 32,412 acre Apple Fire. The blaze, which was sparked on July 31 by an automobile exhaust system, has burned four structures and injured two firefighters. As of early Saturday afternoon, the fire was 35% contained, up from 30% on Friday. Just over 2800 firefighters and support staff remain on the blaze. Ground crews are being aided by 18 water dropping helicopters, 276 engines, 24 bulldozers, and 40 water tenders.

As of Saturday morning, Cal Fire said they will be concentrating on shoring up lines on the eastern flank of the massive blaze. It was on that eastern flank where a series of back fires were set on Friday, creating the largest smoke plume yet in the eight day firefight. By comparison, only light smoke was visible Saturday afternoon looking northward from the Coachella Valley. Those back fires reduced fuel in advance of approaching flames.

Cal Fire reports the fire has stayed in place in the San Gorgonio Wilderness to the north. Sunday, two teams of firefighters will be flown to the area and will begin to build perimeter control lines around the northeast portion of the fire, primarily in the wilderness.

The southern portion of the fire remains in patrol status.

Despite the progress, evacuation warnings remain in effect in Riverside County for all areas east of Potrero Road, north of Morongo Road, west of Whitewater Canyon and south of the San Bernardino County Line, and all areas west of Highway 62, north of Interstate 10, South of the San Bernardino county line and east of Whitewater Canyon. In San Bernardino County, evacuation warnings are in effect for residents ofForest Falls, Pioneertown, Rimrock, the community of Morongo Valley, including both sides of Highway 62

Smoke from the Apple Fire has impacted communities to the east including Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, and Twentynine Palms. Unhealthful air quality can result in the exacerbation of some medical issues, especially lung problems. Residents with medical issues affected by smoke are encouraged to stay indoors and avoid strenuous activity is smoky conditions.

Warmer and drier weather is forecast with lower humidity, however winds are expected to be lighter than the have been the past several days. Expected control of the fire is still more than a week away.

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Significant progress in halting Apple Fire NBC Palm Springs News, Weather, Traffic, Breaking News - NBC Palm Springs

Mohave County health director sees signs of progress in battle against COVID-19 – Kdminer

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KINGMAN Mohave County is experiencing a reduction in the number of new cases of COVID-19, Mohave County Public Health Director Denise Burley told the county board of supervisors on Thursday, Aug. 6.

She spoke about some signs of progress, and said shes cautiously optimistic and that the positive trend will continue.

That said, Mohave County is still in the red zone, Burley added.

In the future, the public will experience a one-day delay in receiving updated COVID-19 statistics from the Mohave County Department of Public Health.

District 3 Supervisor Buster Johnson tried to stop the change from happening but did not find an ally on the board.

The change will be implemented starting Monday, Aug. 10.

The supervisors will receive their daily report by 11 a.m. each day, then the information will be delivered to the county communication director, who will release it to the media.

Soon, the countys coronavirus response hub on its website, mohavecounty.us, will be more visually appealing, Burley said, presenting a demo of the new look.

She also mentioned her department has hired a nurse and one more investigator the eleventh in what is expected to be a team of 12.

Burley praised the investigators work. They completed 400 investigations in two weeks, helping address a backlog of cases from a spike last month, she said.

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Mohave County health director sees signs of progress in battle against COVID-19 - Kdminer

COVID-19 threatens global progress in fight against other communicable diseases – The World

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Dr. Joy Shuaibu, program director of Sightsavers in Nigeria, a group focused on eliminating some serious, neglected tropical diseases, has seen her work stalled since March as a result of the coronavirus.

Its worrisome on many different levels, she says and on the ground, its made it hard to get much-needed medications to people with diseases such as lymphatic filariasis, which causes massive swelling and trachoma and can lead to blindness.

Related:UN climate chief on coronavirus and climate change: We must address these two fundamental, existential crises together

There are lots of medications, and on account of COVID-19, some of those medications are about to expire, Shuaibu said. Its kind of a difficult situation we find ourselves in.

Shuaibu says her work hit pause in March in response to safety guidelines issued by the World Health Organization in response to concerns that outreach efforts by groups like hers could further the spread of COVID-19. As a result, groups are limiting their work to case management and vector control to curtail transmission.

Although the pandemic shows no signs of letting up anytime soon, with cases surging and most of the world still susceptible, concerns are mounting over the singular focus on COVID-19; it could set back years of progress in efforts to stem the spread of other, long-standing communicable diseases.

Im afraid that if we do not find a balance between meeting the needs of people with neglected, tropical diseases in a safe way, we may lose the gains that we have made.

Im afraid that if we do not find a balance between meeting the needs of people with neglected, tropical diseases in a safe way, we may lose the gains that we have made, Shu-aibu said.

A modeling study recently published in The Lancet journal projected a big impact of COVID-19 on diseases like HIV, tuberculosis and malaria in low- and middle-income countries.

Its important for countries not just to focus on the imminent crisis, said Britta Jewell, researcher and co-author of the modeling study at Imperial College London.

Related:Israel's hurried school reopenings serve as a cautionary tale

Jewells group estimates that COVID-19s adverse impact could mean deaths from HIV, tuberculosis and malaria increase by as much as 10%, 20% or 36%, respectively, over the next five years, compared to if there were no pandemic.

If countries choose to focus completely on the COVID-19 epidemic and neglect maintaining essential prevention and treatment services for HIV, TB and malaria, we could see deaths that are on the same order of magnitude of those that would be caused by COVID-19 itself, Jewell said.

Her projections, in part, come from potential interruptions in HIV treatments, which help suppress the disease and its spread, missed early detection and treatments for TB, and halts to critical mosquito bed net campaigns that can prevent malaria.

Similarly, another modeling study published in the journal Nature this past week found that if nothing is done, the six-month impact of COVID-19 on malaria efforts in sub-Saharan Africa could lead to a sharp rise in deaths.

An estimated one-sixth of the worlds population suffers from a mix of neglected tropical diseases, which are found in tropical and subtropical regions. Organizations like Sightsavers work to contain them by offering medications, testing and preventive care.

Dr. Yaya Coulibay, a senior researcher at the University of Bamako in Mali, says his work, too, overseeing some neglected tropical disease programs, has been held up. Mass drug administration programs have stopped for many of these parasitic and bacterial diseases, he said.

Related:The pandemic has disrupted how we grieve. The effects could be long-lasting.

The timing is troubling, he says, as the rainy season approaches.

To eliminate or stop the transmission [of these diseases], before the peak of high vector [insect] density, you need to treat people to help get the parasite load as low as possible. So, when vectors come and bite people, they have less chances to get infected and infect other people.

To eliminate or stop the transmission [of these diseases], before the peak of high vector [insect] density, you need to treat people to help get the parasite load as low as possible, Coulibay said. So, when vectors come and bite people, they have less chances to get infected and infect other people.

Diverting resources from other communicable diseases to fight COVID-19 is one tension, but another is the fear that people avoid getting health care altogether to stay away from places where they think theyll get infected, according to Dr. Alpha Mahmoud Barry, a public health specialist and epidemiologist who is a member of a coronavirus control committee in Guinea.

Related:Africa must invest 'in human capital' to fight the coronavirus, says Africa CDC director

As the director of the health nongovernmental organization Sant Plus in Guinea, Barry has worked in HIV and AIDS for years and has seen this happen before.

Like when we had Ebola, people are afraid of going to the hospital, he said, referring to the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2014 when many people avoided the hospital at all costs for fear of winding up in the Ebola wards.

Studies found that deaths from other diseases, like malaria and HIV, actually went up at that time, even eclipsing the number of deaths caused by Ebola.

Barry, who is based near a major health center in the capital, Conakry, said he is already seeing signs that this could happen again amid COVID-19. Its almost like people think malaria and HIV have gone away, he said.

We are not talking about them anymore; its like we think HIV is already eradicated, said Barry, who is in the middle of a study to find out how widespread HIV is among women and children in the country.

HIV has not been eradicated, and it could start to spread faster if efforts to contain it arent ramped up again soon.

A report from the Global Fund projects that nearly $30 billion will be needed to effectively respond to COVID-19 and the ongoing threat of diseases like HIV, TB and malaria. As US Congress debates its latest supplemental funding for COVID-19, global aid advocates are pushing for more support, which has been absent from previous relief bills.

The dilemma, though, is also pushing community and global health leaders alike to reassess how to keep up critical work on non-COVID-19 diseases while continuing to fight the pandemic, according to Claire Standley, a professor at the Center for Global Health and Security at Georgetown University.

How can these services coexist with the realities of COVID-19? Are these opportunities that these control programs can use to rethink how preventive services are delivered? I think thats the question that needs to be asked rather than, OK, were stopped, so these services cant happen.

How can these services coexist with the realities of COVID-19? Standley said. Are these opportunities that these control programs can use to rethink how preventive services are delivered? I think thats the question that needs to be asked rather than, OK, were stopped, so these services cant happen.

For Shu'aibu, whose neglected tropical disease programs have essentially been on hold in Nigeria since March, figuring out how to adapt is key. She is focusing on how to deliver medicationsdoor-to-door to avoid mass distribution drives that require large gatherings.

Theres a lot of work that has gone into the past three to four months, lots of tools have been developed, operation procedures modified so when the time comes for resumption were doing that safely, ensuring we do not cause any harm, Shuaibu said.

That work also includes setting up training for health workers and trying to get personal protective equipment for them.

Shuaibu hopes they act fast so that years ofrelentless work to containother diseases dont take major steps backward, and that those medicines sitting on the shelf get to people who need them before the end of the year.

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COVID-19 threatens global progress in fight against other communicable diseases - The World

Reynolds executive order on voting is progress – Boone News-Republican

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Editorial: Legislature should follow up by moving forward a constitutional amendment that guarantees voting rights to all residents who are not incarcerated, regardless of their criminal history

Kudos to Gov. Kim Reynolds for signing an executive order restoring voting rights to many Iowans with felony convictions.

The people of this state should be proud of her.

They should thank her.

They should recognize she stepped up and took action after the GOP-controlled Iowa Legislature refused to move forward a constitutional amendment to restore felon voting rights.

Iowa ultimately needs a clean, simple constitutional amendment. A persons right to cast a ballot should not depend on who resides in the governors office. Former Gov. Tom Vilsack used an executive order to restore felon voting rights in 2005 before former Gov. Terry Branstad rescinded the order in 2011.

The way to avoid the flip-flopping, politicized and confusing policy changes is by amending the state constitution.

Starting that process should be a priority In the next legislative session.

So should repealing a new law that mucks up any future constitutional amendment by requiring felons to repay restitution before rights are restored. That amounts to a poll tax.

Reynolds' executive order does not include a stipulation requiring repayment of crime-related debt. She was right to craft the order that way, which required political courage to resist pressure from some members of her party.

The bottom line: Every Iowan who is not incarcerated should be able to vote.

People who are free to live and work in our democracy should be free to participate in our democracy. Criminal history should not prevent anyone from having a voice. Voting helps to encourage civic engagement and rehabilitation, which should be the goal of all leaders.

"It boils down to our belief in redemption and second chances," said Reynolds at the executive order signing Wednesday.

Unfortunately, her order is not blanket. Voting rights restoration will not be automatic for everyone. Probation, parole and special sentences associated with sex offenses need to be completed first. The order does not apply to people convicted of murder, manslaughter and other offenses listed in Iowa Code 707.

Those individuals still will need to seek permission from the governor for restoration.

And they should.

Its only August. Iowans have time to do everything they can to ensure they are able to vote in November. Election officials must quickly get the states felon voter database cleaned up. It is riddled with errors, and the names of people now eligible to vote under this order should be removed.

Until Reynolds acted this week, Iowa shamefully was the only state in the country that permanently banned felons from voting unless they sought and received approval from the governor to have their rights restored. Tens of thousands of Iowans have been disenfranchised. The ban disproportionately affected Black and Latino Iowans, because of their disproportionate incarceration rate.

So the executive order is welcome progress. The Iowa-Nebraska NAACP State Area Conference estimates that it will allow over 40,000 people to vote and run for office and that about 4,000 individuals each year will have their rights automatically restored.

They should immediately register to vote and cast ballots for candidates in November who will move forward a clean constitutional amendment that grants automatic restoration of voting rights for all felons when they are released from prison.

Des Moines Register

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Good Progress in New Canaan Today! Blocked Roads Now at 13, 58% of Town Without Power (Down from 75% this Morning) – HamletHub

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Eversource reports that about 58% of New Canaan customers remain without power at this time, down from 75% this morning.

Eversource crews in town have made real progress working with our Public Works crews to reduce the number of blocked roads to 13 from 30 earlier today.

As reported earlier, Eversource is estimating that the vast majority of its now 380,000 customers in CT without power will be restored by midnight next Tuesday with many customers being restored sooner.

Residents using Optimum phone and internet service remain without service in many parts of town due to lack of power, and AT&T mobile service at the Country Club tower is expected to be restored by early evening.

Residents can find free Internet access and phone charging this weekend outdoors at the Library, indoors and around Town Hall and Lapham Center (for seniors only) on Saturday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and on Sunday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.In addition, free Internet access is available outdoors around the Vine Cottage at 61 Main Street and on the patios surrounding Waveny House as well as at the New Canaan High School parking lot.Please be sure to wear your masks and maintain social distancing when indoors at these locations.

For residents in need, the Waveny Pool showers will be available from 8:00 am to 11:00 am and 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm this weekend.Please bring your own towels and wear yours masks when entering.

Potable water is available at the Fire House at 60 Main Street and at the South parking lot side of the YMCA on South Avenue.

If you need information or other assistance please call the Emergency Operations Center at 203-594-4100 from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, or call the Police Department after hours at 203-594-3500.If you have an emergency please call 9-1-1.

Remember that downed electric power wires are very dangerous and should not be walked or driven over and please do not cross barriers.

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Good Progress in New Canaan Today! Blocked Roads Now at 13, 58% of Town Without Power (Down from 75% this Morning) - HamletHub

ISAIAS UPDATE: Progress is made but many local homes and businesses still without power – New Jersey Hills

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Mike Mikos' up close and personal encounter with Tropical Storm Isaias was a little too close for comfort.

Mikos, who lives on Selma Boulevard in Chester Township and works as a controller in Bridgewater, left work late Tuesday morning when it appeared the storm was moving faster than initially reported.

As he recounted, he was almost safety home when, near the Black River Wildlife Management Area on Ironia Road, the tip of a tree limb pierced the passenger side of his 2010 Jeep Liberty's windshield before being sucked back out into the storm.

"I first heard a bump on my roof, and then 'bam!'" he said. "I was literally 30 seconds from my driveway."

Luckily, Mikos wasn't injured in the encounter. He also had the good fortune that his insurance company quickly responded, and the windshield was replaced Friday.

Meanwhile, towns in Morris County reported slowly getting back to normal after the storm, which produced drenching rains and wind gusts of up to 75 mph on Tuesday afternoon.

But not soon enough for Morris County Freeholder Tayfun Selen of Chatham Township, who on Saturday issued a statement airing his frustrations with the time it was taking Jersey Central Power & Light to restore power.

"Im as fed up with JCP&L as you are," he said. "On Tuesday, a tropical storm impacted 150,000 Morris County customers. Five days later, there are still 31,000 customers in Morris County without power.

"Yes, it was a bad storm. But this is unacceptable and people must be held accountable."

JCP&L reported that there was great damage to the transmission lines, the lines moving power to the substations, due to falling trees during the storm. Fixing those lines was the focus during the first 24 hours of recovery, with much of the work being done by helicopter.

The utility then focused on attending to the substations that feed several towns. While that was happening, JCP&L had been summoning power restoration crews from other parts of the country to help with the outage. On Saturday, crews from as far away as West Virginia and southern Georgia were at work throughout the area.

However, JCP&L also reported that COVID-19 has also slowed repairs down. It limits the number of people in trucks and large groups working together.

Those still suffering outages or see lines down are asked to call 1-888-544-4877 (1-888-LIGHTSS) to report it.

JCP&L repaired another 1,987 homes in Washington Township on Friday, leaving 2,156 homes remaining or 30 percent of the homes as of 7 p.m. Friday night. The utilitys goal is to restore 90 percent of homes in the Township by Sunday.

The Township has at least 10 roads closed including the length of Wehrli Drive. However, major roads Schooleys Mountain Road, East and West Springtown, East and West Mill Road, Middle Valley Road, Naughright Road, Flocktown and Green Hill Roads are either open or passable through detours.

As of 6:30 p.m., Chester police reported that most major roads and several minor ones have been opened. Cora Lane remained closed at Dogwood, Linabury Lane was closed at 6 Linabury Lane, Old Mill Road was closed between Forest View Drive and Bridge. Pleasant Hill Road is closed between Hillside Road & Valley View.

Mayor Marcia Asdal said there were about 1,000 Township customers out of power as of Friday night.

JCP&L is estimating that 275 will be restored overnight with another 224 coming back on Saturday, 100 on Sunday and 62 on Monday.

Potable water and charging stations are being provided at the Highlands Ridge Barn. However, due to COVID requirements the barn itself is not open.

The Borough still has just over 400 homes or businesses without power, but nearly all streets are open. Pleasant Hill between Hillside and Valley View was the only closure as of Saturday morning. More restaurants and stores along Main Street have had power restored as well.

As of 4 p.m., Friday, JCP&L reported there were still 1,217 customers without power. That represents 63 new buildings that have recovered since Thursday night and an improvement of 900 from Wednesday.

On Friday night, Mayor Christine Glassner implored residents to report their outages to JCP&L.

We are aware that there has been more outages and we have reached out to our JCP&L officials that are saying that they are having difficulties with the substation, Glassner stated. We are continuing to monitor the situation but you need to report your outages immediately to JCP&L.

The OEM Team and Fire Department are also asking residents to call 911 if an alarm of any type goes off in your home when power returns. The re-powering of buildings has been triggering alarms.

The Mendham Borough Fire Department is prepared to handle these calls and will be fully staffed on Friday night. The Garabrant Charging Center is operating and will stay open.

Tempe Wicke Road is still fully closed East of Corey Lane. Other roads are partially closed however local traffic to residences can get in and out. Township police warn motorists not to drive around barricades, wires or cones. JCP&L has been able to restore some power and put a dent in the 1,575 customers that were noted to be without power as of 10 a.m. on Friday.

Charging stations have been set up at the Brookside & Ralston Firehouses where residents can come charge their electronic devices from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. If access to non-potable water is necessary, there is a hose available for public-use at both firehouses 24 hours a day.

JCP&L is providing free ice and water at the Kings in Mendham and the Shop Rite in Chester as well as other grocery stores in the area.

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ISAIAS UPDATE: Progress is made but many local homes and businesses still without power - New Jersey Hills

Minding the perils of technological progress – MENAFN.COM

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(MENAFN - Gulf Times) It is always worth remembering that in the grand sweep of history, we are the fortunate ones. Thomas Hobbes's description of life as 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short was apt for most of human history. Not anymore. Famines and hunger have become rarer, living standards for most people have risen, and extreme poverty has been reduced substantially over the past few decades. Average life expectancy at birth even in the least healthy parts of the world is above 60 years, whereas a British person born in the 1820s would have expected to live to around 40.But, these fantastic improvements have been accompanied by catastrophic risks. Even if Covid-19 has shaken us from our complacency, we have yet to grapple with the dangers still facing us.The improvements of the past 200 years are the fruits of industrialisation, made possible by our acquisition of knowledge and mastery of technology. But this process involved trade-offs. Driven by the desire for wealth, firms and governments sought to reduce costs and boost productivity and profits, which led to disruptions that sometimes left hundreds of millions of people impoverished and unemployed.For decades, workers in mines and factories were brutally coerced to eke out ever more output, until they managed to organise and secure some political power for themselves. And, of course, the early industrial age encouraged slavery and the quest for access to natural resources, which led to massive wars and brutal forms of imperialist rule.These excesses were neither an aberration nor inevitable. Many have since been corrected through the market economy, labour-relations reforms, state regulation, and new (often democratic) institutions. But other significant unintended consequences of industrialisation have yet to be addressed, because no organised political constituency emerged to address them. The most pressing concern is catastrophic global risks, the most obvious being anthropogenic climate change a prime example of how a process of enrichment can create an existential threat.A second, somewhat related problem is biodiversity loss. The estimated rate of species extinction today is anywhere from 100 to 1,000 times that of the pre-industrial era, yet there is still very little recognition of the risks created by such a radical destabilisation of nature.The third global risk is nuclear war. Splitting the atom exemplifies both our mastery over nature and the potential for profound misuse of science and technology. Though nuclear technology has many peaceful applications (and may have a short-term role to play in addressing climate change), its most important consequence has been to inaugurate an era of mutually assured destruction. As with climate change and biodiversity loss, we still do not appreciate the risks that nuclear technology poses to humanity; in fact, countries that have nuclear arsenals are now rebuilding and expanding them.A fourth major risk is artificial intelligence, which could lead to technologies that we cannot control. In addition to the risk that superintelligent algorithms wipe out humanity, AI also has the potential to be deployed as an instrument of surveillance and repression, paving the way to a new kind of serfdom. And governments are already developing AI and autonomous weapons that could be put to all kinds of nefarious uses, especially if they end up in the wrong hands.Though no one can deny these risks, most people's first instinct is to discount steeply the likelihood of a catastrophic scenario. But this is misguided. During the 20th century, the world came close to nuclear war on multiple occasions. Because we were lucky, we now assume retrospectively that the risk was never as high as it seemed.But consider the counterfactual scenario. Where would we be today if all-out nuclear war had not been averted by the actions of Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov, a lone Second Captain who, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, urged restraint when the other commanders aboard his Soviet nuclear B-59 submarine mistakenly believed they were under attack by the United States? We certainly wouldn't be reading books about the supposed decline in violence over time.On the other hand, those who do recognise the dangers posed by climate change and AI too often jump to the conclusion that economic growth itself is the problem. They argue that reducing emissions, preserving nature, and preventing the misuse of technology requires a deceleration or reversal of production, investment, and innovation.But pulling back from growth and technological progress is neither realistic nor advisable. The world is still a long way from ending poverty, and what people in both rich and poor countries need most right now are good jobs that leverage technology in the interest of workers themselves. Without secure employment and income growth, US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not be the last right-wing demagogues to threaten established democracies.The only responsible option is to forge a new growth strategy that emphasises the kind of technological innovation needed to address global threats. The goal should be to create a regulatory environment that encourages firms and entrepreneurs to develop the technologies we actually need, rather than those that merely increase profits and market share for a narrow few. And, of course, we need a much greater focus on shared prosperity, so that we do not repeat the errors of the last four decades, when growth became decoupled from most people's lived experience (at least in the Anglo-Saxon world).Although our track record in combating climate change is poor, we can embrace the fact that once-costly forms of renewable energy are now competitive with fossil fuels. This did not happen because we turned our back on technology. Rather, it is the outcome of technological advances brought about by a regulated market economy in which firms responded to carbon pricing (especially in Europe), subsidies, and consumer demand.The same recipe can work against other catastrophic risks. The first step is to acknowledge that these risks are real. Only then can we get on with the business of building better institutions and re-empowering the state to shape market outcomes with humanity's shared interests in mind. - Project Syndicate

* Daron Acemoglu, Professor of Economics at MIT, is co-author (with James A Robinson) of The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty.

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Texas Fire: Forward progress stopped on 150-acre blaze that threatened structures in Saugus area, prompted evacuations – KTLA Los Angeles

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by: Tracy Bloom, Tim Lynn

Firefighters stopped the forward progress of a brush fire that threatened structures and prompted evacuations in the Saugus area on Thursday afternoon.

The blaze, dubbed the Texas Fire, broke out in the 30500 block of Bouquet Canyon Road around 1:50 p.m. Approximately 200 firefighters responded to the scene, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Ground crews were aided from above by water-dropping helicopters and larger air tankers.

After racing up the mountain, the blaze quickly grew to 50 and then 130 acres.

But an hour after flames erupted, firefighters already appeared to have gained the upper hand, extinguishing hotspots that popped up along the charred hillside, the aerial video showed.

The blaze ultimately spread to 150 acres before forward progress was halted shortly before 4:30 p.m.

An aggressive and decisive ground and air attack has grown the containment to 10% and allowed us and @LACoFDPIO to get the upper hand on this fire, a tweet from the Angeles National Forests account stated.

Several structures were threatened at one point, and an evacuation order was issued for Bouquet Canyon Road between Vasquez Canyon and Spunky Canyon roads, fire officials said. The stretch of road was also closed.

Conditions in the area were relatively cool during the afternoon, with moderate humidity both generally favorable for firefighters. The fire was able to spread quickly because of very dry fuels and onshore winds, according to the National Weather Service.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

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Texas Fire: Forward progress stopped on 150-acre blaze that threatened structures in Saugus area, prompted evacuations - KTLA Los Angeles

Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market 2020: Global Key Players, Trends, Share, Industry Size, Segmentation, Opportunities, Forecast To…

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Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market is analyzed with industry experts in mind to maximize return on investment by providing clear information needed for informed business decisions. This research will help both established and new entrants to identify and analyze market needs, market size and competition. It explains the supply and demand situation, the competitive scenario, and the challenges for market growth, market opportunities, and the complication faced by prominent players.

Click here to get sample of the premium report: https://www.quincemarketinsights.com/request-sample-29723?utm_source= pf/hp

The reports authors have segmented the global market for Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense by product, application, and region. Global market segments for Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense will be analyzed based on market share, production, consumption, revenue, CAGR, market size, and more factors. The analysts have profiled leading players in the global market for Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense, taking into account their recent developments, market share, sales, revenue, covered areas, product portfolios and other aspects.

It has a wide-ranging analysis of the impact of these advancements on the markets future growth, wide-ranging analysis of these extensions on the markets future growth. The research report studies the market in a detailed manner by explaining the key facets of the market that are foreseeable to have a countable stimulus on its developing extrapolations over the forecast period.

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Table of Contents:

Market Segmentation:By Component (Hardware, Software, Services), By Application (QKD, Quantum Cryptanalysis, Quantum Sensing, Naval)

A detailed outline of the Global Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market includes a comprehensive analysis of different verticals of businesses. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America have been considered for the studies on the basis of several terminologies.

This is anticipated to drive the Global Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market over the forecast period. This research report covers the market landscape and its progress prospects in the near future. After studying key companies, the report focuses on the new entrants contributing to the growth of the market. Most companies in the Global Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market are currently adopting new technological trends in the market.

Finally, the researchers throw light on different ways to discover the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats affecting the growth of the Global Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market. The feasibility of the new report is also measured in this research report.

The Key Players mentioned in our report are D-Wave Systems Inc, Qxbranch LLC, IBM Corporation, Cambridge Quantum Computing Ltd, 1qb Information Technologies Inc., QC Ware Corp., Magiq Technologies Inc., Station Q-Microsoft Corporation, and Rigetti Computing

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Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market 2020: Global Key Players, Trends, Share, Industry Size, Segmentation, Opportunities, Forecast To...

Daily Crunch: Twitter and Facebook take action against Trump – TechCrunch

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Facebook and Twitter are taking a stronger stand against pandemic misinformation, we preview the latest version of macOS and a mental health startup raises $50 million. Heres your Daily Crunch for August 6, 2020.

The big story: Twitter, Facebook take action against Trump misinformation

Facebook and Twitter both took action against a post from President Donald Trump and his campaign featuring a clip from a Fox News interview in which he misleadingly described children as almost immune to COVID-19. Facebook took down the offending post, while Twitter went further and locked the Trump campaign out of its account (separate from Trumps personal account).

The @TeamTrump Tweet you referenced is in violation of the Twitter Rules on COVID-19 misinformation, Twitters Aly Pavela said in a statement. The account owner will be required to remove the Tweet before they can Tweet again.

Meanwhile, Twitter also announced today that it will be labeling accounts tied tostate-controlled media organizations and government officials (but not heads of state).

The tech giants

macOS 11.0 Big Sur preview Big Sur is the operating systems first primary number upgrade in 20 years, and Brian Heater says it represents a big step forward in macOS evolution.

Apple 27-inch iMac review This will be one of the last Macs to include Intel silicon.

Uber picks up Autocab to push into places its own app doesnt go Uber plans to use Autocabs technology to link users with local providers when they open the app in locations where Uber doesnt offer rides.

Startups, funding and venture capital

On-demand mental health service provider Ginger raises $50 million Through Gingers services, patients have access to a care coordinator who serves as the first point of entry into a companys mental health plans.

Mode raises $33 million to supercharge its analytics platform for data scientists Mode has also been introducing tools for less technical users to structure queries that data scientists can subsequently execute more quickly and with more complete responses.

Crossbeam announces $25 million Series B to keep growing partnerships platform Crossbeam is a Philadelphia startup that automates partnership data integration.

Advice and analysis from Extra Crunch

Can learning pods scale, or are they widening edtechs digital divide? In recent weeks, the concept has taken off all across the country.

Eight trends accelerating the age of commercial-ready quantum computing Venrocks Ethan Batraski writes that in the last 12 months, there have been meaningful breakthroughs in quantum computing from academia, venture-backed companies and industry.

5 VCs on the future of Michigans startup ecosystem According to the Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA), there are 144 venture-backed startup companies in Michigan, up 12% over the last five years.

(Reminder: Extra Crunch is our subscription membership program, which aims to democratize information about startups. You can sign up here.)

Everything else

More Chinese phone makers could lose US apps under Trumps Clean Network The Trump administrations five-pronged Clean Network initiative aims to strip away Chinese phone makers ability to pre-install and download U.S. apps.

UK reported to be ditching coronavirus contact tracing in favor of risk rating app Reports suggest a launch of the much-delayed software will happen this month, but also that the app will no longer be able to automatically carry out contact tracing.

The Daily Crunch is TechCrunchs roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If youd like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 3pm Pacific, you can subscribe here.

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McCaul: Semiconductors are the future. Building them should stay in Texas. – Austin American-Statesman

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The COVID-19 pandemic has opened the eyes of many Americans to the danger the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses to our supply chain, especially for critical items such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and lifesaving pharmaceuticals. When COVID was allowed to spread rapidly throughout China and the world, Chinese Communist Party officials hoarded supplies of PPE and banned their export to other countries a move they were able to make because of their stranglehold on that supply chain.

And just as frightening, the United States sources approximately 80 percent of its active pharmaceutical ingredients from overseas, including the Peoples Republic of China. Through one of its propaganda outlets, the CCP even threatened to impose export controls on pharmaceuticals needed to fight the coronavirus the party allowed to spread. Can you imagine what would have happened if they had followed through?

Thats why its important that we secure critical medical supply chains now. We also need to secure our technological supply chains before it is too late and that starts with re-establishing the United States as a true leader in the production of advanced semiconductors.

Semiconductors are the tiny chips that serve as the brains behind your toaster, your smartphone, all the way to fighter jets and, in the very near future, they will serve as the brains behind the innovations of tomorrow such as 5G, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence (AI). America is already a leader on semiconductors, with the U.S. industry accounting for nearly 50 percent annual global market share and with American companies at the forefront of advanced semiconductor chip design. But our leadership is being threatened.

The Chinese Communist Party is spending billions of dollars to become the leader in the production of advanced semiconductors, posing a serious threat to our economic and national security. Unless we take bold action, the United States may lose its edge in making advanced semiconductor chips to our adversary and endanger our technological future.

Thats why I worked with Democrats and Republicans in both Chambers of Congress, including my House colleague Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), and my Senate colleagues Senator John Cornyn and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), to introduce the CHIPS for America Act. By providing funding and support throughout the semiconductor supply chainfrom research and development to productionour bill will supercharge investment, create thousands of jobs, and safeguard national security. I am proud a version of the CHIPS for America Act passed on the House floor as an amendment to this years National Defense Authorization Act, and will work with my colleagues in the Senate to get this to the presidents desk.

Existing semiconductor ecosystems like ones in Austin should be further energized by this bill, which will have a cascading effect on the local economy. And with the Armys Future Command, the University of Texas and the high-tech community already based in Austin, our city is ideally situated for this industry to grow and thrive here. Semiconductor manufacturing jobswhich net an average salary of $150,000 per yearcreate nearly five additional jobs in the broader economy. We have already seen this effect in Austin thanks to the Samsung Semiconductor facility the most significant foreign direct investment in this country. Beyond this fabrication facility, there are dozens of semiconductor companies that conduct research, design, or testing of semiconductors in my district, and dozens more that use a semiconductor to power a finished product, such as Apple, which builds its MacBook Pro computer in Austin.

Now is the time to act to preserve American leadership in the development and manufacturing of the technologies of the future.

McCaul, R-Austin, is lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and chairman of the China Task Force.

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McCaul: Semiconductors are the future. Building them should stay in Texas. - Austin American-Statesman

DST Secretary highlights the importance of industry participation in Quantum Technology & Science in India – IBG NEWS

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By PIB Delhi

Department of Science and Technology (DST) Secretary Professor Ashutosh Sharma highlighted the importance of bringing Industry on board in Quantum Technology and Science in India at the India Quantum Technology Conclave (IQTC2020), a webinar on Quest towards Indias Quantum Supremacy organized byThe Associated Chambers of Commerce of India(ASSOCHAM) recently.

The future is all about quantum and Industry 4.0, which involves convergence of cyber and digital spheres encompassing communication, computing, decision making and acting on it, needs to participate in it, he pointed out.

Further elaborating on DSTs initiatives in the field of Quantum Technology, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma said, Three years ago DST started a new division called Frontier Technology which has rolled out a mission on Cyber-Physical Systems. This mission has set up about 21 hubs and 4 research parks across India, which are going to form the base for the architecture and processes of Quantum Technology Mission and will empower the Industry.

These 21 hubs are holistic entities, starting from basic R&D in each hub, human resource generation, and training at different levels to translation of the knowledge with incubators attached with every hub. Thus this model completes the whole knowledge chain from knowledge generation to knowledge to consumption, he added.

For Quantum Technology (QT), a more ambitious mission called National Mission on Quantum Technology worth Rs 8,000 Crore has been launched by the Government if India. DST has mapped all the people and groups in India working in the field of QT and brought them on-board to write a Detailed Project Report, Professor Sharma mentioned.

Both these missions of DST are self-sufficient in terms of generating knowledge, translation of knowledge in terms of prototype design, and this ecosystem is part of Atmanirbhar Bharat in terms of science, technology, and innovation in India, he added.

The conclave focused on preparedness on Quantum computing and Technology adaptation in India where the attendees discussed the future strategies & roadmap in the development of quantum technologies in India.

Dignitaries like Shri Deepak Sood, Secretary-General, ASSOCHAM, Dr. Shesha Shayee Raghunathan, Senior IBM Quantum Ambassador, Dr. Rohini Srivathsa, National Technology Officer, Microsoft India, Asst. Prof. Manas Mukherjee, Principal Investigator, Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore Dr Lovneesh Chanana, Chairman, ASSOCHAM National Council on IT/ITes & e-Commerce, Shri Aditya Chaudhuri, MD, Accenture, Dr Hemant Darbari, Director General, CDAC, Dr. Philip Makotyn, Quantum Marketing Manager, Honeywell Quantum Solutions, USA were among the key participants of the conclave which saw the presence of eminent personalities from the public sector as well as the private sector, industry and academia from India and abroad. The India Quantum Technology Conclave looked at relevant solutions at a time when the whole world is hit with COVID, and technology is the way forward.

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DST Secretary highlights the importance of industry participation in Quantum Technology & Science in India - IBG NEWS

The countries set to be hardest hit by Covid-19’s impact on tourism – CNN

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(CNN) While popular destinations are slowly reopening and tourism is beginning to pick up in some spots, the impact of the pandemic on the industry has been nothing short of devastating.

Many countries that heavily rely on the revenue from tourism lost one of their main sources of wealth almost overnight back in March, but which are likely to be the hardest hit?

Mexico features at the top of Statista's list, closely followed by Spain and Italy.

Already among the countries with the highest coronavirus death tolls, the European destinations are also likely to be among the most affected by declining tourism due to their dependence on revenue from visitors, which contributed 14.3% to Spain's GDP last year and 13% to that of Italy's, according to WTTC.

After issuing one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe -- at one point adults were only allowed to leave their home to buy food, medicine or take their dog for a walk -- Spain has been keen to revive its struggling tourism industry, reopening its borders in the past month to all EU countries and approved third-party countries.

Tourism reliance

In 2019, tourism accounted for around 13% of Italy's GDP.

MARCO SABADIN/AFP/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Italy reopened to travelers from the EU, along with the UK and the microstates and principalities of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican, in a move the government described as a "calculated risk."

However, coronavirus cases here have risen significantly in Spain since restrictions were lifted, with some sections being issued with a second lockdown.

Italy has also experienced a slight rise in cases since easing restrictions, indicating the recovery process is likely to be slow with potential stops and starts.

The impact on the US, the world's largest economy, has been less significant, with tourism only accounting for 8.6% of its GDP, which is based on various contributions, including revenue from hotels, travel agents, airlines and restaurants.

However, WTTC indicates the total contribution from travel and tourism accounts for around 16.8 million jobs.

France sits just below the US on the list, with tourism making up 8.5% of its GDP in 2019, followed by Brazil at 7.7%.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, declining tourism is likely to have few financial ramifications for South Korea, with the tourism sector only accounting for 4.2% of its GDP last year.

"I'm not sure it [the travel sector] will ever be identical to the way it was [pre-Covid 19]," says Lori Pennington-Gray, professor and director of the Tourism Crisis Management Initiative at the University of Florida, told CNN Travel earlier this month.

"As far as operating at full capacities and with the same volumes, it may take years to get to that. But we know from previous crises that the travel industry is very resilient."

"The travel industry will rebound, it just isn't going to happen tomorrow."

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The countries set to be hardest hit by Covid-19's impact on tourism - CNN