Select Page ::

Passing a new stimulus measure should not be that hard – USA TODAY

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

The Editorial Board, USA TODAY Published 9:25 p.m. ET July 22, 2020 | Updated 6:42 a.m. ET July 23, 2020

Where does the U.S. stimulus money come from? Here's how the Federal Reserve is saving the economy from the COVID-19 crisis. USA TODAY

The congressional debate over the next stimulus measure should be fought along the normal lines. It is almost reassuring that Democrats want more spending,Republicans less. Despite COVID-19, at least some things stay the same. But President Donald Trump's populist excesses ruin the picture of normalcy.

Democrats, who control the House, have already passed a $3 trillionmeasure. That is the size of the previous stimulus, plus an emergency measure to refill a depleted fund for small businesses.

Republicans, who control the Senate, wantsomething in the range of $1 trillion.

In normal times the two parties, the two camps, would work out some kind of a deal that includes the top priorities of both sides, makes no one totally happy, and demonstrates an ability to compromise.

President Donald Trump during a news conference about his administration's response to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

But Trump is never content with normal. He wants to cut out funding for COVID-19 testing and contact tracingwhile making in-person classes a requirement for receiving school aid. These proposals would yield more sickness, death and economic pain merely to let Trump show how unwilling to he is to admit mistakes and make adjustments.

OPPOSING VIEW: Workers, businesses need payroll tax break

Trump also is pushing for a payroll tax cut. Unlike his other ideas, this one is not horrible, merely bad. If Republicans want to cut taxes, they should cut the income tax and leave Social Security alone. Most Republicans are not enthusiastic about a payroll tax cut, but may go along with it anyway in an effort to quiet Trump down.

Social Security is not a cash drawer to raid every time Congress or a president needs money. It is apension fund that is partially self-sufficient. If its funding source is cut, it will reach insolvency sooner.

Congress can and should ignore Trump's destructive ideas and draft a reasonable plan, one that helps make a bad public heath and economic situation somewhat better and reflects the political balance of power.

The measures price tag should be somewhere in the $2 trillion range, halfway between the two parties starting points. It should include a continuation of the $600 supplemental unemployment payments that were part of the first stimulus measure, and are set to run out this weekend.

Republicans have refused to consider the idea so far, which seems a bit hard-headed given the bleak economy. But they are right that the payments could be a disincentive for people to return to work. Rather than continuing the payments in full through the end of the year, as Democrats would do, the payments could be gradually reducedover time, or pegged to the unemployment rate so that they drop automatically if and when the economy picks up steam.

Money for states and localities, including for schools and for the holding of safe and fair elections during a pandemic, should be part of the package. Payola to special interest lobbies (including those preaching the virtue of limited government) who glommed onto funding in the first round, should not be part of the package. We should not be reading in coming days that the Ayn Rand Institute or Citizens Against Government Waste took advantage of sweetheart deals from federal tax payers.

And granting businesses immunity from lawsuits should people get sick on their premises is a worthwhile trade-off that Democrats should accept.

Put the package together and the legislation kind of writes itself. If only members of Congress can ignore the counterproductive ideas coming from the White House.

If you can't see the below poll, please refresh your story page:

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/todaysdebate/2020/07/22/passing-new-stimulus-measure-should-not-hard-our-view/5483672002/

Believe the Hype: ‘Watchmen’ is the TV Show of the Moment – International Policy Digest

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

When Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons collaborated on what would become their magnum opus, Watchmen, starting in 1986, they had no idea the effect it would have on the comics medium, and on popular culture more broadly. Watchmen, which takes place in an alternate-universe 1985 and dealt with the lives of several superheroes in a world where vigilantism has been outlawed, ushered in a darker, more mature sensibility to comics. Comics werent just for kids anymore, and soon, others began to emulate what had made Watchmen stand out: relatable characters with very human flaws; political and social themes, as well as meta-text about the nature of comic book storytelling itself; a frank approach to violence and sex; the idea that not everything was as clean-cut as they were in most other DC or Marvel storylines. From the omnipotent existentialist Dr. Manhattan to the nihilistic vigilante Rorschach, from a bloody smiley face to a giant squid plopped in the middle of New York, the imagery, characters, and themes of the graphic novel are likely to stick with anyone who engages with it.

Its important to note that Watchmen is an inherently political text, written at the height of Reagans America. In the text of the graphic novel, Richard Nixon is still president, and Dr. Manhattan was used to win the Vietnam War and annex Vietnam as the 51st state. From the gung-ho nationalism of the Comedian to Rorschachs Ayn Rand-inspired personal philosophy, each character has political baggage indicative of the era. Its climax is about an incident that takes the United States and the Soviet Union away from the brink of nuclear war and instead creates world peace. The simple fact is that Watchmen was always an inherently political text, even in the guise of a comic book superhero story.

My personal relationship with Watchmen started in my sophomore year of high school. I wanted to get back into comics, and everyone and everything I read pointed me in the direction of the classic graphic novel. I was enthralled, my first girlfriend even remarked at the time that she had never seen me so riveted by anything I was reading before. Watchmen remains a fundamental text in my life, still residing on my bookshelf reserved for my favorite books. And subsequently, both its film adaptation, directed by Zack Snyder and released in 2009, as well as a comic book prequel miniseries called Before Watchmen in 2012, were entertaining and fun to engage with when they were first released, but havent been as worth revisiting as much as the original text.

Tim Blake Nelson as Looking Glass in HBOs Watchmen.

So imagine my surprise that, in the year of our Lord 2020, Watchmen is the most relevant it has been in years, thanks to an HBO miniseries that served as a continuation of the storyline that first aired last year. I was reluctant to start watching the show, in a year that included such misfires in long-standing franchises as the final season of Game of Thrones and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, I was afraid that this fundamental book in my life would have its legacy and reputation tarnished. It also didnt help that it was being developed by Damon Lindelof, most famous for writing the underwhelming ending to the TV show Lost and the Alien-prequel dud Prometheus.

But somehow, like its time-jumping protagonist Dr. Manhattan, despite being released in 2019, it feels like the show of the current moment. Here is a follow-up to one of (if not) the most beloved comic stories of all time that dealt with issues of over-policing and police brutality, race relations, security, the fight against white supremacy, and reexamining American history in a much more critical way through the lens of racial dynamics. The show takes the inherently political message of its predecessor and doubles down on it. In 2020, the world caught up to Watchmen. Now its just a matter of what we do with it.

The show, which takes place 34 years after the events of the graphic novel, primarily deals with Angela Abar (the impeccable Regina King, looking like a shoe-in for her fourth Emmy and solidifying her as one of the best actresses of her generation), a police officer in Tulsa, Oklahoma who operates under the alias of Sister Night. She and a fellow detective who wears a reflective mask named Looking Glass (Tim Blake Nelson, in his best role since O Brother, Where Art Thou?) stumble onto a vast conspiracy once her boss, the police chief (Don Johnson) is murdered. This allows Angela to discover her own familys history and ties to the events of the original text, as her grandfather, Will Reeves (played by Louis Gossett Jr. when hes old, Jovan Adepo when hes young), was actually a famous superhero vigilante named Hooded Justice and a member of the Minutemen, a progenitor group to the Watchmen.

Meanwhile, mainstays from the original, including Ozymandias (Jeremy Irons) and Silk Spectre, now called Agent Laurie Blake (Jean Smart), are still out there. Ozymandias seems to live in a utopian castle in the countryside, surrounded by loyal servants, but he is desperate to get out. Laurie seeks to find out what happened to her one-time lover, Dr. Manhattan, as well as investigate the murder of the police chief and the appearance of Angelas grandfather. In so doing, she encounters Lady Trieu (Hong Chau), a rich and powerful Vietnamese businesswoman who is surprisingly invested in a major project she is developing in Tulsa.

And then, once its revealed where Dr. Manhattan has been hidingstop, wait, thatd be giving away too much.

It would have been too easy, too convenient to merely reconvene the original characters and have them reenact their adventures 30 years ago. Similarly, anything that made the material more marketable, such as incorporating the Watchmen characters and concept into the larger DC cinematic universe, would have felt sleazy. (Though that very thing happened recently in the DC comic book universe in a miniseries called Doomsday Clock, which I didnt even bother picking up.) But it felt like the creators of the show had a story, a vision that they wanted to convey. Rather than just mere fan-service, they expanded the lore of the mythology and took the material into bold, exciting new directions.

The creators of the Watchmen miniseries also had a take that was unique, and spoke to these times as much as the original text did to its time. Beyond the aesthetic of the police wearing yellow masks over their nose and mouths (a look so prescient to COVID-preventing facemasks that its almost eerie), Watchmen uncovers truths that would be points of public discussion come 2020, spoken through its main character, a woman of color. In the Watchmen miniseries, President Robert Redford (only slightly less ridiculous than the current holder of the office) passes reparations for Black Americans, referred to in-universe as Redfordations. Angela is accused of using her Redfordations to open a bakery by a combative student in her sons class. The show is also critical towards police and their complacency in structural racism, while still maintaining a protagonist who is both a police officer and a Black woman. The fictional white supremacist organization, the Seventh Kavalry, attacked police officers, including Angela, in an incident that predates the events of the show called the White Night, leading to increased paranoia on the part of the Tulsa P.D. The Seventh Kavalry has misinterpreted and misappropriated the writings of the late Rorschach from the original source material, with its members donning his iconic mask.

The Seventh Kavalry pictured in the Watchmen. (HBO)

Just as the original book was a critique of Reagans America, the show seems intended to be a rebuke of Trumps America, presenting the audience with uncomfortable truths that were about to be brought to the surface. One of the main points of the show is white supremacist infiltration of police units, now at the forefront of the national conversation. Soon after the police chiefs death, Angela stumbles onto Klan robes hidden in his bedroom. That she had a friend and mentor whom she trusted so deeply be revealed to be so despicable is not only indicative of the nature of racism itself, but the social dynamics and struggle that people of color face every day in this country.

The miniseries features flashbacks to a young Black boy escaping from the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. The series was credited for raising awareness to what happened in Tulsa, and was highlighted in several publications after the nationwide George Floyd/Black Lives Matter protests as a positive example of promoting largely unacknowledged events of racial violence in America. Additionally, in an episode entitled This Extraordinary Being, Angela begins to see her grandfathers personal history, after she overdoses on a drug called Nostalgia that has preserved her grandfathers memories. She learns of the racism he encountered as one of New Yorks first Black policemen, as well as a plot to hypnotize Black people that even Jordan Peele might call high-concept. The message of these subplots is clear: the present is in constant conversation with the past, its just a matter of what you do with it.

And sure, the show isnt just heavy politics and flashbacks to racial unrest. Its rousing conclusion is different than most other miniseries, which usually start strong and end more-or-less as expected (looking at you, Chernobyl). Watchmen switches it up towards the end, incorporating more of the mythos of the universe and revealing how closely tied all of the events depicted really were the whole time. Rather than feeling contrived, it works ingeniously, solving mysteries the audience has had the entire season and clearing up ambiguities so you can appreciate the thrust of the story as a whole. The penultimate episode, entitled A God Walks Into Abar, is the perfect example of this, filling in the holes of the narrative while at the same time giving the audience a more-or-less complete view of the central relationship of the show.

Watchmen feels like a miracle. Not just because of incredible imagination and thoughtfulness that went into making it, a follow-up to classic source material that should not have been feasible, but that it arrived at this time specifically. Now, more than simply being a water-cooler conversation or an interesting sequel to a beloved comic series, Watchmen is a resource. Its a resource about engaging with the past and confronting the difficult parts of American history. Its a blueprint about how to tell captivating, relevant storylines using established characters and canon. Its a template for success: in an era where big ideas are more likely to breakthrough in the era of peak TV, here was a show committed to being something deeper and authentic. Beyond great dialogue, solid performances, and commendable visual effects, Watchmen sort of transcends all of it, becoming something greater than the sum of its parts. Like the comic book source material, it is the successor to, Im confident it and the themes it imparts will both be with us for years to come.

Excerpt from:

Believe the Hype: 'Watchmen' is the TV Show of the Moment - International Policy Digest

Ukrainian Azure Expert MSP Partner strengthens its Azure skills with achieved two Microsoft Advanced Specializations – Microsoft

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

As companies look to modernize their applications and take full advantage of the benefits that cloud computing can deliver, they are looking for a partner with advanced skills to migrate, optimize, and manage their existing web workloads to the cloud. With the recent end-of-support for Windows Server 2008 R2 and SQL Server 2008 R2, customers are looking for a partner with advanced skills to assess, plan, and migrate their existing workloads to the cloud and Windows Server and SQL Server Migration advanced specialization helps to indicate trustful partners with profound experience to move workloads to cloud securely and efficiently.

Cloud Serviceshas earned the Modernization of Web Applications in Microsoft Azure advanced specialization, and Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure advanced specialization, a validation of a solution partners in-depth knowledge, extensive experience and proven expertise in migrating and modernizing production web application workloads and managing app services in Azure as well as extensive experience and expertise in migrating Windows Server and SQL Server-based workloads to Azure.

Long transformational journey was made to achieve this status. I am thankful to the hard-working team and our customers. Nowadays, the value of cloud and technologies is unprecedented, and we strongly believe that our specialists can advocate for a better world with our Microsoft Azure-based services. IrynaMoiseyevasays, CEO of the Company.

Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner (OCP) at Microsoft Corp. added, The Modernization of Web Applications in Azure Advanced Specialization and Windows Server specializationhighlights thepartners who can beviewedas most capable when it comes to migrating, modernizing, and managing web applications and Windows servers in Microsoft Azure.Cloud Servicesdemonstrated that they have both the skills and the experience to offer clients a path to start enjoying the benefits of being in the cloud.

Only partners that meet stringent criteria around customer success and staff skilling, as well as pass a third-party audit of theirmigration practices and web workload deployment and management practices, including their ability to implement Azure App Service, are able to earn the Modernization of Web Applications in Microsoft Azure advanced specializations and Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Azure advanced specialization.

Headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine, Cloud Services (SYNTEGRA) is a fully cloud-oriented managed services provider, specialized at cloud assessments, migrations, and modernization in the cloud. CLOUD SERVICEScoversthe full cycle of cloud adoption stages, starting from setting long-term business goals for cloud, also providing consultancy and works for migration and modernization of resources through cloud technologies.

With 10+yearscloud experience, our team is keen on technologies that make the world better, our clients happier, and people smarter. As a trustful cloud partner, CLOUD SERVICES successfullyprovidesvarious migrations and cloud management and monitoring for customers in Ukraine, the Middle East, Asia, and Central Eastern Europe.

CLOUD SERVICES is a company that counts with relevant project references, such asGoodvalley, Kernel, Delivery Auto,Pandora, MTI, and other valued clients with various projects on infrastructure modernization, data modernization, refactoring and rearchitecting of web apps and databases.

Tags: Microsoft Azure, Ukraine

Read the original post:

Ukrainian Azure Expert MSP Partner strengthens its Azure skills with achieved two Microsoft Advanced Specializations - Microsoft

Why IoT Needs an Open Ecosystem to Succeed – The Union Journal

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Imagine if the web had actually been developed as a closed ecosystem managed by a little set of companies. It would look really various from the web we understand and count on today. Perhaps this alternate variation would operate on a pay-per-use design, or absence tools and services that have actually been established for many years by independent factors and scrappy start-ups. Here is why IoT needs an open ecosystem to succeed.

Instead, of a closed web we primarily delight in an open web. This remains in part due to its origins: the web was developed to be basically open, and this is what has actually enabled it to grow, alter, and be embraced as rapidly as it has actually been. In reality, the pattern of an open technique moving development is one that we see consistently for emerging innovations.

IoT is slated for explosive development: by 2021, Gartner anticipates that 25 billion linked things will remain in usage, allowing our wise houses, factories, cars, and more.

As a growing number of IoT gadgets come online, edge computing will end up being a need. Edge computing allows information to be processed and evaluated in real-time for business-critical usage cases, such as self-driving cars and trucks, security and security, and commercial automation.

As with the web, we require an open, constant facilities structure for IoT and edge computing in order for these innovations to reach their complete capacity. While the difficulties of structure an open IoT are various than those we confronted with structure an open web, this is an essential issue for our market to fix now, prior to we witness even more fragmentation and supplier lock-in.

Were presently in what I like to call the AOL stage of IoT the stage of getting gadgets linked at scale, and overcoming the balance of exclusive vs. open methods.

Back in the 1990 s, America Online opened gain access to to the web to the masses with an simple-to- usage CD; by popping it in, anybody might quickly register and get linked. However, the tradeoff for this simpleness was getting locked into the AOL ecosystem as the avenue for interaction and search.

Over time, users ended up being savvier, understanding they might link to the web straight through their ISPs and gain access to more effective search abilities (Google, for instance). As more individuals came online through their medium of option, development gained ground, delivering to the web boom and the ecosystem we understand today.

IoT is naturally heterogeneous and varied, comprised of a wide range of innovations and domain-specific usage cases.

To date, the marketplace has actually produced an excessive landscape of proprietary IoT platforms to link individuals and operations, each with extremely various techniques for information collection, security, and management. Its like having several AOLs attempting to link gadgets to the web needless to state, this fragmentation has actually led to unneeded issues.

Companies starting their IoT journeys are secured with the supplier they begin with, and will be subject to extra expenses or combination concerns when they look to scale implementations and handle brand-new usage cases. Simply put, IoTs variety has actually ended up being a barrier to its own development.

To prevent decreasing this course, we need to construct an open ecosystem as our structure for IoT and edge computing. Its just when open requirements are set that we can scale the commercialization of offerings and services, and concentrate on understanding ROI.

What would an open ecosystem for IoT appear like? When developing an ecosystem, theres a spectrum of methods you can take, varying from closed to open viewpoints. Closed communities are based upon carefully governed relationships, exclusive styles, and, when it comes to software application, proprietary APIs

The tight control of closed communities in some cases referred to as walled gardens, can offer fantastic consumer experience, however included a premium expense and less option. Apple is an extensively pointed out example of this technique.

There are open methods that use APIs and tools that you can honestly configure.

The open technique tools allow an ecosystem of product or services where the worth is originated from the amount of its parts.

Open- source software application like Android is an example; its a crucial chauffeur of a genuinely open, vendor-neutral ecosystem due to the fact that of how it empowers designers. Having an open requirement like Androids running system for designers to build on not just promotes additional development however likewise reinforces a network impact.

To totally comprehend business compromises of closed vs. open communities, lets compare Android and Apples iOS. While Apple offers a curated experience, Android gadget makers have less control over the total experience through deep software/hardware combination, and for that reason requirement to discover other differentiators.

Nevertheless, openness helps with option and scaleAndroid has over 70 percent of the worldwide mobile OS market share Even with Androids openness, companies like Samsung have actually still been able to take market share by buying development and a wider gadget ecosystem technique.

The IoT can have as fantastic of an effect as the web has actually had, however creating numerous closed, siloed communities determined by supplier option is not the course to scale. A brilliant future for IoT depends on our capability to come together as an market to construct an open ecosystem as our structure.

Across hardware, running systems, connection, applications, and cloud, we need to bridge crucial elements and merge, instead of transform, requirements in order to empower designers to concentrate on worth production.

Commercial offerings developed on top of that open structure might extremely well take a more closed technique; nevertheless, beginning advancement with an open structure will constantly offer the most scalability, versatility, and openness to take full advantage of choices for the long term.

Open- source cooperation is an exceptional accelerator for this open structure. The Linux Foundations LF Edge and Kubernetes IoT Edge Working Group, and the Eclipse Foundations IoT and Edge Native Working Groups are simply a few of the efforts checking out architectures and constructing structures to join market efforts and allow IoT and edge computing communities to scale.

As they state, the entire can be higher than the amount of its parts, and I look forward to seeing the tremendous capacity of coming true when we have a typical structure to innovate on.

Jason Shepherd is VP of Ecosystem at edge orchestration business ZEDEDA. Prior to signing up with ZEDEDA, Jason was CTO for the Dell Technologies Edge and IoT SolutionsDivision His tested performance history as an idea leader in the market is evidenced through his management developing the acclaimed Dell IoT Solutions Partner Program and developing the vendor-neutral, open source Edge X Foundry job to assist in higher interoperability at the IoT edge. Jason is active in LF Edge and other essential market efforts concentrated on IoT and edge computing. He was acknowledged as one of the Top 100 Industrial IoT influencers of2019 He holds 14 given and 25 pending United States patents.

Go here to read the rest:

Why IoT Needs an Open Ecosystem to Succeed - The Union Journal

Zero MDR had a negative impact on payments ecosystem: RBI – Entrackr

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

The Reserve Bank of India, which had set up a committee to study the use of Quick Response (QR) codes to process contactless transactions, is now placed for public comment. RBI constituted the Committee on December 23, 2019 under the Chairmanship of D.B. Phatak, Professor Emeritus, IIT-Bombay.

As per the report of the committee on the analysis of QR Code published by RBI, the apex banking body has asked for comments and suggestions on the report from all stakeholders and members of public before August 10, 2020.

The committee mainly setup for the adoption of QR Code payments, has discussed various aspects of the digital payment system such as interoperability, scalability, innovation, awareness, privacy and security.

One of the most critical recommendations by RBI was allowing a lower fee instead of zero MDR, which was imposed by the government in December 2019. The government should allow a lower controlled interchange instead of zero MDR on QR code, UPI and RuPay debit card transactions, as well as give tax incentives to merchants who accept electronic transactions and promote incentive schemes to improve popularity of QR code-based transactions, mentioned the report.

The RBI has highlighted that opting for zero MDR by the government had a negative impact on the payment ecosystem that is impacting the survival of payment gateway entities, hampering innovation efforts and resulting in job losses and a slowdown in the expansion of the digital payment infrastructure in India. The impact was maximum for the SME sector, and several jobs are directly or indirectly disappearing as there are no incentives or incomes for deploying QR codes.

Extending his support in favour of MDR, NPCIs MD & CEO Dilip Asbe said that MDR is necessary because it funds the acceptance, servicing and acquiring infrastructure for UPI. We are trying to get MDR back, he said at the Global Fintech Festival 2020.

If the government rethinks its decision over zero MDR then it would be a pivotal decision for the merchants and consumers. As per the RBI data, over 20 million UPI QRs have been deployed in the market and the volume of digital payments using UPI QR are approximately over 250 million on a monthly basis.

Besides the government, RBI has also notified its role in the adoption of QR Code payments where it can provide a clear plan to phase out proprietary, closed-loop QR codes in favour of open, interoperable standards.

See the article here:

Zero MDR had a negative impact on payments ecosystem: RBI - Entrackr

Hamilton Health Center to roll out free community Covid-19 testing – ABC27

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) Hamilton Health Center has had to adapt in the world of Covid-19. It now requires temperature checks, limits accompanying guests, and offers video and phone calls with patients.

What we saw as the missing piece was mass testing, said Jeannine Peterson, CEO of Hamilton Health Center.

Their puzzle will soon be complete as they get ready to roll out free community testing.

Trying to get testing to where the need is, where the people are who may have more difficulty accessing care anyway is really the goal, Peterson said.

Over the next two Saturdays, Hamilton will be piloting the program. That means the first 50 adults, 18 and older, who come to the centers 17th Street location will be tested outside the facilitys parking lot.

The program will then expand. Hamilton looks to partner with community organizations and churches to find testing locations.

Peterson hopes to have a full list of testing sites and dates by mid-August. She said testing will continue through the rest of 2020, at least.

Our testing will be mobile. So, well have various locations that well be doing throughout the city, she said.

Many of Hamiltons patients are minorities and low income two groups who have been hit the hardest by the virus.

We also know that thats a population that has a number of co-morbidities. So, hyper-tension, diabetes, Peterson said.

Its also a population that wasnt being served. Peterson said many of the testing locations like Rite-Aid and CVS are not within walking distance of the city.

I call it the suburbs, and a lot of [those testing sites] are really focused on symptomatic patients, Peterson said.

So, Peterson is turning her focus to Harrisburg, because having access to your health information shouldnt be a privilege. If you know what your status is, that also gives you a level of comfort, no guessing games.

Here is the original post:

Hamilton Health Center to roll out free community Covid-19 testing - ABC27

‘Your inner voice will need to be your compass’: Turners Falls High School says goodbye to Class of 2020 – The Recorder

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

TURNERS FALLS Standing in front of his peers, who wore masks and were seated in chairs spaced 6 feet apart, Turners Falls High School graduate Anthony Peterson said he may have been disappointed with how his senior year turned out, but he wasnt discouraged.

Being disappointed is one thing, and being discouraged is something else, Peterson said, quoting playwright Tennessee Williams. On March 13, our senior year came to an end. We werent going to have the typical ending that previous graduating classes had, and for that, I am disappointed.

At the graduation ceremony on Friday evening, the senior class president told his peers they shouldnt be discouraged either.

I want to celebrate what we accomplished, he said.

Seated in the chairs before him, there was an Eagle Scout, he said. There were actors and actresses, National Honor Society students, acclaimed athletes and state champions.

Every single member of the 2020 class should be proud of what we accomplished here at Turners Falls High School, Peterson said.

Fridays commencement began at 6 p.m. on the Turners Falls High School football field. Chairs on the field were spaced 6 feet apart, and bleachers were also marked to allow for social distancing between guests. In accordance with the state mandates as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone was expected to wear a facial covering.

I think it was worth the wait to hold (the ceremony) this way, said Salutatorian Brody Trott, acknowledging modified commencement ceremonies in other towns.

He reflected on his first year as a student, 12 years ago.

Graduation seemed so far away, Trott said. Its hard to believe we are already here.

Outgoing Superintendent Michael Sullivan congratulated the students on Friday, many of whom he had been in the Gill-Montague Regional School District with since they were in fifth grade.

Youve distinguished yourselves not just for your academic accomplishments, but also for your achievements in athletics and citizenship, Sullivan said. You are known to be a class of integrity and kindness.

He also thanked the students for their perseverance, resilience and maturity during the usual end to the school year.

You adjusted well to the remote learning situation, and you made the best of losing out on so many of the events that make the last semester of high school memorable and enjoyable, Sullivan said.

The occasion, Sullivan said, served for him to let the students in on a secret.

No one else has the answer to your most challenging questions, he advised. You will need to figure things out for yourself, because more often than not, your wisdom and your instincts and your inner voice will need to be your compass.

If the district has done its job well, he added, students will use the tools theyve been given an analytical mind, a curious heart and a collaborative spirit to find their way in whatever their next step is.

Graduates

Jaeden Anthony Ausikaitis, Spencer Logan Blair, Hailey Elizabeth Bogusz, Cameron Andrew Bradley, Jakob Joseph Burnett, Christina Eliza Caswell, Chelsea Katelyn Curtis, Liam Patrick Driscoll, Kody Andrew Fisher, Karissa Morgan Fleming, Elijah James Forcier, Alexandrea Rose Francis, Jonathon Patrick Fritz, Joshua William Gaulin, Josy Lyn Hunter, Tracey Jay Johnson, Eliza Cate Johnson, Shelby Elizabeth Jordan, Joseph William Kochan, Trevor Jeffrey Lapinski, Zacheria Charles Leighton, Jordan Myles Llewlyn, Korey John Martineau, Zachary Allen Mason, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Miner, Chantelle Makenzie Monaghan, Alyson Kendall Murphy, Brian Patrick Murphy, Anthony Thomas Peterson, Brian Daniel Poirier, Edward Joseph Reipold, Dabney Sinclaire Rollins, Anastasia Romashka, Lyuba Sankova, Jakob Aaron Shearer, Emily Alana Sisson, Journey Leigh Smalls, Lucy Willo Spera, Jaclyn Rene Thibeault, Brody Ira Conrad Trott, Luis Thomas Vinton, Abigail Marie Waite, Allison Joy Wheeler, Lindsay Arden Whiteman, Mackenna Gwen Whiteman, Jaden Christopher Whiting-Martinez, Lorie Lorraine Wood, Kamara Rose Woodard and Lydia Fay Wright.

Most Valuable Players: Boys Basketball Anthony Peterson; Girls Basketball Hailey Bogusz; Basketball and Competition Cheerleading Kaitlyn Miner; Field Hockey Alyson Murphy; Football Liam Driscoll; Football Cheerleading Emily Sisson; Golf Brian Poirier; Boys Soccer Jakob Burnett; Boys Swimming Cameron Bradley; Girls Swimming Allison Wheeler; Volleyball Hailey Bogusz.

Academic and Service Awards: Excellence In Art Lorie Wood; Excellence in Design Build Kody Fisher and Luis Vinton; Excellence in Film Editing Alyson Murphy; Excellence in Filmmaking Korey Martineau; Excellence in English Abigail Waite; Excellence in French Chantelle Monaghan; Excellence in Latin Korey Martineau; Excellence in Life Science Josy Hunter; Excellence in Maker Lab Elijah Forcier; Excellence in Mathematics Joseph Kochan; Excellence in Physical Education Jaden Whiting Martinez; Excellence in Physical Education Internship Eliza Johnson; Excellence in Physical Science Karissa Fleming; Excellence in Social Studies Josy Hunter.

Presidents Award for Academic Achievement: Abigail Waite, Cameron Bradley, Chantelle Monaghan, Eliza Johnson and Karissa Fleming.

Presidents Award for Academic Excellence: Joseph Kochan, Brody Trott, Dabney Rollins, Josey Hunter and Allison Wheeler.

Society of Women Engineers of Boston: Josy Hunter, Dabney Rollins and Isabelle Farrick.

Turners Falls High School American Citizenship Awards: Kaitlyn Miner, Alyson Murphy, Eliza Johnson and Brian Poirier.

Turners Falls High School Service Award: Kaitlyn Miner.

Ellen T. Wrightson Memorial Award: Anthony Peterson.

Turners Falls High School Class of 2020 Scholastic Merit Awards: Joseph Kochan, Brody Trott, Dabney Rollins, Josy Hunter and Allison Wheeler.

Salutatorian Award: Brody Trott.

Valedictorian Award: Joseph Kochan.

Special Recognition Dual Degrees from Turners Falls High School and Greenfield Community College: Allsion Wheeler.

National Honor Society Members: Josy Hunter, Eliza Johnson, Joseph Kochan, Alyson Murphy, Dabney Rollins, Chantelle Monaghan and Allison Wheeler.

Junior Book Awards: Bay Path College Book Award Audrey OKeefe; Rensselaer Medal Isabelle Farrick; Saint Michaels Book Award Haley Bastarache and Haleigh Greene; Smith College Book Award Mercedes Bailey; Wells College 21st Century Leadership Award Catherine Reynolds; Williams College Book Award Leah Timberlake.

Anna Garbiel Scholarship: Kaitlyn Miner and Brian Boguz.

Athletic Scholarships: Hailey Bogusz, Kaitlyn Miner, Anthony Peterson and Jaden Whiting-Martinez.

Donald Maynard Scholarship: Josy Hunter.

Edward Brown Memorial Scholarship: Anthony Peterson.

Erving Teachers Association Scholarship: Jakob Burnett and Allison Wheeler.

Erving PTO Scholarship: Allison Wheeler.

Ethel Raymond Orcutt Scholarship: Alyson Murphy.

Thomas W. Merrigan Memorial Scholarship: Joseph Kochan.

Friends of Gill: Alyson Murphy.

Gilmond Lamore Memorial Scholarship: Eliza Johnson and Kaitlyn Miner.

Gill-Montague Education Association Scholarship: Alexandrea Francis.

GMEF Enrichment/Scholarship: Joseph Kochan, Kaitlyn Miner and Abigail Waite.

H. Royer Collins Student Athlete Scholarship: Joseph Kochan.

Harriot E. Tidd Memorial Scholarship: Alyson Murphy.

Madeline J. Carlson Scholarship: Hailey Bogusz, Eliza Johnson, Kaitlyn Miner, Anthony Peterson and Emily Sisson.

Massachusetts Elks Scholarship: Alyson Murphy.

Mery OBrien Scholarship: Cameron Bradley, Josy Hunter, Alyson Murphy, Brody Trott, Abigail Waite and Allison Wheeler.

Our Lady of Peace Scholarship: Josy Hunter and Eliza Johnson.

Pioneer Valley Kennel Club: Josy Hunter.

REAM Scholarship: Emily Sisson.

The Recorder Scholarship: Anthony Peterson.

Tobin Scholarship: Kaitlyn Miner.

Turners Falls Athletic Club Scholarships: Hailey Bogusz, Alyson Murphy, Joseph Kochan, Eliza Johnson and Kaitlyn Miner.

Turners Falls High School All-Sports Booster Scholarship: Jackob Burnett and Eliza Johnson.

Turners Falls High School Alumni Scholarship: Emily Sisson.

Turners Falls High School Class of 1957 Bernard Plaza Scholarship: Cameron Bradley.

Turners Falls High School Class of 1962 Scholarship: Josy Hunter, Alyson Murphy and Allison Wheeler.

Turners Falls Class of 1964 Sally Ann Geraghty-Livingston Memorial Scholarship: Brody Trott and Abigail Waite.

Turners Falls High School Student Government Service Scholarship: Kaitlyn Miner and Alyson Murphy.

Wells Trust Fund Scholarships: Hailey Bogusz, Cameron Bradley, Josy Hunter, Eliza Johnson, Joseph Kochan, Kaitlyn Miner, Alyson Murphy, Brody Trott and Abigail Waite.

Womens Club of Turners Falls Scholarship: Hailey Bogusz.

Women of the Moose Chapter 316: Eliza Johnson and Allison Wheeler.

Original post:

'Your inner voice will need to be your compass': Turners Falls High School says goodbye to Class of 2020 - The Recorder

Grand Chute police will not take disciplinary action against officer who posted racist tweets in high school – Post-Crescent

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

GRAND CHUTE - No disciplinary actionwill be taken against a Grand Chute police officer forracist, homophobic and violent social media posts made when he was in high school.

Police Chief Greg Peterson announced the decision Thursday following a nearly two-month long investigation into posts by officer Bryce La Luzerne that were reported to the department at the end of May.

Peterson said that since the comments were made prior to La Luzerne joining the force in 2017, hewas not bound by the department's code of conduct.

In addition, an investigation into La Luzerne's conduct as an officer found "that the allegations presented in the anonymous complaint have not been exhibited in any aspect of Officer La Luzerne's performance with the Grand Chute Police Department since his date of hire," Peterson wrote.

La Luzerne's social media posts prompted a protest outside the police station at the beginning of July, where about 50 people gathered to demand the department fire him.

Tweets pictured inscreenshotsshared on Facebook date back tobetween 2011 and 2014 and use racial slurs, homophobic language and mentionmurder. The department also examineda more recent post La Luzernemade on Instagram in October. Thepost shows a photo of a handgun andreferences the Boogaloo movement, which has ties to white supremacy and radical libertarianism, according toUSA TODAY.

Protesters march for the removal of Bryce La Luzerne from the Grand Chute Police Department on Sunday, July 5, 2020, in Grand Chute, Wis.(Photo: Alex Martin/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

RELATED:Protesters call for Grand Chute to fire police officer over social media posts, about 50 gathered Sunday

RELATED:Grand Chute police investigating officer for racist tweets, post mentioning Boogaloo movement; protests planned for Sunday

As part of the investigation, the department reviewed La Luzerne's social media and internet search history,hishiring process,arrest record, use of force incidents and complaints filed against him. The department also conducted interviews with people who knew La Luzerne in high school.

Grand Chute Police Chief Greg Peterson(Photo: Courtesy of Grand Chute police)

The investigation did not reveal evidence of bias or prejudice, Peterson said.

He saidthe department decided to conduct a "meticulous" investigation to uphold the community's trust in the department, though he recognized that trust has already been damaged "based solely on the egregious nature of the allegations."

"The comments shared by Officer La Luzerne as a teenager were reprehensible," Peterson wrote. "Making no excuse for his conduct, he is in full agreement, stating so in a written apology he has given me. Acknowledging the pain arising from his actions, he has also expressed his desire to 'restore the trust and repair the damage' that his past words have caused. We share in this sentiment."

Contact Natalie Brophy at (715) 216-5452 or nbrophy@gannett.com. Followher on Twitter @brophy_natalie.

Read or Share this story: https://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/2020/07/23/grand-chute-police-officer-not-disciplined-social-media/5496804002/

Continue reading here:

Grand Chute police will not take disciplinary action against officer who posted racist tweets in high school - Post-Crescent

A look at the Americans who believe there is some truth to the conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was planned – Pew Research Center

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Most Americans (71%) have heard of a conspiracy theory circulating widely online that alleges that powerful people intentionally planned the coronavirus outbreak. And a quarter of U.S. adults see at least some truth in it including 5% who say it is definitely true and 20% who say it is probably true, according to a June Pew Research Center survey. The share of Americans who see at least some truth to the theory differs by demographics and partisanship.

Educational attainment is an especially important factor when it comes to perceptions of the conspiracy theory. Around half of Americans with a high school diploma or less education (48%) say the theory is probably or definitely true, according to the survey, which was conducted as part of the Centers American News Pathways project. That compares with 38% of those who have completed some college but have no degree, 24% of those with a bachelors degree and 15% of those with a postgraduate degree.

This analysis about Americans views of the veracity of the conspiracy theory that powerful people intentionally planned the coronavirus outbreak is based on a survey of 9,654 U.S. adults, conducted June 4 to 10, 2020. Everyone who completed the survey is a member of Pew Research Centers American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATPs methodology.

The survey was conducted as part of the Centers American News Pathways project, which studies how Americans are engaging with and perceiving news coverage of the 2020 election and the COVID-19 pandemic. The project has tracked how Americans perceive the news about COVID-19, including the reliability of information about the pandemic.

White, Black and Asian Americans include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic; Hispanics are of any race. Other races and ethnicities are not included.

White, Black and Asian Americans include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic; Hispanics are of any race. Other races and ethnicities are not included. Asian adults were interviewed in English only.

Visit our interactive data tool to access the questions included in this post, as well as survey data about the coronavirus outbreak and the 2020 presidential election.

Partisan affiliation also plays a role in perceptions of the theory. About a third (34%) of Republicans and independents who lean to the GOP say the theory that powerful people intentionally planned the COVID-19 outbreak is probably or definitely true, compared with 18% of Democrats and Democratic leaners. Its worth noting there is no significant difference in how likely partisans are to have heard at least a little about the theory: 72% of Republicans have heard of the claim, compared with 70% of Democrats.

Conservative Republicans are especially likely to see at least some truth in the theory: Roughly four-in-ten (37%) say it is probably or definitely true. This contrasts with 29% of moderate and liberal Republicans, 24% of moderate and conservative Democrats and 10% of liberal Democrats.

Roughly a third of Black (33%) and Hispanic adults (34%) say the theory is probably or definitely true, compared with about two-in-ten white adults (22%) and Asian Americans (19%). And women are slightly more likely than men (29% vs. 21%) to see at least some truth in the conspiracy theory that powerful people planned the outbreak.

There are some minor differences by age, too.About a quarter of adults under the age of 65 say the theory is probably or definitely true, compared with two-in-ten adults 65 and older.

Note: Visit our interactive data tool to access the questions included in this post, as well as survey data about the coronavirus outbreak and the 2020 presidential election.

See the rest here:

A look at the Americans who believe there is some truth to the conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was planned - Pew Research Center

Overview of the COVID-19 Prevention Network Study – UC San Diego Health

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Who We Are

The COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN) was formed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the US National Institutes of Health to respond to the global pandemic. Using the infectious disease expertise of their existing research networks and global partners, NIAID has directed the networks to utilize their experience and expertise to address the pressing need for vaccines and antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN)

The UCSD Mother-Child-Adolescent Programprovides comprehensive, family centered care of women, children, youth and families. This internationally recognized multidisciplinaryspecialists provides medical care, clinical research trials, patient education, counseling, case management, peer advocacy, and community education. Its team of investigators is highly experienced in vaccine clinical trials with an emphasis on the prevention of respiratory viral diseases.

To Conduct Phase 3 Efficacy Trials to prevent infection and COVID-19 disease. CoVPN will work to develop and conduct studies to ensure rapid and thorough evaluation of United States government-sponsored COVID-19 vaccines and antibodies for the prevention of COVID-19 disease.

The CoVPN expects to open four Phase III vaccine efficacy trials trials that make sure the vaccine works - in 2020, with the potential for additional trials to follow. Each study is anticipated to enroll roughly 30,000 people, and participants will either get the vaccine product or a sterile saltwater injection (placebo). Some trials may be conducted only in the United States, while others will enroll global communities.

The first Phase III vaccine trial will be of the Moderna mRNA vaccine that is planned to begin enrollment in the end of July 2020.

These efficacy trials hope to enroll persons who are at risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2. This risk could be associated with, but is not limited to:

Read the original:

Overview of the COVID-19 Prevention Network Study - UC San Diego Health

A Vaccine Reality Check – The Atlantic

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Read: We dont even have a COVID-19 vaccine, and yet the conspiracies are here

The good news, because it is worth saying, is that experts think there will be a COVID-19 vaccine. The virus that causes COVID-19 does not seem to be an outlier like HIV. Scientists have gone from discovery of the virus to more than 165 candidate vaccines in record time, with 27 vaccines already in human trials. Human trials consist of at least three phases: Phase 1 for safety, Phase 2 for efficacy and dosing, and Phase 3 for efficacy in a huge group of tens of thousands of people. At least six COVID-19 vaccines are in or about to enter Phase 3 trials, which will take several more months.

We are almost five months into the pandemic and probably another five from a safe and effective vaccineassuming the clinical trials work out perfectly. Even when a vaccine is introduced, says Jesse Goodman, the former chief scientist at the Food and Drug Administration, I think we will have several months of significant infection or at least risk of infection to look forward to.

All of this means that we may have to endure more months under the threat of the coronavirus than we have already survived. Without the measures that have beat back the virus in much of Europe and Asia, there will continue to be more outbreaks, more school closings, more loneliness, more deaths ahead. A vaccine, when it is available, will mark only the beginning of a long, slow ramp down. And how long that ramp down takes will depend on the efficacy of a vaccine, the success in delivering hundreds of millions of doses, and the willingness of people to get it at all. It is awful to contemplate the suffering still ahead. It is easier to think about the promise of a vaccine.

Theres a lot of hope riding on these vaccines, says Kanta Subbarao, the director of the World Health Organizations flu collaborating center in Melbourne, who has also worked on other coronavirus vaccines. Nobody wants to hear its not just right around the corner.

Vaccines are, in essence, a way to activate the immune system without disease. They can be made with weakened viruses, inactivated viruses, the proteins from a virus, a viral protein grafted onto an innocuous virus, or even just the mRNA that encodes a viral protein. Getting exposed to a vaccine is a bit like having survived the disease once, without the drawbacks. A lot remains unknown about the long-term immune response to COVID-19, but, as my colleague Derek Thompson has explained, there are good reasons to believe getting COVID-19 will protect against future infections in some way.

Vaccine-induced immunity, though, tends to be weaker than immunity that arises after an infection. Vaccines are typically given as a shot straight into a muscle. Once your body recognizes the foreign invader, it mounts an immune response by, for example, producing long-lasting antibodies that circulate in the blood.

A Vaccine Reality Check - The Atlantic

Negotiations over US Covid-19 relief bill remain in flux as key benefit expires – The Guardian

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Negotiations over Americas next Covid-19 rescue bill remained in flux on Friday, as the virus posed new risks to parts of the midwest and south, the death toll rose and extra federal payments that helped avert financial ruin for millions of unemployed people were set to expire.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, sent senators home ahead of the weekend, promising a Republican proposal for new relief efforts would be ready on Monday. But Democrats warned that time was wasting amid GOP infighting as the crisis spirals.

As Republicans struggled, the nations infections passed 4 million and the number of deaths rose by several thousand to nearly 145,000. New jobless claims topped 1m and the unemployment rate stood at 11%, higher than during last decades Great Recession.

Senate Republicans had been expected to unveil their counterproposal this week to a $3tn bill relief bill Democrats passed in May. But GOP lawmakers and the Trump administration remained divided over key aspects of the proposal in a head-spinning week of start-and-stop progress.

McConnells proposal was expected to include a fresh round of direct $1,200 cash payments to Americans, along with $105bn to help reopen schools, $25bn for virus testing and McConnells top priority of a liability shield to protect businesses, hospitals and others against Covid-19 lawsuits.

Senate Republicans got the president to abandon his push for a payroll tax break, which they argue does little to help out-of-work Americans. But the White House added new priorities in turn. Those include money for a new building to replace the FBIs ageing J Edgar Hoover Building in downtown Washington, across the street from the newer Trump hotel.

One sticking point is how to cut the $600 weekly jobless benefit boost the federal government has added to the weekly unemployment checks that states send since the start of the pandemic. That benefit officially expires on 31 July, but due to the way states process unemployment payments, the cutoff was, in effect, on Saturday.

Republicans largely believe the add-on is too robust and becoming a disincentive for returning to work. Under McConnells plan, senators proposed cutting it to $200 and then transitioning over the next few months to a new system more closely linked to states own payment levels. An administration official granted anonymity to discuss the private talks said the White House viewed that proposal as too cumbersome and the $200 boost as too high. The White House floated cutting the unemployment benefits boost to as little as $100.

The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, on Friday rejected the idea of a temporary extension of the enhanced unemployment benefits.

I would be very much averse to separating [unemployment benefits] out and lose all leverage [on Republicans] for ... meeting all of the other needs, Pelosi told reporters.

Richie Neal, the Democratic chairman of the House ways and means committee, said the country was on the eve of an economic catastrophe.

People need the sustenance of day-to-day life, Neal said at the Capitol. He said the extra aid not only helped cash-strapped families but was key to fueling the economy as Americans go without paychecks. The recovery is going to be slow, he said.

Continue reading here:

Negotiations over US Covid-19 relief bill remain in flux as key benefit expires - The Guardian

Skyrocketing COVID-19 Cases In Oakland Traced To Large Parties, Gatherings At Lake Merritt – CBS San Francisco

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

OAKLAND (CBS SF) East Oakland residents are being urged to avoid social gatherings because they are leading to a surge in COVID-19 cases. On Friday, public health officials warn the number of positive COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing there partly due to the large parties and gatherings at Lake Merritt.

The surge has been directly related to parties and social gatherings and, of specific concern, are large gatherings at Lake Merritt, according to the leaders citing data released this week by Roots Community Health Center, which is based in East Oakland.

The health center reported in July that 40 percent of the positive cases in Oakland were due to large gatherings and parties.

They pointed to the numbers in four zip codes representing East Oakland are some of the highest per 100,000 residents in the region. The zip code 94621 has 1,743 cases per 100,000 residents, 94601 has 1,870 cases per 100,000 residents, 94603 has 1,730 cases per 100,000 residents and 94605 has 689 cases per 100,000 residents.

For weeks now, neighbors who live in the adjacent 94606 zip code around Lake Merritt have been warning the city and county officials about the rowdy parties and illegal vendors who are setting up shop at the lake, which attract even more people.

Neighbors shared cell phone videos with KPIX showing cars completely blocking off Lakeshore Avenue on recent weekends. They said hundreds of people from as far away as Sacramento came throw block parties. No masks and no social distancing in the large crowds. Most neighbors like Gregory Anderson and his wife Claudia Paredes couldnt even leave their home.

As a pregnant person, I do not feel comfortable coming out to the lake to even walk our dog during the weekends because its so packed, said Paredes.

Many neighbors said they are fed up and they feel trapped.

I dont really come on weekends, I try to come on off times, said Kim Cortigiano who lives near Lake Merritt.

Its like a block party as vendors set up shop hoping to take advantage of the crowds. Johnny Soohoo, who also lives near the lake said, Its hard to control people. Im sure its a concern if there are a lot of people but people are going to do what theyre going to do.

We should all be alarmed by the new data, said councilwoman Nikki Fortunato Bas, whose district includes part of East Oakland.

On Friday afternoon, she and fellow councilmembers, along with health officials, held another press conference at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater, to remind people to not party. Theyve done many of these messaging events in recent months, yet parties and COVID-19 cases keep going up. KPIX asked them if the message is not working, whats the new approach?

(We) need to be operating with the goals of equity and inclusion, said councilwoman Fortunato Bas.

I am trying to stay away from the conversation of enforcement because one of the most unsuccessful ways of getting someone to actually change their behaviors over the long term is by forcing them to do something, said councilman Loren Taylor.

Their solution is more education and more messaging to the vendors and party-goers.

Your education message has not worked. Why dont you educate people by enforcing the rules? Not picking anyone in particularly, said neighbor Frederick Holland.

Without that, its kind of an empty measure when people know okay nothing is going to actually happen,' said another neighbor Gregory Anderson.

Neighbors want a balance of education and enforcement to keep COVID-19 cases down and bring their quality of life back.

Public officials get out there and admonish and guide and say please give the lake a break. Its too soft and its not going to happen, said R.J., whos lived near the lake since 1976.

A city administrator at the press conference said they know the vendors are operating illegally at the lake. He said they have been educating the vendors what they are doing is wrong. They will start to issue warnings in the coming days.

Alameda County is expected to reach 10,000 cases of the coronavirus this week, said Dr. Nicholas Moss, interim Alameda County health officer. That number is three times the number on June 1.

New cases are mostly in younger adults, with 65 percent occurring among residents 18 to 50 years old, he said.

African Americans are two times more likely to die from the virus than whites, he said. Latinx residents are more than six times likely to get COVID-19 than whites, Moss said.

He said social gatherings are playing a much larger part than expected. Moss asked residents to wear a face covering even when talking. He urged residents to stay six feet away from each other and stay home until getting the results of a COVID-19 test if a test was done.

Were tired, we want to socialize, said Dr. Noha Aboelata, CEO of Roots Community Health Center. People are clustering together. Please spread out.

She asked residents to think about what the feeling will be like if they catch the virus and must call everyone they have been in contact with.

Its not just inconvenient it is a challenge to adhere to this guidance, said city councilman Loren Taylor, who also represents part of East Oakland.

But he said we must stay vigilant.

See original here:

Skyrocketing COVID-19 Cases In Oakland Traced To Large Parties, Gatherings At Lake Merritt - CBS San Francisco

Some Chicago Bars Close Up Again Amid The Resetting Of COVID-19 Rules – CBS Chicago

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

CHICAGO (CBS) The clock is ticking for Chicago bars and restaurants.

New rules kick in at midnight that could force some businesses to close their doors. CBS 2s Jermont Terry reports from Old Town where neighborhood bars are trying to figure out ways to stay open.

Since its comes down to whether you sell food, a few pubs are considering getting temporary food licenses in the hopes of not losing completely out.

Along North Avenue, youll find plenty of people dining out inside restaurants. Some businesses check customers temperature in addition to requiring masks.

But even if you have a mask, you cant enter Old Town Ale House.

Manager Tim Polk believes the rollback restrictions coming from the city, requiring businesses who dont sell food to close again is unfair.

Were put on hold until further notice, Polk said.

The bar finds itself shutdown, once again.

We could have opened up on June 26. We didnt actually open up until the 15th of July, said Polk. Another place like this can have people sitting and drinking just because they have food. Food would only complicate things. I dont see why were being singled out.

The Old Town bar has served some big Chicago politicians and celebrities since opening in 1958. It has kept the same feel, but recently the owners did some renovations spending big bucks to keep up with COVID-19 requirements.

We put in some new windows double-hung windows there so nice ventilation and exhaust fans, Polk said. We just upgraded a lot of stuff.

Now with the latest restrictions, The Old Town Ale House hopes it can survive. Several small bars are getting hit the hardest. The National Restaurant Association predicts 75% of operators wont survive the next six months. But Polk is optimistic.

Im concerned it might be a roller coaster kind of thing, Polk said. Who knows about the closings.

Read the original here:

Some Chicago Bars Close Up Again Amid The Resetting Of COVID-19 Rules - CBS Chicago

High-risk individuals urged to take special precautions to protect against COVID-19 | LMH Health | Lawrence, KS – LMH Health

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Given the increase in the spread of COVID-19 in our community, our infectious disease team is encouraging high-risk patients to take special precautions.

Dr. Christopher Penn, infectious disease physician at LMH Health, reminds us that COVID-19 is a new disease, and as such, theres limited information about the impact of underlying medical conditions and how they might create additional challenges for patients with COVID-19.

The CDC indicates that patients of any age with the following conditions are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19:

Additionally, people with the following conditions might be at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19:

If you fall into one of the above categoriesor if you live with someone who doesDr. Penn said its all that much more important to protect yourself from exposure to COVID-19. This means limiting your interactions with other people as much as possible.

Yes. Dr. Penn explained that our hospital and clinics have the most up-to-date COVID-19 precautions in place. These safeguards help protect you, our staff and ultimately the community. As we contact you to schedule or remind you of an appointment, we will ask several screening questions to verify your health status. We will gather as much registration, health history, insurance and payment information in advance as possible, and we will also notify you of changes to our process when you arrive at our campus and entrances.

Not every health need requires an in-person visit. LMH Health offers TeleCare, a service that is available to almost all clinics and appointments. Any existing or new patient can take advantage of this serviceall you need is a smart device such as a tablet, smartphone or laptop. TeleCare can be very effective even outside of a pandemicthink of it as another convenient option for care delivery. Ask your treatment team if a TeleCare visit is an option for you.

Dr. Penn said that the most important thing for all patients to keep in mindespecially those who fall into a high-risk category due to certain conditionsis to avoid any and all delays to necessary emergency care. Delaying your care can create even more significant health issues, and the infection prevention measures in place in our Emergency Department are meant to keep you safe.

If you cant avoid interaction altogether, remember that the virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person, specifically:

You can best protect yourself and those around you by following this guidance from the CDC:

Monitor your health daily, and be alert for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19. If you think youve been exposed to COVID-19, call your healthcare provider before coming in. If you dont have a provider, you can contact Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.

You can also keep track of your symptoms, and watch for emergency warning signs. Seek care immediately if you have trouble breathing or experience confusion, chest pain or chest pressure.

For nearly 100 years, our community has relied on LMH Health to provide exceptional, safe care. This has always been our top priority, and it remains true now more than ever. Our purpose is to be A Partner for Lifelong Health, in all times, but especially in these challenging ones.

View post:

High-risk individuals urged to take special precautions to protect against COVID-19 | LMH Health | Lawrence, KS - LMH Health

New COVID-19 test returns results in 45 minutes, without nasal swab – CU Boulder Today

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Banner image: Researchers from the BioFrontiers Institute at CU Boulder have developed a saliva-based COVID-19 test which changes colors, from pink to yellow, when it is positive. Credit: Glenn Asakawa/CU Boulder

CU Boulder researchers have developed a rapid, portable, saliva-based COVID-19 test able to return results in 45 minutes. Such a test might eventually be deployable in community settings like schools and factories, and efforts are underway to conduct further validation testsand seek regulatory approval.

We are facing a serious testing shortage in this country right now as more people want to get tested and diagnostics labs are overwhelmed, said Nicholas Meyerson, a postdoctoral associate in the Sawyer Lab at the BioFrontiers Institute at CU Boulder. Weve developed a test that could get results to people much faster.

Research assistant Kyle Clark demonstrates how a user would deposita saliva sample for a new COVID-19 test. Credit: Glenn Asakawa/CU Boulder

The test, described in a preprint manuscript posted Friday on the online archive MedRxiv.org, is designed for widespread screening to help identify asymptomatic individuals. Research shows people infected with the virus but with no obvious symptoms make up as many as 70% of cases and can still spread disease. In this new test, a user spits in a tube, adds a solution to stabilize it then closes the lid and hands it off to testing staff. They process it through a simple system requiring little more than pipettes, a heating source and an enzyme mixture.

If the sample turns from pink to yellow, the test is positive. If it doesnt, its negative.

Because no swabs are required, and no fancy equipment is needed, the tests are less vulnerable to backlogs and supply chain shortages, the researchers say.

Every test that has been approved to date requires that the sample, even if its saliva, be processed in a clinical diagnostic lab or at a doctors office, using sophisticated equipment. That can take up to nine days right now, said Professor Sara Sawyer, a virologist in the Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology who led the development of the test.

The test is based on a 20-year-old technology known as reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) previously used, for instance, to screen mosquitoes for the Zika virus in remote regions of South America.

Once a sample is collected, it is heated to liberate any viral genome present in the test liquid. This sample is then added to three tubes, each containing a custom enzyme mixture which, when heated to a certain temperature, undergoes a chemical reaction when the genetic material from SARS-CoV-2 is detected. Thats the virus that causes COVID-19.

In one experiment described in the paper, the researchers conducted what is known as a contrived clinical validation. One researcher spiked 30 out of 60 saliva samples with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 in the lab. Then they shuffled the samples and gave them to another scientist to test with the RT-LAMP technology.

The test predicted with 100% accuracy all of the negative samples, and 29 of 30 positive samples were predicted accurately, said Meyerson, noting that the 30th test was scored as inconclusive. Additional second-party validation tests are currently underway.

The authors note that the test is slightly less sensitive than those performed in clinical labs. But a separate computer modeling study, also by researchers at the BioFrontiers Institute, found that quick turnaround for testing is even more critical to curbing the pandemic than test sensitivity is.

Our modeling showed that whether a test is sensitive or super-sensitive is not that important, said BioFrontiers Director Roy Parker, co-author of that paper, which has not yet been peer reviewed. What is important is frequent testing, with the test results returned as fast as possible, which identifies more infected people faster and can limit new infections.

Ideally, the team sees the test as a triaging tool.

Molecular, cellular and developmental biology graduate student Quing Yang examines samples in the Sawyer Lab. (Credit: Glenn Asakawa/CU Boulder)

The research team, in cooperation with Venture Partners at CU Boulder, has created a spinoff company, Darwin Biosciences, to commercialize the test. The test has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration yet, but the team has submitted paperwork via the agency'sEmergency Use Authorization program. The team isalso working with the stateto carry out further validation tests locally and, pending those results, expedite regulatory clearance for use in Colorado.

"We are very excited and applaud the scientists at the University of Colorado," said Governor Jared Polis, during a press briefing on Thursday.

The company is also working on a rapid, do-it-yourself test for infectious diseases, known as SickStick, which is based on a different technology and packaged much like an at-home pregnancy test. It hopes to make it available via retail outlets someday.

While we are all very optimistic about a coronavirus vaccine, scientists have been working on an HIV vaccine for 30 years without success, said Sawyer. Meantime, the HIV pandemic showed us that pervasive testing can make a big difference.

Visit link:

New COVID-19 test returns results in 45 minutes, without nasal swab - CU Boulder Today

Health Department investigates hundreds of complaints related to COVID-19 safety concerns – WANE

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) The Allen County Health Department has received hundreds of consumer complaints over concerns that restaurants and other establishments have failed to comply with public health requirements related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a spokesperson for the Allen County Department of Health, the agency typically receives about 600 consumer complaints each year. The department has fielded more than 250 complaints since Indiana moved to phase four of Governor Eric Holcombs reopening plan June 12.

Complaints include workers without masks or wearing them improperly, a lack of social distancing guidelines and businesses not adhering to capacity limits.

Holcombs executive order indicates that restaurants can operate at 75% capacity, while bars, nightclubs, movie theaters and bowling alleys can open at 50% capacity. Additionally, all restaurant and bar employees are required to wear face coverings. The order also disallowed self-service at buffets.

Through a public records request, 15 Finds Out obtained 39 inspection reports that indicate two dozen establishments were in violation of the Governors executive order since Phase 4 began. Fujiyama Grill & Buffet and Babas Steak and Lemonade were shut down temporarily for failure to comply with the health departments order after an inspector observed violations during multiple visits.

Fujiyama Grill & Buffet, located off Coliseum Boulevard, was ordered to close by the health department after an inspection conducted July 7. Several consumer complaints indicate concerns over inadequate social distancing, the restaurants cleanliness, and customers using the buffet. Inspectors had previously given the establishment verbal orders to stop allowing consumer self-service June 23. It has since reopened.

Babas Steak and Lemonade, located on North Wells Street, was also temporarily shut down following an inspection June 29. According to the inspection report, the owner was cooking in the kitchen without a mask. A verbal order was issued on June 25 for employees to wear masks and the establishment was given 24 hours to comply, the report said.

Other restaurants found in violation of the executive order for workers not wearing masks or facial coverings include:

Read the original post:

Health Department investigates hundreds of complaints related to COVID-19 safety concerns - WANE

COVID-19 Daily Update 7-19-2020 – 10 AM – West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of 10:00 a.m., on July 19,2020, there have been 229,368 total confirmatory laboratory results receivedfor COVID-19, with 4,983 total cases and 100 deaths.

In alignment with updated definitions fromthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the dashboard includes probablecases which are individuals that have symptoms and either serologic (antibody)or epidemiologic (e.g., a link to a confirmed case) evidence of disease, but noconfirmatory test.

CASESPER COUNTY (Case confirmed by lab test/Probable case):Barbour (25/0), Berkeley (547/19), Boone(57/0), Braxton (7/0), Brooke (39/1), Cabell (221/7), Calhoun (5/0), Clay(15/0), Fayette (100/0), Gilmer (13/0), Grant (21/1), Greenbrier (76/0),Hampshire (48/0), Hancock (55/4), Hardy (48/1), Harrison (137/1), Jackson(149/0), Jefferson (267/5), Kanawha (509/12), Lewis (24/1), Lincoln (20/0),Logan (43/0), Marion (132/3), Marshall (80/1), Mason (26/0), McDowell (12/0),Mercer (72/0), Mineral (71/2), Mingo (51/2), Monongalia (712/15), Monroe(16/1), Morgan (20/1), Nicholas (19/1), Ohio (177/0), Pendleton (19/1), Pleasants(4/1), Pocahontas (37/1), Preston (90/25), Putnam (111/1), Raleigh (92/3),Randolph (196/2), Ritchie (3/0), Roane (12/0), Summers (2/0), Taylor (29/1),Tucker (7/0), Tyler (10/0), Upshur (31/2), Wayne (149/2), Webster (2/0), Wetzel(40/0), Wirt (6/0), Wood (195/10), Wyoming (7/0).

As case surveillance continues at thelocal health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certaincounty may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individualin question may have crossed the state border to be tested.Such is the case of Cabell,Fayette, Lincoln, Mason, Nicholas, and Summers counties in this report.

Pleasenote that delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from thelocal health department to DHHR.

Please visit thedashboard at http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more detailed information.

Read this article:

COVID-19 Daily Update 7-19-2020 - 10 AM - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

Childfree – reddit

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

It's what my mother told me when I was obtaining an abortion at 19 which she believed could make me sterile. It was also in a letter my mother sent me when I was 31 and about to have my tubes tied, knowing motherhood was not for me. I kept that letter for 29 years. I am now 60 and I can say with certainty that I do not regret it.

Upon finding that letter again I called my mother to remind her of what she wrote. Since she wrote it, she has watched me live my life vibrantly without children, and came to understand that while her happiness came from motherhood, that was not the path I was destined to take. She hasn't always approved of my life choices, she doesn't understand why I reject monogamy, why I date women as well as men, why I became an activist, or why I still date at 60 for example. But she knows I am happy. She found it funny that she made that prediction, and we laughed about how wrong she was.

My life is wonderful. I have been so many places, loved so many people, had so many experiences, and I would not have done half the things I did if I had settled down with a nice man and had two-to-three children in a nice house in the suburbs. For you younger folks who've heard "you'll regret it when you're older" enough times to make you doubt yourself, remember that this old lady has been hearing "you'll regret it" since 1979, and still doesn't regret it in 2020.

Childfree - reddit

Voluntary childlessness – Wikipedia

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

This article is about the choice not to have children. For the inability to have children despite one's desire to have them, see Childlessness Involuntary.

Lifelong voluntary choice to not have children

Voluntary childlessness, also described by some as being childfree, is the voluntary choice to not have children.

In most societies and for most of human history, choosing not to have children was both difficult and undesirable. The availability of reliable contraception along with support provided in old age by one's government rather than one's family has made childlessness an option for people in some, though they may be looked down upon in certain communities.

The usage of the term "childfree" to describe people who choose not to have children was coined in the English language late in the 20th century.[1] The meaning of the term "childfree" extends to encompass the children of others (in addition to one's own children) and this distinguishes it further from the more usual term "childless", which is traditionally used to express the idea of having no children, whether by choice or by circumstance.[2] The term 'child free' has been cited in Australian literature to refer to parents who are without children at the current time. This may be due to them living elsewhere on a permanent basis or a short-term solution such as childcare.[3]

Supporters of living childfree (e.g. Corinne Maier, French author of "No Kids: 40 Reasons For Not Having Children") cite various reasons[4] for their view:[5][6][7][8][9]

According to economist David Foot of the University of Toronto, the level of a woman's education is the most important factor in determining whether she will reproduce: the higher her level of education, the less likely she is to bear children (or if she does, the fewer children she is likely to have). Overall, researchers have observed childless couples to be more educated,[citation needed] and it is perhaps because of this that they are more likely to be employed in professional and management occupations, more likely for both spouses to earn relatively high incomes, and to live in urban areas. They are also less likely to be religious, subscribe to traditional gender roles, or subscribe to conventional roles.[21]

Worldwide, higher educated women are statistically more often choosing voluntary childlessness.[7] Waren and Pals (2013) found that voluntary childlessness in the United States was more common among higher educated women but not higher educated men.[9] In Europe, childlessness among women aged 4044 is most common in Austria, Spain and the United Kingdom (in 2010-2011).[22] Among surveyed countries, childlessness was least common across Eastern European countries,[22] although one child families are very common there.[citation needed]

Research into both voluntary and involuntary childlessness and parenthood has long focused on women's experiences, and men's perspectives are often overlooked.[9]

In March 2020, Quest reported that research had shown that, in Belgium, 11% of women and 16% of men between the ages of 25 and 35 did not want children.[7]

According to research by Statistics Netherlands from 2004, 6 in 10 childless women are voluntarily childless.[10] It showed a correlation between higher levels of education of women and the choice to be childfree, and the fact that women had been receiving better education in the preceding decades was a factor why an increasing number of women chose childfreedom.[10] The two most important reasons for choosing not to have children were that it would infringe on their freedom and that raising children takes too much time and energy; many women who gave the second reason also gave the first.[10] A 2016 report from Statistics Netherlands confirmed those numbers: 20% of Dutch women was childless, of whom 60% voluntarily, so that 12% of all Dutch women could be considered childfree.[5]

In March 2017, Trouw reported that new a Statistics Netherlands report showed that 22% of higher educated 45-year-old men were childless and 33% of lower educated 45-year-old men were childless. Childlessness amongst the latter was increasing, even though most of them were involuntarily childless. The number of voluntarily childless people amongst higher educated men had been increasing since the 1960s, whilst voluntary childlessness amongst lower educated men (who tended to have been raised more traditionally) did not become a rising trend until the 2010s.[23]

In March 2020, Quest reported that research from Trouw and Statistics Netherlands had shown that 10% of 30-year-old Dutch women questioned had not gotten children out of her own choice, and did not expect to get any children anymore either; furthermore, 8.5% of 45-year-old women questioned and 5.5% of 60-year-old women questioned stated that they had consciously remained childless.[7]

According to a 2019 study amongst 191 Swedish men aged 20 to 50, 39 were not fathers and did not want to have children in the future either (20.4%). Desire to have (more) children was not related to level of education, country of birth, sexual orientation or relationship status.[9]

Some Swedish men 'passively' choose not to have children as they feel their life is already good as it is, adding children is not necessary, and they do not have to counter the same amount of social pressure to have children as childfree women do.[9]

Being a childfree, American adult was considered unusual in the 1950s.[24][25] However, the proportion of childfree adults in the population has increased significantly since then. A 2006 study by Abma and Martinez found that American women aged 35 to 44 who were voluntarily childless constituted 5% of all U.S. women in 1982, 8% in 1988, 9% in 1995 and 7% in 2002. These women had the highest income, prior work experience and the lowest religiosity compared to other women.[26] The National Center of Health Statistics confirms that the percentage of American women of childbearing age who define themselves as childfree (or voluntarily childless) rose sharply in the 1990sfrom 2.4 percent in 1982 to 4.3 percent in 1990 to 6.6 percent in 1995.[citation needed]

From 2007 to 2011 the fertility rate in the U.S. declined 9%, the Pew Research Center reporting in 2010 that the birth rate was the lowest in U.S. history and that childlessness rose across all racial and ethnic groups to about 1 in 5 versus 1 in 10 in the 1970s; it did not say which percentage of childless Americans were so voluntarily, but Time claimed that, despite persisting discrimination against especially women who chose to remain childless, acceptance of being childfree was gradually increasing.[27]

Among women aged 3544, the chance of being childless was far greater for never-married (82.5%) than for married women (12.9%). When the same group is analyzed by education level, increasing education correlates with increasing childlessness: non-H.S. graduate (13.5%), H.S. graduate (14.3%), Some College no degree (24.7%), Associate Degree (11.4%), Bachelor's degree (18.2%) and Graduate or Professional degree (27.6%).[28][29]

While younger women are more likely to be childfree, older women are more likely to state that they intend to remain childfree in the future.[citation needed] It has also been suggested through research that married individuals who were concerned about the stability of their marriages were more likely to remain childless.[citation needed] However, some women report that lack of financial resources was a reason why they decided to remain childless.[citation needed] Childless women in the developed world often express the view that women ultimately have to make a choice between motherhood and having a career.[citation needed]

Most societies place a high value on parenthood in adult life, so that people who remain childfree are sometimes stereotyped as being "individualistic" people who avoid social responsibility and are less prepared to commit themselves to helping others.[31] However, certain groups believe that being childfree is beneficial. With the advent of environmentalism and concerns for stewardship, those choosing to not have children are also sometimes recognized as helping reduce our impact, such as members of the voluntary human extinction movement. Some childfree are sometimes lauded on moral grounds, such as members of philosophical or religious groups, like the Shakers.[citation needed]

There are three broad areas of criticism regarding childfreeness, based upon socio-political, feminist or religious reasons.[citation needed] There are also considerations relating to personal philosophy and social roles.[citation needed]

Feminist author Daphne DeMarneffe links larger feminist issues to both the devaluation of motherhood in contemporary society, as well as the delegitimization of "maternal desire" and pleasure in motherhood.[32] In third-wave handbook Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future, authors Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards explore the concept of third-wave feminists reclaiming "girlie" culture, along with reasons why women of Baby Boomer and Generation X ages may reject motherhood because, at a young and impressionable age, they witnessed their own mothers being devalued by society and family.[33]

On the other hand, in "The Bust Guide to the New Girl Order"[34] and in Utne Reader magazine, third-wave feminist writer Tiffany Lee Brown described the joys and freedoms of childfree living, freedoms such as travel previously associated with males in Western culture. In "Motherhood Lite," she celebrates being an aunt, co-parent, or family friend over the idea of being a mother.[35]

Some believe that overpopulation is a serious problem and some question the fairness of what they feel amount to subsidies for having children, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (US), free K12 education paid for by all taxpayers, family medical leave, and other such programs.[36]Others, however, do not believe overpopulation to be a problem in itself; regarding such problems as overcrowding, global warming, and straining food supplies to be problems of public policy and/or technology.[37]

Some have argued that this sort of conscientiousness is self-eliminating (assuming it is heritable), so by avoiding reproduction for ethical reasons the childfree will only aid deterioration of concern for the environment and future generations.[38]

Some regard governmental or employer-based incentives offered only to parentssuch as a per-child income tax credit, preferential absence planning, employment legislation, or special facilitiesas intrinsically discriminatory, arguing for their removal, reduction, or the formation of a corresponding system of matching incentives for other categories of social relationships. Childfree advocates argue that other forms of caregiving have historically not been considered equalthat "only babies count"and that this is an outdated idea that is in need of revision. Caring for sick, disabled, or elderly dependents entails significant financial and emotional costs but is not currently subsidized in the same manner. This commitment has traditionally and increasingly fallen largely on women, contributing to the feminization of poverty in the U.S.[39]

The focus on personal acceptance is mirrored in much of the literature surrounding choosing not to reproduce. Many early books were grounded in feminist theory and largely sought to dispel the idea that womanhood and motherhood were necessarily the same thing, arguing, for example, that childfree people face not only social discrimination but political discrimination as well.[36]

Abrahamic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as Hinduism place a high value on children and their central place in marriage.[citation needed] In numerous works, including an Apostolic letter written in 1988,[40] Pope John Paul II has set forth the Roman Catholic emphasis on the role of children in family life. However, the Catholic Church also stresses the value of chastity in the non-married state of life and so approves of nominally childfree ways of life for the single.[citation needed]

There are, however, some debates within religious groups about whether a childfree lifestyle is acceptable. Another view, for example, is that the biblical text Gen. 1:28 "Be fruitful and multiply", is really not a command but a blessing formula and that while there are many factors to consider as far as people's motives for remaining childless, there are many valid reasons, including dedicating one's time to demanding but good causes, why Christians may choose to remain childless for a short time or a lifetime.[41] Matthew 19:12 describes Jesus as listing three types of eunuchs including one type who chooses it intentionally, noting that whoever is willing to become one, should.[citation needed]

Brian Tomasik cites ethical reasons for people to remain childfree. Also, they will have more time to focus on themselves, which will allow for greater creativity and the exploration of personal ambitions. In this way, they may benefit themselves and society more than if they had a child.[42]

Some opponents of the childfree choice consider such a choice to be selfish. The rationale of this position is the assertion that raising children is a very important activity and so not engaging in this activity must therefore mean living one's life in service to one's self. The value judgment behind this idea is that individuals should endeavor to make some kind of meaningful contribution to the world, but also that the best way to make such a contribution is to have children. For some people, one or both of these assumptions may be true, but others prefer to direct their time, energy, and talents elsewhere, in many cases toward improving the world that today's children occupy (and that future generations will inherit).[43]

Proponents of childfreedom posit that choosing not to have children is no more or less selfish than choosing to have children. Choosing to have children may be the more selfish choice, especially when poor parenting risks creating many long term problems for both the children themselves and society at large.[44] As philosopher David Benatar[45] explains, at the heart of the decision to bring a child into the world often lies the parents' own desires (to enjoy child-rearing or perpetuate one's legacy/genes), rather than the potential person's interests. At the very least, Benatar believes this illustrates why a childfree person may be just as altruistic as any parent.[citation needed]

There is also the question as to whether having children really is such a positive contribution to the world in an age when there are many concerns about overpopulation, pollution and depletion of non-renewable resources. Some critics counter that such analyses of having children may understate its potential benefits to society (e.g. a greater labor force, which may provide greater opportunity to solve social problems) and overstate the costs. That is, there is often a need for a non-zero birth rate.[46]

People, especially women, who express the fact that they have voluntarily chosen to remain childless, are frequently subjected to several different forms of discrimination.[20] The decision not to have children has been variously attributed to insanity or derided as 'unnatural', and frequently childfree people are subjected to unsolicited questioning by friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances and even strangers who attempt to force them to justify and change their decision.[20][6][9] Some consciouslessly childless women have been told that their purpose in life was to get children based on the fact that they were born with a womb (created by God).[20] Some British childfree women have compared their experiences of coming out as childfree to coming out as gay in the mid-20th century.[20] Some Canadian women preferred not to express their decision to remain childless for fear of encountering social pressure to change their decision.[20] Some women are told to first have a child before being able to properly decide that they don't want one.[20] Some parents try to pressure their children into producing grandchildren and threaten to or actually disown them if they don't.[20][8] Some childfree women are told they would make good mothers, or just 'haven't met the right man yet', are assumed to be infertile rather than having made a conscious decision not to make use of their fertility (whether applicable or not).[20] Some childfree people are accused of hating all children instead of just not wanting any themselves and still being able to help people who do have children with things like babysitting.[20][8]

It has also been claimed that there is a taboo on discussing the negative aspects of pregnancy, and a taboo on parents to express regret that they chose to have children, which makes it harder for childfree people to defend their decision not to have them.[8]

Social attitudes about voluntarily childlessness have been slowly changing from condemnation and pathologisation in the 1970s towards more acceptance by the 2010s.[9]

Childfree individuals do not necessarily share a unified political or economic philosophy, and most prominent childfree organizations tend to be social in nature. Childfree social groups first emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, most notable among them the National Alliance for Optional Parenthood and No Kidding! in North America where numerous books have been written about childfree people and where a range of social positions related to childfree interests have developed along with political and social activism in support of these interests. The term "childfree" was used in a July 3, 1972 Time article on the creation of the National Organization for Non-Parents.[47] It was revived in the 1990s when Leslie Lafayette formed a later childfree group, the Childfree Network.[48]

The National Organization for Non-Parents (N.O.N.) was established in Palo Alto, California by Ellen Peck and Shirley Radl in 1972. N.O.N. was formed to advance the notion that men and women could choose not to have childrento be childfree. Changing its name to the National Alliance for Optional Parenthood, it continued into the early 1980s both as a support group for those making the decision to be childfree and an advocacy group fighting pronatalism (attitudes/advertising/etc. promoting or glorifying parenthood). According to its bylaws, the purpose of the National Alliance for Optional Parenthood was to educate the public on non-parenthood as a valid lifestyle option, support those who choose not to have children, promote awareness of the overpopulation problem, and assist other groups that advanced the goals of the organization. N.O.N.'s offices were located in Reisterstown, Maryland; then Baltimore; and ultimately in Washington, D.C. N.O.N. designated August 1 as Non-Parents' Day. Just as people with children come from all shades of the political spectrum and temper their beliefs accordingly, so do the childfree. For example, while some childfree people think of government welfare to parents as "lifestyle subsidies," others accept the need to assist such individuals but think that their lifestyle should be equally compensated. Still others accept the need to help out such individuals and also do not ask for subsidies of their own.[citation needed]

There are suggestions of an emergence of political cohesion, for example an Australian Childfree Party (ACFP) proposed in Australia as a childfree political party, promoting the childfree lifestyle as opposed to the family lifestyle.[citation needed] Increasing politicization and media interest has led to the emergence of a second wave of childfree organizations that are openly political in their raisons d'tre, with a number of attempts to mobilize political pressure groups in the U.S. The first organization to emerge was British, known as Kidding Aside.