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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Bad Education’ on HBO, a Funny White-Collar-Crook Bio Featuring Hugh Jackman’s Best Performance Yet – Decider

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

Writer Mike Makowsky was a firsthand witness of sorts to the real-life events inspiring Bad Education, which debuted at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and now sees wide launch via HBO. He was a six-year-old student in Roslyn Public Schools when he first met Frank Tassone, and witnessed firsthand how revered and influential the superintendent was until he was busted in 2004 for embezzling millions from the district, engineering the largest school theft in American history. With Makwoskys close ties to the saga, and Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney cast as leads, will the movie be more than just another based-on-a-true-story story?

The Gist: Roslyn High School is fourth in the country in college-acceptance rates. Fourth! And its all due to Frank Tassone. He meticulously grooms himself in the morning, spritzing cologne on his neck and plucking stray nose hairs. He walks into his office, decorated with silver balloons shaped like 4s, a snow day magic wand and issues of Life Extension magazine. He says absolutely perfect things to a helicopter parent hyperventilating about her sons troubles in school. He inspires a young journalist from the school paper to write more than just a puff piece about the schools multimillion-dollar skywalk project. Hes thanked with a basket of candy from local real estate developers, who love him for making the district great and therefore inspiring skyrocketing property values.

At lunchtime, Frank sits in the football-stadium bleachers with assistant super/business manager Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney). He laments the health-food smoothie hes consuming. I would kill somebody for a carb right now, he says, and she feeds him a big honking bite of her pastrami-on-rye. He leads the local ladies book club, and attendees didnt even read the selection. Theyre in awe of him, in his crisp light-blue oxford with white collar and cuffs adorned with fancy cufflinks. He offers to help with the dishes, and the hostess leans in, but he leans away. The memory of his late wife is too fresh, he says.

He goes to Vegas for a conference, and dutifully attends snoozy lectures while his colleagues gamble. Afterward, he sits down for a drink and recognizes the bartender: Kyle Contreras (Rafael Casal), a former student from 15 years ago when he taught English. Frank remembers his name, because he remembers everybodys name, because he and Gluckin stay at work late so she can quiz him on everybodys name. He and Kyle have dinner, and then go back to Franks hotel room and make out and then the movie cuts away. Hey now.

So about that young journalist, Rachel (Geraldine Viswanathan). Shes no longer OK with writing a crappy puff piece, so she confidently plops down in Gluckins office and asks about project budgets and contractor bids. Gluckin is only slightly icy when she tosses Rachel the key to the firetrap basement records room, although if Rachel saw Gluckins seaside near-manse and Corvette convertible, she might have even more questions about how a public school administrators humble salary can indulge such extravagant tastes. I mean, Gluckins husband is a car salesman. Gluckins niece (Annaleigh Ashford) is the office secretary who helps Rachel make a zillion photocopies of school records with some big numbers on them, and it seems like only a matter of time before some of the people in charge around there are something that rhymes with glucked.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Remember how Philip Seymour Hoffman totally owned Owning Mahowny, playing a buttoned-up gambling addict who bilked big stacks of cash from the bank he worked for? You dont? (Does anybody whos not a movie critic remember?) Well, watch the damn thing, and youll see a character whos pretty much the opposite of Frank Tarrone in a similar stressful situation.

Performance Worth Watching: This is easily one of Jackmans best performances possibly THE best, especially in the first act, when hes sparklingly charming. And the second act, when he tries to keep all the squirming puppies in the box And in the third act, when he shows how a life of subterfuge sad on one hand, infuriating on the other can quickly crumble, and he makes a hard left into villainy.

Memorable Dialogue: Skywalk is big. Gets us to first!, Frank chirps.

Sex and Skin: None.

The filmmakers cleverly embed character bits in the movies little visual details. The way Frank is yanked off a beanbag chair while chatting with sixth-graders so he can be informed of Gluckins malfeasance, for example. Or, in a touch of shrewd symbolism, how he carefully applies concealer to his eye wrinkles. Or how Rachel spreads out the schools sketchy budget paperwork on the floor of her bedroom with a pile of period-specific Beanie Babies watching. This is a terrific movie, smart, character-driven, frequently funny and highly entertaining.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Bad Education bullseyes the sweet spot between realism and elevated drama, making it several cuts above the usual based-on-a-true-story fodder.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.

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F-16 at Spangdahlem first in Europe to hit 10000 flight hours – Stars and Stripes

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

An F-16 combat jet at Spangdahlem Air Base achieved a landmark 10,000 flight hours on Thursday, nearly 27 years after it rolled off the production line and began flying for the 52nd Fighter Wing.

The aircraft Tail No. 343 is the first Block 50 Fighting Falcon in Europe and only the second F-16 in the U.S. Air Forces inventory to reach the historic milestone, something maintainers hailed as a testament to its durability and their dedicated labor.

An F-16 at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan hit the mark a year ago, but that jet was delivered a year earlier than Spangdahlems, maintainers said. It also took 26 years and 11 months to reach 10,000 hours two months longer than No. 343.

It takes a lot of work and a lot of diligence and a lot of very thorough inspections to keep (the aircraft) safe and ready to fly, said Senior Master Sgt. Andrew Yates of the 480th Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Spangdahlem.

The planes been flying since before about 75% of the people in this building were even born definitely before any of us even joined the military, he said.

Both are true for 1st Lt. Christina Nunley, 25, the assistant officer in charge for the 480th AMU.

This aircraft has been at Spangdahlem longer than I have been alive, she said. Obviously, there are struggles that come with having an older aircraft, but the history behind it is a huge motivating factor and its something that we take a lot of pride in.

Chief Master Sgt. Chris Yager, 45, is part of that history. His first assignment out of tech school in 1997 was at Spangdahlem, where he worked on the jet and saw it reach 2,000 flight hours.

Back then, there were those old crusty guys that were out there training me how to work on aircraft and sometimes I wondered why they were training me the way they were, said Yager, the 52nd Maintenance Group superintendent.

With Thursdays milestone, Yager said he sees the fruits of that labor.

Keeping No. 343 airworthy involved about 190,000 hours of work by ground crews, maintainers said. The F-16 on average requires 19 hours of maintenance for every hour of flying time a figure that includes thorough inspections, refueling and basic maintenance such as changing tires and oil.

The wings vice commander, Col. Jason Hokaj, took the jet up Thursday afternoon for less than an hour to reached the milestone. Base firefighters hosed down the aircraft as it taxied down the flightline after landing.

This is such an amazing event to be part of, Hokaj said in a statement. To think about the amount of hands and minds used to get here, to keep this machine flying, its a testament to the professionalism of the 52nd Maintenance Group.

The Lockheed Martin Block 50 F-16s that the 480th Fighter Squadron flies were initially designed to last 8,000 flight hours, Yates said. But a series of upgrades has kept many of them going past that mark, he said.

Yager likened the F-16 to the Air Forces Cold War-era B-52 bomber, which is still in service after more than 50 years.

It was only designed for so many hours but it keeps going and going, he said.

Lockheed Martins F-35A Lightning II is the planned replacement for the F-16 across the service, but due to delays in the program, the F-16s are expected to receive service-life extension upgrades to keep them airworthy until 2048 and beyond.

No. 343 was part of the 480ths deployment for Operation Inherent Resolve to Iraq and Syria in 2016, when the squadron broke a record for number of munitions dropped by an F-16 unit within a six-month period.

Its just been a good, durable aircraft, Yates said. Theres a lot of superstition in the maintenance community rubbing the bellies and certain things but really, the biggest reason is making sure all the required inspections for this aircraft are complied with.

svan.jennifer@stripes.comTwitter: @stripesktown

U.S. Air Force Col. Jason Hokaj, 52nd Fighter Wing vice commander, prepares for takeoff in aircraft 343, an F-16 Fighting Falcon, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, April 23, 2020. Later that day, Hokaj's aircraft passed the 10,000 flight hours milestone.KYLE COPE/U.S. AIR FORCE

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F-16 at Spangdahlem first in Europe to hit 10000 flight hours - Stars and Stripes

Viewpoint: The impact of COVID-19 on nuclear jobs : Perspectives – World Nuclear News

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

27 April 2020

The effect on jobs globally as a result of COVID-19 has been uneven to say the least. While some industries and organisations are booming and hiring thousands, others are being hit hard. The nuclear industry employment situation could be best described as behaving like a nuclear power plant - continuing reliably without creating much attention while competently adapting to the needs of the current situation, writes Callum Thomas, CEO of Thomas Thor Associates.

One of the benefits of safety being at the heart of the culture in the nuclear industry is that consideration for the health and well-being of workers is already the primary objective. Nuclear sites - operating, under construction or in decommissioning - have long established emergency preparedness procedures and continue to run smoothly. The main change has been a rapid transition to home working for the workforce, for all those other than essential workers on operating sites and construction projects. This has presented the same challenges that other industries have faced around providing the necessary equipment, access and security for people to work effectively from home. Non-essential projects and workstreams have been slowed down or put on hold in order to minimise unnecessary social contact. Although the number of permanent lay-offs is limited in the short-term, there are a significant number of workers from operating and construction sites deemed non-essential that are not doing their usual jobs right now.

The nuclear industry has not been at the forefront of remote working practices up until now but has adapted quickly in recent weeks. Every day I am speaking with people across the industry worldwide who are pleasantly surprised about how effectively they can carry out their jobs remotely. The other major feedback theme is around efficiency. The evaluation of activities to ascertain whether they are essential and the review of working practices to ensure social distancing rules are met have led to significant efficiency gains. Construction sites are continuing to meet milestones with fewer workers on site, and the number of meetings we are all physically attending has been drastically curtailed (although we are rapidly replacing them with video calls!).

The result is that there have not been large-scale reductions in workforce across the nuclear industry, and there are few industries in a better position to adapt to the new social-distancing workplace environment that will become the norm as we come out of this crisis. While this current picture is one of adaption and steadiness, the view of the future is far more radical.

Choruses of governments are basing COVID-19 policy and action on the advice of leading scientists. Imagine if our global response to climate change was formed on the same basis. Scientists are already loudly warning about the consequences of not acting now to slow down climate change. Maybe the COVID-19 crisis will mark a turning point in how seriously the scientific evidence will define and prioritise policy and action. We have an opportunity to apply the value of hindsight gained from the COVID-19 crisis to the climate change crisis, which has potentially far greater consequences but is playing out at a speed that seems to prevent us from seeing it as an emergency.

There are four priorities that will be paramount for countries after the COVID-19 crisis - economic recovery, job creation, energy security and addressing climate change. Nuclear energy provides a solution to all four of these priorities.

Creating jobs to boost the economy and build essential national infrastructure in the form of nuclear power plants and used fuel solutions that support energy security and reduce carbon emissions would contribute perfectly to the solution. It will take a while for this action to filter down to large-scale job creation.

Energy policy changes and unlocking of funding sources for new nuclear plants and used fuel facilities in the short term will lead to some new jobs being created in the coming years for work related to modernisation and plant life extension, and then on a larger scale over the next 5-10 years as new nuclear facilities start to be built. These will be highly skilled jobs delivering long-term projects and supporting facilities with long lifetimes, creating a competent workforce that will bring down the cost of future construction of new nuclear.

Commitment to invest in nuclear from governments and developers will provide the signal for investment throughout the supply chain in construction and manufacturing capabilities as well as skills development. This will lead to more high-value jobs, although the supply chain will need to see really firm commitment to give them the confidence to invest.

An immediate action for the nuclear industry that will have long-term workforce benefits is to collectively work on the employer brand of the industry. Never has job security been so important in the eyes of workers. The nuclear industry is offering long-term career opportunities working with cutting edge technologies to create solutions to climate change and environmental remediation. It also has a primary focus on safety and well-being, an extraordinarily collaborative and supportive working environment and an increasing culture of flexible working. This is a narrative that has not yet made it to the mainstream, but it could with the right communication effort.

Creating a workforce that is representative of the communities in which the nuclear industry serves is a core objective and organisations such as Women in Nuclear and EqualEngineers are doing great work to support this. We are increasingly appreciating the benefits of diversity in our teams and organisations, not just in the form of characteristics such as gender, age and ethnicity, but also cognitive diversity and diversity of experience. What better way to provide a boost to diversity to the global nuclear workforce than to bring people from different industries?

Hand picking individuals who have been responsible for on-time and on-budget delivery of projects, or the safe and efficient operation of complex facilities, will be essential if we are to achieve the Harmony Goal of 25% electricity generated by nuclear by 2050 and develop effective used fuel solutions. We are also seeing the effects of the stagnation of the nuclear industry in many parts of the world in the 1990s, which has led to gaps in succession for senior leadership roles. These gaps can be filled by bringing people from outside the sector.

The short-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis have not led to significant permanent job losses and have stimulated some positive responses from the nuclear industry, such as an accelerated transition to remote and flexible working and efficiency improvements at sites kept running by essential workers. The longer-term effects could well be radical. Governments could work out that Economic recovery + Job creation + Energy security + Climate change action = Investment in nuclear power plants and used fuel facilities. If the nuclear industry can effectively engage with stakeholders in the clean energy future to communicate the career opportunities available, then the workforce will grow and diversify while solving some of the world's biggest challenges.

Callum Thomas

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Viewpoint: The impact of COVID-19 on nuclear jobs : Perspectives - World Nuclear News

Poll: What the American public likes and hates about Trumps nuclear policies – Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

US President Donald Trump with his first Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, in 2017. Mattis oversaw the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review. Photo credit: US Defense Department via Flickr.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of nuclear policy in determining a US presidential candidates fitness to be commander-in-chief. Such priorities are evident in the Bulletins recently published special issue dedicated to discussing nuclear weapons policy ahead of the 2020 election. Nuclear issues played a prominent role in the 2016 election, but despite some anomalies, they have hardly factored into the 2020 campaign. This is almost certain to change even as priority is given to the COVID-19 pandemic response. Nevertheless, very few recent polls (with one notable exception) have attempted to identify preferences among the US population for President Donald Trumps nuclear policies.

To fill this gap, we worked with the firm YouGov in late 2018 after the release of the Trump administrations Nuclear Posture Review to conduct a nationally representative survey of 1,000 Americans. Previous surveys have illuminated US public attitudes on nuclear energy, extending the New START treaty, and even hypothetical nuclear retaliatory scenarios. It isnt clear, however, how Americans view the core elements of the Trump administrations nuclear policy: its Nuclear Posture Review and its overall strategies toward Iran and North Korea. We report our study results publicly for the first time here, offering insights for policymakers and presidential candidates as they weigh their positions on nuclear issues.

Nuclear Posture Review. The study highlights how the US public as a whole and various demographic groups view Trumps positions on nuclear weapons. To begin, we asked respondents to indicate whether they supported, opposed, or were unsure about key parts of the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review.

Of course, many elements of the Trump administrations nuclear posture are continuations of longstanding US policy that have been preserved by Republican and Democratic presidents alike. Our survey questions did not indicate the current US administrations policy on different parts of the Nuclear Posture Review. So the results convey the respondents natural preferences for the policies themselves, not for the current occupant of the White House. Such data should prove useful to politicians staking out campaign stances on nuclear weapons that would have broad public appeal.

Our findings reveal that Americans overall express fairly low support for the administrations nuclear weapons policies, though indecision also runs high among the public. Further, the table of group preferences indicateswith a few surprising exceptionsthat males, Republicans, and older Americans are the most likely groups to back President Trump on nuclear issues. Even so, support is relatively modest among Trumps base, and several elements of the Nuclear Posture Review do not receive majority or even plurality support from Republicans.

Figure 1. Public Opinion on the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review

Figure 2. Group Support Levels for 2018 Nuclear Posture Review

Deterrence and nuclear retaliation. The Nuclear Posture Review continues the policy of extending a nuclear umbrella to over thirty allies and partners with approximately 1,750 deployed US warheads. Around 150 of these weapons are B61 tactical nuclear gravity bombs deployed in Europe. These policies of extended deterrence continue, despite Trump questioning the logic of the nuclear umbrella on many occasions. Similarly, our results indicate a skeptical public.

Only 34 percent of Americans support the longstanding policy of providing the nuclear umbrella in principle, and that number drops to 27.9 percent for nuclear deployments in Europe. It is no wonder that some experts have speculated that countries like Germany, Japan, and South Korea may soon consider building the bomb. Yet, even with Trumps rhetoric against these assurances, men and Republicans remain the most supportive of the nuclear umbrella and forward-deployed B61 nuclear bombs. Women, Democrats, and Independents respond less favorably. Additionally, Americans who came of age during the Cold War are more favorable toward these policies than their Millennial and Generation Z counterparts.

We also estimate that fewer than 20 percent of Americans support possible US first use of nuclear weapons. By contrast, disapproval stands at 63.5 percent. Somewhat unpredictably, we found that only 13.2 percent of Republicans approve of the US using nuclear weapons first, compared to 22.2 percent of Democrats and 22.7 percent of Independents. And despite being the age bracket most supportive of extended deterrence, respondents age 55 and older are least likely to back a first-use declaratory policy. The public is also broadly unsupportive of using nuclear weapons in response to cyberattacks. Greater Republican supportrepresenting a minority of Republicans nonethelessfor this policy than for nuclear first use more generally is slightly puzzling given its inconsistency.

Still, our counterintuitive findings regarding Republicans and Americans age 55 and older raise an interesting question: Why might groups that tend to support extended deterrence strongly oppose first use of nuclear weapons? We speculate that two factors may account for this puzzle, although further investigation is warranted to definitively answer the question. First, older voters are more likely to be Republicans than Democrats, so these results may be related. Research shows that Americans who were alive during the peaks of the USSoviet arms race are less likely to support nuclear use than younger generations. Second, it is possible that many individuals who have faith in the credibility and mechanics of deterrence simply find a first-strike declaratory policy unnecessary.

Regardless, a majority of every demographic group of Americanswhether by gender, political party, age, race, education, income, or region of residenceoppose a first-use doctrine. Public opinion may accordingly present opportunities for presidential candidates to favor a policy of no first use of nuclear weapons.

Modernization, development, and testing. On the whole, the public doesnt support the Nuclear Posture Reviews continuation of Obama administration efforts to modernize the nuclear stockpile and complex. The Congressional Budget Office notes this 30-year plan will cost $1.2 trillion by 2046. This may amount to $1.7 trillion after adjusting for inflation, or up to 6 percent of defense spending. Public opposition stands at 47.8 percent, with 31.3 percent approving and 20.9 percent undecided. But there are clear divisions along partisan and age lines. A slim majority of Republicans endorse the modernization strategy while a stronger majority of Democrats object. Since just 17.6 percent of Americans ages 1834 approve of such spending on nuclear weapons, it remains to be seen whether the modernization plan remains politically viable in coming decades.

However, even if the public is lukewarm about nuclear spending in principle, it is unclear to what extent voters understand the modernization program. Its projects include wide-ranging warhead and missile life extension programs, command and control upgrades, and new production sites like the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The program also calls for the development of several new strategic systems such as the B-21 Raider strategic bomber, the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent intercontinental ballistic missile, and the Long-Range Stand-Off air-launched cruise missile.

We surveyed Americans about two specific efforts that have received considerable media coverage: the now-deployed W76-2 low-yield warhead for submarine-launched ballistic missiles and the proposed new submarine-launched nuclear cruise missile. If negative attitudes toward modernization were informed by components of the program, we would expect the public to oppose both efforts. Instead, a plurality of the public favors eachwith stark gender, age, and political party divisions. A majority of men, a plurality of older Americans, and nearly two-thirds of Republicans approve. Women, young people, and Democrats are far less enthusiastic. Regardless, greater support for these systems versus modernization in general suggests the public may be relatively persuadable about other efforts to strengthen the US deterrent.

Last, we asked participants about the Nuclear Posture Review statement that the United States will not seek ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. A 2012 National Academy of Sciences study effectively addressed concerns about potential treaty verification and about the efficacy of the Stockpile Stewardship Program for maintaining a safe, secure, and reliable arsenal without nuclear explosive tests. And the administrations policy diverges from more than six decades of public opinion polling, including our own previous work showing 65 percent of Americans want ratification. Our findings were even stronger this time, indicating that only 10.1 percent of Americans agree with the Trump administrations policy of not seeking treaty ratification. On the other hand, 74.8 percent prefer US ratification and 15.1 percent remain undecided. Stunningly, a mere 11.4 percent of Republicans, 12.5 percent of Independents, and 7.5 percent of Democrats agree with President Trump on the issue. The door of public opinion appears to be wide open for presidential candidates to pledge their support for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

Iran and North Korea. Aside from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, few foreign policy issues throughout Trumps term have commanded public attention like his nuclear diplomacy with Iran and North Korea. The presidents approaches toward these countries could hardly differ more. It is imperative for candidates to understand how the public views these divergent paths. Although there have been new developments in American relations with Iran and North Korea, the overall trajectory of US policy hasnt changed since we conducted our survey. The results therefore provide a useful snapshot of public views.

The Trump administration has overseen a dramatic worsening of USIran relations. Trump withdrew US participation from the Iran nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in May 2018. He has since waged a campaign of maximum pressure consisting of harsh sanctions and military threats. These actions led to mutual escalations including the killing in January 2020 of Iranian Quds Force commander General Qasem Soleimani by a US MQ-9 Reaper drone and retaliatory ballistic missile strikes against US air bases in Iraq. Both sides have since deescalated, and polling indicates the US public has no interest in war with Iran. Unfortunately, diplomacy still appears exceptionally unlikely in the future due to continuing high tensions.

The survey asked about support or opposition for Trumps position of withdrawing from the deal and reimposing sanctions on Iran. Opinion is predictably divided, with 54.1 percent favoring the withdrawal and 45.9 percent dissenting. Unsurprisingly, partisanship appears to be the primary driver of individual support for the agreement. A strong majority of Republicans (88.6 percent) favor remaining outside the deal with just 11.4 percent in opposition. On the other side of the aisle, only 23.4 percent of Democrats approve of President Trumps Iran policy and 76.6 percent would prefer to see the United States return to the deal. Among Independents, 53.5 percent back the withdrawal and 46.5 percent do not. While many of the survey results point to surprising public consensus on nuclear issues, approaches to Iran remain divisive.

USNorth Korea tensions have also been concerningly high at several points during the Trump administration. North Korea accelerated its nuclear and ballistic missile testing, and its Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and President Trump even famously exchanged nuclear threats, with the president issuing some via Twitter. However, Kim announced a unilateral moratorium on tests in April 2018, and the two subsequently held face-to-face nuclear negotiations in Singapore and Hanoi, Vietnam. But following the failure to quickly achieve a deal, at the beginning of 2020, Kim declared that North Korea was no longer bound by the testing moratorium. As of March 30, North Koreas Foreign Ministry stated that the country was no longer interested in dialogue with the United States. Denuclearization now seems as far away as ever.

We asked respondents to rate their satisfaction with the results Trump achieved at the Singapore Summit. This is an important matter because the administration has touted Singapore as an overwhelming success in North Koreas journey toward denuclearization. The public is somewhat evenly divided: 30.1 percent are satisfied, 33.1 percent are dissatisfied, and 36.8 percent are undecided. Predictably, support for Trumps diplomacy split along political party lines. Yet, average public attitudes toward ongoing diplomacy more closely approximate indecision than political polarization. Perhaps the public has come to the same conclusion that most policymakers seem to have reached. When dealing with North Korea, there are few ideal options, but none less so than war against a country with demonstrated nuclear weapons capabilities.

Toward the election. Voters need to understand candidates nuclear policy positions before heading to the polls. But public preferences must also be part of the equation. While the vast majority of Americans are simply not nuclear policy or technology experts, nuclear issues nonetheless evoke strong emotions. Our study demonstrates that, while indecision is widespread, the public has several clear preferences on topics related to nuclear weapons. Politicians would be wise to consider their broad contours when formulating campaign platforms.

What are the US publics preferences on nuclear weapons? In the age of America First, the public appears increasingly skeptical of taking on risks even on behalf of Washingtons closest allies. It may be time for leaders to articulate why alliances and the nuclear umbrella are important, or to begin reassessing policies like forward-deployed tactical nuclear weapons. The public also opposes the first use of nuclear weapons, even in response to a cyberattack. These findings suggest a need to revisit declaratory policy and the possibility of making a no-first-use pledge. Likewise, Americans emphatically support ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and slamming the door on US nuclear explosive tests. Overall, the public dislikes spending significant taxpayer dollars on nuclear weapons but appreciates the value of specific systems. And while nuclear diplomacy with Iran remains in bitter partisan gridlock, many Americans appear to be taking a wait-and-see approach to Trumps talks with North Korea.

Whether presidential candidates heed Americans attitudes is up to them and their advisors. However, our study suggests that the US public would be receptive to politicians staking clear positions, even if they involve bold changes to longstanding nuclear doctrine. And if politicians and political parties dislike these public attitudes, then they ought to be held accountable to justify their alternatives.

Data and results from the study are available from the authors upon request.

The Proto-Communist Plan to Resurrect Everyone Who Ever Lived – VICE

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

Is there anything that can be done to escape the death cult we seem trapped in?

One of the more radical visions for how to organize human society begins with a simple goal: lets resurrect everyone who has ever lived. Nikolai Fedorov, a nineteenth-century librarian and Russian Orthodoxy philosopher, went so far as to call this project the common task of humanity, calling for the living to be rejuvenated, the dead to be resurrected, and space to be colonized specifically to house them. From the 1860s to the 1930s, Fedorovs influence was present throughout the culturehe influenced a generation of Marxists ahead of the Russian Revolution, as well as literary writers like Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky, whose novel, The Brothers Karamazov, directly engaged with Federov's ideas about resurrection.

After his death, Federovs acolytes consolidated his ideas into a single text, A Philosophy of the Common Task, and created Cosmism, the movement based on his anti-death eschatology. Federov left the technical details to those who would someday create the prerequisite technology, but this did not stop his disciples: Alexander Bogdanov, who founded the Bolsheviks with Lenin, was an early pioneer of blood transfusions in hopes of rejuvenating humanity; Konstantin Tsiolkvosky, an astrophysicist who was the progenitor of Russia's space program, sought to colonize space to house the resurrected dead; and Alexander Chizhevsky, a biophysicist who sought to map out the effects of solar activity on Earth life and behavior, thought his research might help design the ideal society for the dead to return to.

The vast majority of cosmists were, by the 1930s, either murdered or purged by Stalin, muting the influence of their ambitious project but also leaving us with an incomplete body of work about what type of society resurrection requires or will result in, and whether that wouldas some cosmists believe nowbring us closer to the liberation of the species. Now, I think it is obvious thatdespite what todays transhumanists might tell youwe are in no position, now or anytime soon, to resurrect anyone let alone bring back to life the untold billions that have existed across human history and past it into the eons before civilizations dawn.

To be clear, I think cosmism is absolute madness, but I also find it fascinating. With an introduction to Cosmism and its implications, maybe we can further explore the arbitrary and calculated parts of our social and political order that prioritize capital instead of humanity, often for sinister ends.

What? Who gets resurrected? And how?

At its core, the Common Task calls for the subordination of all social relations, productive forces, and civilization itself to the single-minded goal of achieving immortality for the living and resurrection for the dead. Cosmists see this as a necessarily universal project for either everyone or no one at all. That constraint means that their fundamental overhaul of society must go a step further in securing a place where evil or ill-intentioned people cant hurt anyone, but also where immortality is freely accessible for everyone.

Its hard to imagine how that worldwhere resources are pooled together for this project, where humans cannot hurt one another, and where immortality is freeis compatible with the accumulation and exploitation that sit at the heart of capitalism. The crisis heightened by coronavirus should make painfully clear to us all that, as J.W. Masonan economist at CUNYrecently put it, we have a system organized around the threat of withholding people's subsistence, and it "will deeply resist measures to guarantee it, even when the particular circumstances make that necessary for the survival of the system itself." Universal immortality, already an optimistic vision, simply cannot happen in a system that relies on perpetual commodification.

Take one small front of the original cosmist project: blood transfusions. In the 1920s, after being pushed out of the Bolshevik party, Bogdanov focused on experimenting with blood transfusions to create a rejuvenation process for humans (theres little evidence they do this). He tried and failed to set up blood banks across the Soviet Union for the universal rejuvenation of the public, dying from complications of a transfusion himself. Today, young blood is offered for transfusion by industrious start-ups, largely to wealthy and eccentric clientsmost notably (and allegedly) Peter Thiel.

In a book of conversations on cosmism published in 2017 titled Art Without Death, the first dialogue between Anton Vidokle and Hito Steyerl, living artists and writers in Berlin, drives home this same point. Vidokle tells Steyerl that he believes Death is capital quite literally, because everything we accumulatefood, energy, raw material, etc.these are all products of death. For him, it is no surprise were in a capitalist death cult given that he sees value as created through perpetual acts of extraction or exhaustion.

Steyerl echoes these concerns in the conversation, comparing the resurrected dead to artificial general intelligences (AGIs), which oligarch billionaires warn pose an existential threat to humanity. Both groups anticipate fundamental reorganizations of human society, but capitalists diverge sharply from cosmists in that their reorganization necessitates more extraction, more exhaustion, and more death. In their conversation, Steyerl tells Vidokle:

Within the AGI Debate, several solutions have been suggested: first to program the AGI so it will not harm humans, or, on the alt-right/fascist end of the spectrum, to just accelerate extreme capitalisms tendency to exterminate humans and resurrect rich people as some sort of high-net-worth robot race.

These eugenicist ideas are already being implemented: cryogenics and blood transfusions for the rich get the headlines, but the breakdown of healthcare in particularand sustenance in generalfor poor people is literally shortening the lives of millions ... In the present reactionary backlash, oligarchic and neoreactionary eugenics are in full swing, with few attempts being made to contain or limit the impact on the living. The consequences of this are clear: the focus needs to be on the living first and foremost. Because if we dont sort out societycreate noncapitalist abundance and so forththe dead cannot be resurrected safely (or, by extension, AGI cannot be implemented without exterminating humankind or only preserving its most privileged parts).

One of the major problems of todays transhumanist movement is that we are currently unable to equally distribute even basic life-extension technology such as nutrition, medicine, and medical care. At least initially, transhumanists vision of a world in which people live forever is one in which the rich live forever, using the wealth theyve built by extracting value from the poor. Todays transhumanism exists largely within a capitalist framework, and the countrys foremost transhumanist, Zoltan Istvan, a Libertarian candidate for president, is currently campaigning on a platform that shutdown orders intended to preserve human life during the coronavirus pandemic are overblown and are causing irrevocable damage to the capitalist economy (Istvan has in the past written extensively for Motherboard, and has also in the past advocated for the abolition of money).

Cosmists were clear in explaining what resurrection would look like in their idealized version of society, even though they were thin on what the technological details would be. Some argue we must not only restructure our civilization, but our bodies so that we can acquire regenerative abilities, alter our metabolic activity so food or shelter are optional, and thus overcome the natural, social, sexual, and other limitations of the species as Arseny Zhilyaev puts it in a later conversation within the book.

Zhilyaev also invokes Federovs conception of a universal museum, a radicalized, expanded, and more inclusive version of the museums we have now as the site of resurrection. In our world, the closest example of this universal museum is the digital world which also doubles as an enormous data collector used for anything from commerce to government surveillance. The prospect of being resurrected because of government/corporate surveillance records or Mormon genealogy databases is sinister at best, but Zhilyaevs argumentand the larger one advanced by other cosmistsis that our world is already full of and defined by absurd and oppressive institutions that are hostile to our collective interests, yet still manage to thrive. The options for our digital worlds development have been defined by advertisers, state authorities, telecom companies, deep-pocketed investors, and the likewhat might it look like if we decided to focus instead on literally any other task?

All this brings us to the question of where the immortal and resurrected would go. The answer, for cosmists, is space. In the cosmist vision, space colonization must happen so that we can properly honor our ethical responsibility to take care of the resurrected by housing them on museum planets. If the universal museum looks like a digital world emancipated from the demands of capital returns, then the museum planet is a space saved from the whims of our knock-off Willy Wonkasthe Elon Musks and Jeff Bezos of the world. I am not saying it is a good or fair idea to segregate resurrected dead people to museum planets in space, but this is what cosmists suggested, and its a quainter, more peaceful vision for space than what todays capitalists believe we should do.

For Musk, Mars and other future worlds will become colonies that require space mortgages, are used for resource extraction, or, in some cases, be used as landing spots for the rich once we have completely destroyed the Earth. Bezos, the worlds richest man, says we will have "gigantic chip factories in space where heavy industry is kept off-planet. Beyond Earth, Bezos anticipates humanity will be contained to O'Neill cylinder space colonies. One might stop and consider the fact that while the cosmist vision calls for improving human civilization on Earth before resurrecting the dead and colonizing space, the capitalist vision sees space as the next frontier to colonize and extract stupendous returns fromtrillions of dollars of resource extraction is the goal. Even in space, they cannot imagine humanity without the same growth that demands the sort of material extraction and environmental degradation already despoiling the world. Better to export it to another place (another country, planet, etc.) than fix the underlying system.

Why?

Ostensibly, the why behind cosmism is a belief that we have an ethical responsibility to resurrect the dead, much like we have one to care for the sick or infirm. At a deeper level, however, cosmists not only see noncapitalist abundance as a virtue in of itself, but believe the process of realizing it would offer chances to challenge deep-seated assumptions about humanity that might aid political and cultural forms hostile to the better future cosmists seek.

Vidokle tells Steyerl in their conversation that he sees the path towards resurrection involving expanding the rights of the dead in ways that undermine certain political and cultural forms,

The dead ... dont have any rights in our society: they dont communicate, consume, or vote and so they are not political subjects. Their remains are removed further and further from the cities, where most of the living reside. Culturally, the dead are now largely pathetical comical figures: zombies in movies, he said. Financial capitalism does not care about the dead because they do not produce or consume. Fascism only uses them as a mythical proof of sacrifice. Communism is also indifferent to the dead because only the generation that achieves communism will benefit from it; everyone who died on the way gets nothing.

In another part of their conversation, Steyerl suggests that failing to pursue the cosmist project might cede ground to the right-wing accelerationism already killing millions:

There is another aspect to this: the maintenance and reproduction of life is of course a very gendered technologyand control of this is on a social battleground. Reactionaries try to grab control over lifes production and reproduction by any means: religious, economic, legal, and scientific. This affects womens rights on the one hand, and, on the other, it spawns fantasies of reproduction wrested from female control: in labs, via genetic engineering, etc.

In other words, the failure to imagine and pursue some alternative to this oligarchic project has real-world consequences that not only kill human beings, but undermine the collective agency of the majority of humanity. In order for this narrow minority to rejuvenate and resurrect themselves in a way that preserves their own privilege and power, they will have to sharply curtail the rights and agency of almost every other human being in every other sphere of society.

Elena Shaposhnikova, another artist who appears later in the book, wonders whether the end of deathor the arrival of a project promising to abolish itmight help us better imagine and pursue lives beyond capitalism:

It seems to me that most of us tend to sublimate our current life conditions and all its problems, tragedies, and inequalities, and project this into future scenarios, she said. So while its easy to imagine and represent life in a society without money and with intergalactic travel, the plot invariably defaults to essentialist conflicts of power, heroism, betrayal, revenge, or something along these lines.

In a conversation with Shaposhnikova, Zhilyaev offers that cosmism might help fight the general fear of socialism as he understands it:

According to Marx, or even Lenin, socialism as a goal is associated with something elsewith opportunities of unlimited plurality and playful creativity, wider than those offered by capitalism. ... the universal museum producing eternal life and resurrection for all as the last necessary step for establishing social justice.

In the conversations that this book, cosmism emerges not simply as an ambition to resurrect the dead but to create, for the first time in human history, a civilization committed to egalitarianism and justice. So committed, in fact, that no part of the human experienceincluding deathwould escape the frenzied wake of our restructuring.

Its a nice thought, and something worth thinking about. Ours is not that world but in fact, one that is committed, above all else, to capital accumulation. There will be no resurrection for the deadthere isnt even healthcare for most of the living, after all. Even in the Citadel of Capital, the heart of the World Empire, the belly of the beast, the richest country in human history, most are expected to fend for themselves as massive wealth transfers drain the public treasuries that mightve funded some measure of protection from the pandemic, the economic meltdown, and every disaster lurking just out of sight. And yet, for all our plumage, our death cult still holds true to Adam Smith's observation in The Wealth of Nations: "All for ourselves, and nothing for other people, seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind."

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The Proto-Communist Plan to Resurrect Everyone Who Ever Lived - VICE

Govt. to extend state of emergency to May 30 – EyeWitness News

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

NASSAU, BAHAMAS A resolution to extend the state of emergency to May 30 is expected to be tabled in Parliament today.

The extension of the emergency orders would provide for the competent authority the prime minister to continue existing measures, including the 24-hour curfew and weekend lockdowns.

The lockdowns in effect every weekend between Friday at 9pm and Monday at 5am, require all non-essential workers to remain in their homes.

It remains to be seen if the complete lockdown will continue.

According to the resolution, obtained by Eyewitness News, the Emergency Powers Act provides that all emergency regulations, shall remain where the existence of a state of public emergency in The Bahamas as a result of the presence and effect of the virus in The Bahamas continues; and it continues to be necessary and expedient for securing public safety, the defense of The Bahamas, the maintenance of public order, the suppression of mutiny, rebellion and riot, and for maintaining supplies and services essential to the life and well-being of the community to continue in force.

A state of emergency was declared on March 17, after the country recorded its first case on March 13.

A resolution was passed in the House of Assembly and Senate on March 30, extending the order to April 8.

The order was extended again on April 6 to the end of the month.

During a Ministry of Health press conference last week, Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, health consultant to the prime minister, said health experts recommended the lockdowns continue past April.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced some easement of the restrictions as he declared home stores, auto part stores and plant nurseries were allowed to open on certain days.

Cases of COVID-19 in the country climbed to 80 yesterday.

To date, 22 people have recovered. Eleven people have died.

Extension of FIH Pro League augurs well for India with chance to face top sides, says Varun Kumar – Scroll.in

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

The extension of FIH Pro League by one year will augur well for the Indian hockey team in post-Coronavirus world as it would get a chance to compete with top teams before Tokyo Olympics, defender Varun Kumar said on Monday.

Last week, the International Hockey Federation extended the second edition of the Pro League by one year till June 2021.

Earlier, the Tokyo Olympic were also pushed back a year as countries called for global lockdown due to the pandemic.

Obviously with the Olympics getting postponed, a lot of things have changed including our year-round schedule. We are still not sure when we will be able to resume outdoor training, so we cant really say anything about the return of competitive hockey at all, Varun said.

However, with FIHs decision to extend the Pro League to 2021, I feel it will be important that we utilise our chances of getting to play against the best teams in the world, and make further improvements so that we are ready to give our best in Tokyo next year, he added.

The 24-year-old could not play a role in the Olympic Qualifiers due to a nerve damage in his right arm, but wants to ensure he is giving his best in order to be in the 16-member team which plays at the Tokyo Olympics next year.

We had a long national camp in Bhubaneswar before the Olympic Qualifiers last year, and we were preparing ourselves to face Russia. Everything was going well for me, but with 10 days to go for the matches, I felt some weakness in my right arm and told the team physio David McDonald.

He asked me to wait for a couple of days to see if it gets any better, but unfortunately it didnt, so I had to pull out of the team, said Varun.

It was definitely difficult for me because all year we had been thinking about qualifying for the Olympics, and when the moment actually came, I suffered the injury and couldnt help my side. But I am also very proud that we have so many great players in this team. It just makes it easy for the team because the quality isnt affected at all, Varun added.

Having missed the qualifiers, the youngster is now fully focused on getting fit and being selected in the Tokyo-bound squad.

I know I could only support the team from the sidelines during the Qualifiers, but now my job is to prepare my body and my mind in the best way possible so that I do not miss out on being on that 16-member team that takes the field in Tokyo, and then give my best for the side to finish on the podium there.

Having recovered from his injury at the start of the year in January, Varun was selected in the squad to play against Australia. However, the coronavirus outbreak stalled all sporting events including hockey.

When I had recovered completely from the injury, and had rejoined the camp in January, I was really eager to wear the blue strip again and represent my country in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2020.

I even managed to make my way into the 22-member squad which played against Australia, but then we were all struck with the coronavirus, and since then life has come to a stand-still for everyone, he said.

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Extension of FIH Pro League augurs well for India with chance to face top sides, says Varun Kumar - Scroll.in

Cutting green tape may be good politicking, but its bad policy. Here are 5 examples of regulation failure – The Conversation AU

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

Debate about how Australia will emerge from the coronavirus pandemic is heating up. As part of the economic recovery, business groups have renewed calls to cut green tape environmental regulation that new projects, such as new mines, must follow.

In response, federal environment minister Sussan Ley wants to introduce new legislation to cut green tape and speed up project approvals.

Read more: When it comes to climate change, Australia's mining giants are an accessory to the crime

However a major ten-yearly review of the federal governments key environment legislation is not due to be finished until October.

Cutting green tape is a long-held aim of the Morrison government, which claims excessive environmental regulation unfairly stifles businesses.

But this isnt the case. In my 30 years of experience researching water pollution, green tape has not translated into effective environmental regulation of industry. In fact, Im yet to see a coal mining operation thats effectively regulated after approved through the NSW and federal environmental assessment processes.

Here are five examples that show how existing environmental regulations have done little to prevent pollution and toxic chemicals from entering the environment.

My research on water pollution from coal mines in the Sydney basin routinely reveals inadequate environmental regulation. Ive repeatedly uncovered long-standing environmental issues the industry doesnt seem to learn from, such as pollution continually leaching from active and closed mines.

Read more: What should we do with Australia's 50,000 abandoned mines?

As part of my PhD research in 2002/3, I studied Canyon Colliery a coal mine deep in the Blue Mountains that closed in 1997. The mine constantly releases large volumes of toxic zinc and nickel contaminated water from the flooded underground workings into an otherwise pristine mountain stream.

This caused ecological damage in the Grose River, including a steep reduction in species and numbers of river invertebrates below the entry of the mine wastes into the river.

Its now 23 years since the mining stopped, but the pollution continues testimony of weak and ineffective environmental regulation. And it will probably last for centuries.

The Canyon Mine is just one of thousands of contaminated, derelict mining and industrial sites dotted around Australia lacking environmental controls.

Environmental regulation has become more stringent in the last 25 years thanks to legislation introduced by the Howard government in 1999, and NSWs Protection of the Environment Operations Act introduced in 1997.

But despite this legislation, many new and active mines that lead to environmental damage have been assessed and approved.

Research by my team at Western Sydney University has documented pollution from an active Blue Mountains coal mine, Clarence Colliery.

The mine caused severe metal contamination and ecological damage to the Wollangambe, a World Heritage River. Our research led to the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in 2017 imposing more effective restrictions on the release of toxic pollutants from the mine.

Despite approvals from both the NSW and federal governments, it seemed no one had noticed the magnitude of pollution from poorly treated mine wastes until our research was conducted. This caused ecological degradation to more than 20 kilometres of the highly protected Wollangambe River.

The Conversation contacted Centennial Coal, which owns Clarence Colliery, for comment. They directed us to their statements in 2017, when the EPA finished a five-year review of Clarences Environmental Protection Licence (EPL). Then, the company said:

As a result of this review Clarence will operate under a new EPL which will include agreed reductions in metal concentration limits for all water discharged to the Wollangambe. Salinity targets will also be set at 100 EC (electrical conductivity).

Clarence will also be required to comply with a Pollution Reduction Programme (PRP), also issued by the EPA, which will result in Centennial formalising options to address all water quality issues and to meet specific water quality milestones.

In 2010 I made a submission as part of the environmental assessment for an extension of BHP Billitons Bulli Seam coal mining operations (now owned by South 32).

This involved reading thousands of pages of consultant reports explaining how the expanded operation would attempt to avoid or minimise impacts to the environment.

The mine extension was approved. Despite the many green tape hurdles, the approved mine was allowed to discharge wastes which our research discovered contained pollutants that were hazardous to river life in the Georges River. These included salt, nickel, zinc, aluminium and arsenic polluting the upper Georges River.

Environmental groups took the coal mine owner to court in 2012, and I provided my evidence for the court case to the NSW EPA.

The EPA has since worked with the coal miner to reduce pollution from the mine.

Many were stunned on March 16 this year, when the NSW government signed off on new coal mine longwalls directly under Woronora Reservoir, part of Sydneys drinking water supply.

Longwall mining is the continuous mechanical removal of coal in underground mines that allows the roof of the mine to cave in after the coal is removed.

So what can they do to a river? Redbank Creek near Picton 65 kilometres southwest of Sydney provides a sad testimony.

For nearly a decade, I documented damage where falling ground levels (subsidence) caused by longwalls led to extensive damage to the creek channel.

The land surface fell more than one meter. This caused cracking, warping and buckling of the creek channel. It now rarely holds water in many stretches. Isolated stagnant pools in the creek now accumulate saline and metal-contaminated water containing little aquatic life except for mosquitoes.

The mine responsible for this damage, Tahmoor Colliery, is seeking to extend its operations and the NSW government is currently considering the development.

This mine also disposes of about four to eight megalitres of poorly treated wastes each day to the Bargo River, a popular freshwater swimming river for south-western Sydney.

Despite the existence of green tape, unforeseen problems have left Australia with many contaminated sites that may never be fully cleaned up.

Weve seen this in the dozens of locations across Australia where toxic PFAS chemicals have contaminated land, water, ecosystems and people.

Read more: A blanket ban on toxic 'forever chemicals' is good for people and animals

These were previously regarded as safe chemical additives, for example in fire fighting foam, particularly at military bases.

Such contamination is very expensive to remediate and in February this year landholders near three defence bases reached a financial settlement for the PFAS damage to their property.

Green tape is an emotive word implying unnecessary and slow environmental regulation that delays major projects.

Given my own direct experience involved poorly regulated coal mines, I shudder to imagine the environmental degradation fast-tracked environmental regulation will lead to.

The Conversation also contacted SIMEC, which owns Tahmoor Colliery. A spokesperson said:

Mining in NSW is governed by stringent state and federal laws enforced by a number of government departments and regulators. SIMEC Mining acquired the Tahmoor Coking Coal Mine two years ago and takes its environmental, compliance and social responsibilities seriously.

Tahmoor Mine has been operating for well over 40 years. We acknowledge that historical mine activity did impact Redbank Creek and that this was self-reported to the regulator. Since then, SIMEC has worked closely with the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) to enact a comprehensive plan to rehabilitate the creek. Recent rainfall has demonstrated the success of this work and we are confident that the rehabilitation works will restore the creek.

While our operations do produce water as part of the mining process, this is treated and monitored in accordance with our licence conditions. The quality of this water is mandated by our environment protection licence issued and monitored by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). Typically, the water monitoring results are well below those limits allowed by the licence. To further improve water quality, SIMEC Mining has committed to the installation of a new water treatment plant.

Water management has been a key focus for SIMEC in the planning of the proposed Tahmoor South extension. We have commissioned extensive specialist assessments to understand any potential impact on ground and surface water. If our extension is approved, these water assets will be carefully monitored throughout the life of the mine to ensure that should any issue occur, it is detected early and resolved efficiently.

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Cutting green tape may be good politicking, but its bad policy. Here are 5 examples of regulation failure - The Conversation AU

Coronavirus Ireland: Fears of lockdown extension over testing concerns – Irish Mirror

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

Fears of a lockdown extension continue to grow as doubts are raised over Ireland's coronavirus testing capabilities.

Experts believe a strong testing and contact tracing regime will be needed before there is any significant lifting of lockdown restrictions.

While the Irish Independent reports that lockdown restrictions will only be lifted very slightly, if at all, when the Government reviews them on May 5.

And although the HSE is planning to scale up to 100,000 tests per week by the middle of May, there are doubts over how this can be achieved.

Officials are considering the best route for swabs to take to laboratories, use of the ambulance service, and automation of the process when positive results come back and notifications go out for contact tracing.

Health Service Executive (HSE) chief executive Paul Reid said: "We are in a much better place."

But he admitted there had been "constructive tensions" with his sponsor, Department of Health, amid concerns about how exactly Ireland would reach its declared target for testing.

A total of 100,000 tests a week are expected to be reached by the third week in May, Mr Reid said, following agreement with the department on the road map and alignment of case definitions.

Meanwhile it was revealed this morning that the lockdown restriction Irish people most want lifted is the 2km movement limit.

Many also want to see the end of the restriction on small gatherings as the Government is set to review lockdown measures on May 5.

The findings are from phase two of the Corona Citizens Science Study, a population-wide survey conducted by research teams at NUI Galway and Dublin City University looking at the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the associated restrictive measures on daily life in Ireland.

Half of the 35,000 respondents ranked the two kilometre limit on movement as their first choice to see removed while 37% wanted to see the limits on small gatherings lifted.

Respondents ranked a return to work and school, in third and fourth respectively with the reopening of shops, pubs and restaurants as the fifth preference.

And 10,830 people reported postponing medical treatment or check-ups with half of the group saying this was because the healthcare professional was not seeing any patients at the moment and 39% didnt want to create extra pressure in the health system.

Professor Anthony Staines, Professor of Health Systems, DCU and joint research lead said: These results show some of the real impacts of Covid-19 on our health and on our health services."

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Coronavirus Ireland: Fears of lockdown extension over testing concerns - Irish Mirror

Bali is worlds most Instagrammed island – The Jakarta Post – Jakarta Post

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

At a time when paradisiacal beaches have never seemed so inaccessible, in all likelihood Bali is still figuring large in many peoples daydreams.

The Indonesian destination has the distinction of being the island with the largest number of hashtags on Instagram, according to a ranking established by the travel agent Tourlane and published this week.

In this time of lockdown, do you sometimes find yourself dreaming of islands? Theres nothing like the innocent pleasure of imagining a beach of white sand on the shores of a turquoise lagoon.

But which island comes to mind before all the others? For many of you the answer is probably Bali, at least it should be given its popularity on social networks.

The island has no less than 60,473,066 mentions on Instagram.

Read also: Bali named eighth 'most Instagrammable place' in world

Tour operator Tourlane has gone to the trouble of creating a ranking of the island destinations that are most popular on the social network.

Only islands that are not sovereign nations were considered eligible for inclusion in the ranking, while those with fewer than 100,000 hashtags were automatically excluded.

The good news for Europeans is that once the lockdown is over, many of them will be able to embark on a trip to their island destination of choice without having to board a long-haul flight.

In fact, 26 of the 50 most-Instagrammed islands are located in Europe, with seven featuring in the top ten: Ibiza (Spain) ranked 2nd, Sicily (Italy) 3rd, Mallorca (Spain) 4th, Tenerife (Spain) 6th, Sardinia (Italy) 7th, Santorini (Greece) 9th and Corsica (France) 10th.

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Staten Island coronavirus hospitalizations hold steady; death toll increases by 23 – SILive.com

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Hospitalizations for the coronavirus (COVID-19) remained mostly steady on Staten Island on Sunday; however, the boroughs overall death total rose by 23, according to the latest figures from the city Health Department.

The New York City Department of Health data, which accounts for cases and deaths as of 6 p.m. on Saturday, showed 556 Staten Islanders are confirmed to have died from the coronavirus and that 127 are listed as probable to have died from the virus bringing the boroughs total to 683.

The latest data showed an increase of 30 confirmed deaths, but a decrease of 7 probable deaths from Friday nights total. It is unclear if previously probable deaths were added to the confirmed death total.

A death is classified as probable if the decedent was a city resident who had no known positive laboratory test for the coronavirus, but the death certificate lists COVID-19 or an equivalent as a cause of death.

Citywide, 11,460 New York City residents are confirmed to have died from the virus. An additional 5,213 are listed as probable deaths for a total 16,673 deaths.

The citys death total rose by 403 between Friday and Saturday night.

The citys Health Department said 8,213 of the 8,278 deaths investigated by the department have occurred in patients with underlying medical conditions.

Underlying conditions include diabetes, lung disease, cancer, immunodeficiency, heart disease, hypertension, asthma, kidney disease and gastro-intestinal/liver disease, said the Health Department.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

The number of coronavirus hospitalizations remained mostly steady Sunday morning decreasing by only one patient across the boroughs two medical systems since Saturday.

Staten Island University Hospitals (SIUH) Ocean Breeze campus is treating 174 positive coronavirus patients 12 less than a day before, and the Princes Bay site is treating 33 patients an increase of one person since 24 hours ago, according to Jillian OHara, a spokeswoman for SIUH.

At Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) in West Brighton, 127 coronavirus patients are being treated, according to Alex Lutz, a spokesman for RUMC, which is an increase of 10 patients since Saturday morning. Of those patients, 44 are in the ICU which is the same amount of patients as 24 hours before.

In total, 1,351 patients have been treated and released across SIUHs two campuses, which rose from yesterdays total by 36.

RUMC has released a total of 308 coronavirus patients an increase of four patients over the past day.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

RATE OF INFECTION

Staten Island maintained the second highest rate of infection in New York City.

Through Saturday night, 2,368 of every 100,000 is testing positive for the virus, according to 2018 Census data projections and the Health Departments data.

The latest data shows Staten Island has 11,275 confirmed cases, which represents 7% of the citys total.

Citywide, there are 153,204 total coronavirus cases based on Saturday nights figures, which is an increase of 2,628 since the day prior. The growth of confirmed cases was slashed considerably compared to the rise in cases seen between Thursday and Friday.

Officials, however, stress the examinations do not necessarily reflect the full spread of the virus.

The Bronx retained the highest rate of infection in New York City, with 2,424 of every 100,000 residents testing positive for the virus. The borough has a total of 34,711 confirmed cases.

After Staten Island, Queens has the third-highest rate of coronavirus infections at 2,085 confirmed cases for every 100,000 residents. Queens has the highest number of confirmed cases 47,511 and accounts for 31% of the citys total.

Brooklyn, the heaviest populated borough, has the next-nighest rate of infection, with 1,572 positive coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents. Brooklyn has 40,493 total cases.

Manhattan has the lowest rate of infection in the city. Data shows 1,169 per 100,000 residents have tested positive for the virus in the borough.

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Staten Island coronavirus hospitalizations hold steady; death toll increases by 23 - SILive.com

Small Island crews return to work – Martha’s Vineyard Times

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

Updated 6:30 pm

Island contractors are slowly being cleared by building inspectors to return to their job sites in crews of one and two as long as they adhere to extensive health protocols.

At the end of March, towns began to consider the possible health and safety issues involved with large crews of construction workers, landscapers, and other contracted laborers in close quarters.

A construction ban was issued by all Island towns that essentially stopped any regular business associated with new or existing construction sites and forced many local companies into uncertain territory.

On April 16 and 17, Island towns approved having crews go back to work and set protocols for that to happen. Last week, the Marthas Vineyard Builders Association held a town hall meeting to go over protocols, which included requiring inspections of job sites.

Reached on his way out to a site visit, West Tisbury building inspector Joe Tierney said he will have conducted over 20 site inspections on Monday alone.

I did 10 this morning and I am going to do 11 this afternoon, Tierney said. Tierney said he is going to each site in West Tisbury and running down a checklist to make sure everyone is adhering to all the necessary safety criteria.

Some are passing, and some are needing a little bit of help, he said.

West Tisbury health agent Omar Johnson said he will conduct a total of five site visits on Monday, and had already failed one site for lack of proper hand washing equipment.

Johnson said so far, site supervisors have been cooperative and amenable to all the health guidelines, and although workers recognize the reasoning behind the restrictions, they all say the same thing we need to work to feed our families.

When asked whether workers appear to be concerned about getting sick while on job sites, Johnson said, People seem to be very concerned about their work, that is definitely what they are focusing on. From what I can see, they are not as focused on the virus.

As the summer season approaches, Doug Best, owner of D. Best Construction, says he and his crew are trying to get back to work in a way that is quick, efficient, and safe.

We are following all the rules, and are going to do things the right way, Best said.

Best has been involved with a working group of business owners collaborating with building inspectors and health agents.

The group has been working to prepare all contractors for the return to work, and Best said his company has been preparing to hit the ground running over the past month.

I have been very much in the know about what needs to be done. We havent been allowed to go out into the field at all, Best said. About a month ago, when the virus hit, we started ordering all our personal protective equipment (PPE) and doing whatever we could to get plenty of masks in the hands of all our employees.

He also said D. Best has been gathering disinfectant sprays, solvents, bleaches, and posters to put up at all job sites that list the proper health guidelines, of which there are many.

There are about five different sheets in both English and Portuguese with everything from the hospitals instructions on how to properly put on and take off a mask, to how to wash your hands the right way, Best said.

All sites will be fitted with porta potties with handwashing stations and work teams need to have plenty of disinfectant, wipes, and bleach. Metal trash cans are even being placed at sites instead of plastic ones to dispose of alcohol based wipes and other flammable or corrosive cleaners.

We will be sending in the checklist of all our protective equipment and sanitary materials this morning to each of the inspectors. We usually have anywhere from 20 to 24 sites going at any given time, but right now we are waiting for the go ahead, Best said. This is just adding one more element of juggling to our daily challenge. We recognize we are going to have to maximize productivity.

But Best said he and his workers arent just following the proper protocols to adhere to the law, they want to protect themselves and the Island community as a whole.

My workers have lots of mixed emotions, they are rather tentative. The last thing they want to do is put their coworkers, friends, and family at risk, Best said.

He said his workers are dedicated to fully understanding the processes of signing in and out whenever they come and go on a site, and disinfecting regularly.

We have to clean the site on the way in, and clean the site on the way out. Maybe the last person didnt do it and the next person might not do it, so its just making sure everyone is doing what they can to be safe, Best said.

Best thanked Island health agents for working together to bring about a common methodology amongst all the towns, and said he greatly appreciates all that the Marthas Vineyard Builders Association has done.

Everyone is really stepping up to create a greater awareness, and establish more adherence to keep this virus to a minimum on the Island, Best said.

As far as the future of construction work and life in general is concerned, Best said this virus has changed things forever. Until there is a vaccine and some comprehensive planning, we are going to be dealing with these requirements for some time to come, Best said.

And construction workers arent the only ones who are scrambling to make up for lost time landscapers are looking to get back to work as well.

Bill Davies of Davies Landscape and Tree Services said his crew is following all the proper protocols, although it is frustrating when the vehicle occupancy restrictions (one person per truck) and other regulations make it difficult for his business to run at maximum efficiency.

Its a huge challenge for us to have one person per vehicle. We have 12 workers and eight trucks, so what are we going to do? Davies said.

Davies said he hopes things change in the phase two rollout of health and safety regulations for workers.

Maybe you could have people wearing respirators in the trucks. Its frustrating because my crew starts their day together at the shop anyway. We send out two- or three-men mow crews. What am I going to do, have one guy drive the truck and another follow behind him? Davies asked.

With such a close-knit group of employees that are used to doing lots of hands-on work with each other, Davies said it has been a huge adjustment.

We are all practicing our six-foot distancing, and I am all for doing what we need to do to keep my employees and my customers safe and comfortable, Davies said

For the most part, Davies said his clients have been understanding and compassionate about the plight that landscapers face, and the limitations they must work under.

We maintain about 50 or 60 clients during the season, and we have had most of them for a very long time. So most people are very understanding of what we are dealing with here, Davies said.

Despite advisories from the Marthas Vineyard Hospital and town health officials, and rather vehement opposition from some Islanders, Davies said his clients are still planning on showing up to their summer homes, if they arent here already.

I anticipate people are still going to come. A lot of them are already moved in, Davies said. I would say at least 30 percent of my clients are here already, and It doesnt seem like the virus is slowing people down.

In the future, Davies said he hopes things can return to some degree of normalcy, although he said he will comply with any advisories or guidance provided by the towns and the federal and state government.

Im 55 years old, I dont want to get sick, I dont want to get anybody sick. I am praying that things return to normal eventually and we find a vaccine, Davies said. Until then, we will be doing what we have to to keep everyone safe.

Landscope Landscaping owner Fred Fournier said for the reentry phase, his crew will focus on being vigilant, healthy, and safe. Employees must answer a lengthy questionnaire to determine if they could have possibly been exposed to the virus. For the foreseeable future, Fournier said he is going to be taking workers temperatures as they come to work.

You need to come to us healthy. If you do that, we will keep you healthy, Fournier said. We have spent thousands of dollars on protective equipment to make sure everyone is in good shape.

Fournier said Landscope has about 20 trucks and work vehicles that have all been cleaned and sanitized, along with dozens of pieces of equipment such as mowers, trimmers, and blowers.

And according to Fournier, his employees are eager to start working again and are taking all the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families.

My employees have kids, they have wives. They are very cognizant of the fact that they need to be incredibly careful, Fournier said.

Updated to include comments from Fournier. -ed

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Small Island crews return to work - Martha's Vineyard Times

Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame will once again honor 4 at annual golf outing – SILive.com

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

Staten Island Advance

Fore!

By CHARLIE De BIASE JR.

The Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame's 10th annual Golf Outing and Reunion is still on, but will be pushed back a few months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

And, once again, the event will honor four Islanders in the process as two will receive the"Steve Zuntag Good Guy Award" while two others are 2020 recipients of the Bobby Thomson Ambassador Award.

This year's outing will now take place on Sept. 2. It was originally scheduled for June 3.

The annual golf outing and reunion will begin at South Shore Golf Course in Huguenot. Registration is 11 a.m. and lunch is at 11:30.

The shotgun format begins at 1 p.m. while the dinner, which will take place at the Grand Oaks Country Club, commences at 6 p.m.

Level of support includes: Foursome/Dinner/plus Celebrity ($1,200); Foursome/Dinner/Tee Box Sign ($800); Foursome with Dinner ($700); Beverage Cart sponsor ($500); Golf/Dinner/Tea Box Sign ($275); Golf and Dinner ($175); Tee Box Sign ($100) and Dinner Only ($75).

Those wishing to obtain a registration form may do so by contacting John Woodman via phone (H-718-816-7249; C-347-612-1379) or email (jwoodman1@si.rr.com).

The deadline for registration is May 20.

For a look at this year's award winners, please scroll down.

(Past participants of the Staten Island Hall of Fame Golf Outing have included, left to right, former New York Rangers forward and Island native Nick Fotiu; Former pro golfer and Island native Bill Britton and former heavyweight boxer Gerry Clooney)

Staten Island Advance

Mike Gutierrez

Mike Gutierrez, the General Manager of the South Shore Golf Course, is one of the two recipients of the "Steve Zuntag Good Guy Award."

Gutierrez always makes sure everyone is welcomed to the Huguenot course.

Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel

Ken Mitchell

Ken Mitchell (at the podium), who is the Executive Director of the Staten Island Zoo, is also a recipient of the"Steve Zuntag Good Guy Award."

Mitchell has donated a family membership as an item for the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame Golf Outing raffle packages the previous nine years.

Staten Island Advance/Charlie De Biase Jr.

Nick Kvasic

Nick Kvasic, who was the first soccer captain at Port Richmond High School and a three-year starting midfielder at Wagner College, is a recipient of the 2020 Bobby Thomson Ambassador Award.

But his greatest contributions were as a coach, referee, and ambassador for the game.

Kvasic won six PSAL city championships and two Metro Bowl titles in 34 seasons as the girls soccer coach at New Dorp High School. During his tenure, his teams compiled win streaks of 49 and 35 games.

In addition, he started or revived programs at three Island high schools and the College of Staten Island.

Kvasic is a member of the SISHOF Class of 2015.

Staten Island Advance

Tom Roche

Tom Roche, standing second from left, is also a recipient of the 2020 Bobby Thomson Ambassador Award.

He was a standout tailback at Monsignor Farrell HS, where teams he played on only lost three times in his three-year varsity career.

Roche led Staten Island in rushing and scoring his junior year, but moved to the other side of the ball before enjoying a solid career at Ohio St.

He played in two Rose Bowls, the Orange Bowl and the Sugar Bowl with the Buckeyes as a defensive back. He also led the Big Ten Conference in interceptions and helped the OSU win or share the conference championship four years in a row.

Roche is a member of the SISHOF Class of 2001.

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Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame will once again honor 4 at annual golf outing - SILive.com

South Padre Island reopens but some locals think its too soon – KXAN.com

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS (Border Report) The breezes from the Gulf of Mexico cooled South Texas beach goers down on Monday as they eagerly flocked to South Padre Island after a month-long closure.

The popular island was reopened to swimming, surfing, boating and kayaking after weeks of being shuttered due to COVID-19. And that enticed many people out, even on a Monday.

But some locals, like Tiki Tommy Saenz, said he worries the decision to reopen businesses came too soon.

I think they should have waited another couple of weeks according to the charts to the CDC on the peak, said Saenz, who does a local daily surf report. Im not an expert or anything but from what Ive read it has indicated we should have waited a little bit but Im not the one calling the shots.

Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., has been calling the shots since he ordered a state of emergency over a month ago, shuttering beaches, restaurants and retail stores and ordering residents to shelter in place. But last Friday, Trevino announced that beaches and public water parks and boat ramps would reopen with some restrictions. The facilities will have limited hours, face masks must be worn in public (except when in the water), and beach-goers must practice social distancing. Boats can only have a couple riders, including charter vessels, and fishermen may not gut their catch in public.

A few other states, like Georgia, have started to loosen their restrictions and are allowing public facilities to reopen. And on Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that Texas businesses, retail stores, restaurants and movie theaters will be able to reopen on Friday, May 1.

Watch Abbotts press conference.

On Monday, hundreds of families strolled on the beaches, played in the tide, and walked dogs on the sand. And most wore face masks and practiced social distancing, as Trevino ordered.

Nayelly Montalvo, 21, from Rio Grande City raced to the beach, which she says she has missed during the closure.

I come every chance I get. Its just so beautiful, she said as she sat with her Chihuahua dog Bambi beside her beach chair.

When asked if she thought the beaches reopened too soon, she admitted she has some concerns.

A part of me says yes and a part of me says no. Of course were social distancing so theres nobody around me, Montalvo said. Im happy and just being at the beach.

Ali Chafin, 19, of nearby Brownsville, Texas, was at the beach with her friend Sunshine Alcala and two others. They wore colored masks to match their bikinis. Both believed the beaches were opened too soon, they said in unison.

Im staying only with them and practicing social distancing. I dont think you should be with new people because that defeats the whole purpose. We should be allowed to be out here to enjoy it but also practice social distancing, Chafin said.

Thomas Gomez of McAllen, and his wife call themselves beach bums and were sunning themselves on lounge chairs. They said in all the years theyve been coming theyve never worn a mask.

Were still trying to be safe. Everybody seems to be having a good time and keeping space and I think thats going to help us a lot, not to overwhelm the beach, Gomez said.

But Saenz said he feels like visitors are already overwhelming these shores.

Saenz and his retiree friend, Bill Best, 65, live on South Padre Island year-round and he said they worry that so many people coming onto the island could bring COVID-19.

Saenz said that during the closure residents or those with essential business on the island had to show ID proof to an officer to get onto the island.

Then they released all that this weekend and let anybody come in to play on the beach. Before it was kind of locked down and we felt safer. Now they have opened it up to the public. Now weve had thousands of people come in and so I dont know how thats going to affect us, Saenz said.

Particularly troubling to them, they said, is that two nursing homes in the town of Harlingen, about 30 miles away, have had 13 deaths and at least 144 cases of COVID-19. Cameron County has 366 cases, including 12 new cases announced on Sunday.

VisitBorderReport.comfor the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the United States-Mexico border.

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South Padre Island reopens but some locals think its too soon - KXAN.com

Grand Island-area residents urged to avoid church services; Health Department worker tests positive – Omaha World-Herald

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

At a Grand Island press conference Monday morning, Central District Health Department Director Teresa Anderson was conspicuously absent.

Anderson has led the response to the hard-hitting coronavirus outbreak in the three-county region surrounding Grand Island.

But even her department isnt immune to the contagious virus.

A Health Department worker not Anderson has tested positive for the coronavirus, the department discovered Sunday, and had worked while experiencing symptoms.

Now the public health workers on the front lines of the effort to track and contain the virus in a central Nebraska hot spot are self-isolating as much as possible, or working in small numbers at the departments office while wearing masks.

I think this proves that we all are at risk for COVID-19, Anderson said in a statement read at the event by Grand Island Mayor Roger Steele.

The health director said employees have been wearing masks for weeks, so they have a lower risk of catching the virus. Still, more will work from home and isolate as much as possible while still coordinating testing and tracking of local coronavirus cases.

By Monday, the department, which covers Hall, Hamilton and Merrick Counties, counted 954 confirmed cases and 25 deaths. Hall County, where Grand Island is located, accounts for 899 cases, the most in Nebraska and almost double the 489 known infections in Douglas County, the most populous county in the state.

Please remember we are at a critical time here in the Central District, Anderson said in her prepared remarks. The number of cases continues to rise at an alarming rate.

Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Friday that he would relax some restrictions in certain parts of the state that have been less affected by the virus. Religious services can be held again statewide starting May 4 with some limitations, including more distance between worshippers.

Still, Anderson asked Grand Island-area residents to avoid group gatherings, including church and other religious services, until the number of positive cases there begins to drop.

We dont know how bad this will get before we start to see numbers fall, but we are not anywhere close to being able to relax, she said.

Grand Island Bishop Joseph Hanefeldt said this weekend that he was seeking advice from his council of priests on tailoring an approach to fit the varying levels of infection in the dioceses large expanse of Nebraska, stretching from the Platte River north to the state line and west to Wyoming.

That includes some counties that have had no cases, some that have had no new cases for a couple of weeks and some places such as Grand Island and Lexington that have still-growing outbreaks.

Edward Hannon, president of St. Francis Hospital in Grand Island, noted glimmers of hope amid the grim and growing daily count of coronavirus cases.

Were testing more people, so we should expect that that number will go up, he said.

Hospital admissions of COVID-19 patients at St. Francis arent declining yet, he said, but they do seem to be stabilizing.

The 124-bed hospital now has 20 ventilators but hasnt had to use more than 15 at the same time. About 15 patients are typically in the intensive care unit there, and the rest of the hospital is about half-empty. Twenty-four patients have been transferred to other hospitals, including in Omaha.

And most people who are getting sick are able to recover at home, he said.

Since the start of the outbreak in March, St. Francis has admitted roughly 100 COVID-19 patients, or a little more than 10% of total infections in the Central District Health Department.

The great work were doing in the community together washing hands, staying home, keeping 6 feet apart is working, he said. Were making some progress, were flattening the curve, which we set out to do.

Shelly Schwedhelm, executive director of emergency management and biopreparedness at Nebraska Medicine, and Dr. James Lawler, a director at the University of Nebraska Medical Centers Global Center for Health Security, toured the JBS USA beef plant in Grand Island last week.

More than 200 coronavirus cases are tied to the plant, Anderson has said, although workers have tested positive at a number of businesses and workplaces. That includes 125 health care workers and residents at nursing and long-term care facilities who have become ill.

Steele read an email Schwedhelm wrote summing up their visit.

She said JBS had instituted a number of best practices, including providing masks for workers, putting up posters about the coronavirus in four different languages and allowing workers who were pregnant or older than 70 to stay at home with pay.

The plant could work on some other measures, she said, including setting up more hand-washing or hand sanitizer stations and talking more with workers about the importance of social distancing and other prevention strategies outside of work.

We offered some suggestions on airflow and HVAC items and Zach (Ireland, the plant manager) quickly jumped on that and engaged the engineers to see how to take action, she wrote. He reported back success with this.

The plant also distributed flyers in English, Somali and Arabic about safely celebrating Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting and prayer that began last week. The plants workers include immigrants and refugees from the Middle East and several sub-Saharan African countries.

Use religious and cultural greetings that avoid physical contact, one of the flyers says. Please avoid hand shaking, hugging and touching while greeting each other.

Masks made by Ann Kane and her family.

Ann Kane and her family are producing masks. Everyone has a job.

Ann Kane and her family have made around 200 masks.

UNMC med student Nate Mattison works on his laptop at his apartment near downtown Omaha.

A bottle of Purell sits on a kitchen countertop as UNMC med student Nate Mattison works on his laptop. Mattison is one of a handful of UNMC students who have stepped up fill various nonprofit needs. Mattison has signed up to be a Big Brother and is currently waiting to be paired up.

Mattison is one of a handful of UNMC students who have stepped up to fill the needs of various nonprofits.

Matt Van Zante prints parts for face shields in his basement.

A 3D printer prints parts for face shields.

Matt Van Zante is among a group making face shields for personal protective equipment for medical personnel.

Matt Van Zante shows off one of the finished face shields he helped make.

Matt Van Zante shows off a finished face shield.

A 3D printer prints parts for face shields in Matt Van Zante's basement.

New York City’s Hart Island: An overlooked final resting place – CBS News

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

On a deeply cold Saturday morning in January, correspondent Erin Moriarty took a nearly-empty ferry to a speck of land in Long Island Sound. For most souls who go there, it's a one-way trip.

Hart Island is where the city of New York buries the unknown, the unclaimed, or those too poor to afford a burial. At 101 acres, it's the largest Potter's field in the country. [No cameras or cell phones are allowed.]

Moriarty went with Elaine Joseph, whose infant daughter, Tomika, is among the one million people buried there. "We're going today because it is her birthday, and I'm commemorating her 42nd birthday," Joseph said.

"There are no markers; there's a mass grave. You just know there's bodies buried there 'cause they told us so."

"But you go?"

"I go. Because it's all I have. It's all I have left."

In January 1978, Joseph was a 23-year-old nurse, pregnant and living with her boyfriend, when she unexpectedly went into labor and gave birth a month early. "It was my first child. And I was happy to be having her," she said.

Days later, she said, her daughter needed emergency surgery for a heart deformity. New York City was in the middle of a crippling snow storm: "I couldn't get to the hospital. There were no trains, there were no buses. There was no public transportation."

She was home when she got the news: "They said she had another cardiac arrest and she died."

"You had to hear that on the phone?" Moriarty asked.

"Yes, I couldn't be there. That's one of my main regrets, is that I was not there at the hospital with her." Getting tearful, Joseph said, "Excuse me, it's 41 years, but it never goes away."

When she did get to the hospital to claim the body of her baby girl, "They said, 'She was already buried.' I'm like, 'Buried how?' They said that I signed to have her buried in the city cemetery."

"Did anyone mention Hart Island to you at that point?"

"I had never heard of the term 'Hart Island' ever in my life," said Joseph.

Until recently, most people had never heard of Hart Island, although it's been a part of New York since 1868, when officials paid $75,000 (or more than a million dollars in today's money) to make it a city cemetery.

Hart Island might have remained out of view, if not for COVID-19, and the shocking aerial photos showing the devastation of a pandemic on those without resources.

In the last month, New York went from burying 25 bodies a week at Hart Island to five times as many.

"It's always existed on the margins of the city," said New York City Councilman Mark Levine. "And it's been the place where we have buried those who were marginalized in life for generations."

What makes Hart Island so unusual, said Levine, is that for much of its history, it's been run by the Department of Correction, using inmate labor: "It's almost out of a Dickens novel that it's inmates from Riker's Island who are responsible for burials there."

Victims of various pandemics tuberculosis, the Spanish Flu, and AIDS have been buried in secrecy, and sometimes in shame.

Until his release from jail in February, Vincent Mingalone placed pine boxes in mass graves on Hart Island. "I would take a wax crayon, write the name of the deceased, their last name in big letters on the side of the box," he said.

"And what do you know about these people, other than their names and the day they died?" asked Moriarty.

"That's pretty much all we know," Mingalone replied. "But you always wondered: these are fellow New Yorkers. Is this somebody who served us coffee? Was this somebody who tailored our clothes, did our laundry?"

The city refused to release the names of those buried there, until Melinda Hunt, a visual artist, sued to obtain them.

"So, all of the sudden in 2008, I had 50,000 burial records," Hunt said.

She created the Hart Island Project, an online memorial. "The whole point of a cemetery is storytelling," she said. "The city had no reason to deny families this information . And there were so many families."

And that's how, in 2009, Elaine Joseph finally discovered where her infant daughter was buried, 31 years after she'd died.

"It's not only my daughter that's buried there; it's all these others," Joseph said. "Everybody belonged to somebody. Everybody had a mom, had a dad, had somebody. And many of them, families don't even know they are there."

Visitation to Hart Island is very limited. Joseph had to schedule this birthday celebration months in advance. She left a toy for her daughter, while a Corrections officer took Polaroids to mark the occasion.

Joseph said, "I could accept that she died. That I can accept. What I couldn't accept is that I lost track of where her body went, and how she was treated after death."

Councilman Levine said, "That final resting place has never been as dignified as it should have been. It's never gotten the respect it needed. And that certainly needs to change."

Last December, the New York City Council transferred control of Hart Island to the Parks Department. Earlier this month, inmates were replaced by paid landscape workers.

Many are hopeful that next year, Hart Island will be open as a memorial park, honoring those buried there.

Elaine Joseph said, "Everybody's human. We're all human. Maybe we don't all have money, but we all deserve dignity."

For more info:

Story produced by Mary Raffalli. Editor: Joe Frandino.

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New York City's Hart Island: An overlooked final resting place - CBS News

COVID-19 testing rolls out on island – Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

Earlier this spring, islander Jim Bristow grew frustrated with the lack of coronavirus testing options for his wife, who was sick with a bad cough, and he set about addressing the scarcity of testing on the island. Now, thanks to his efforts and several other people in Vashons Medical Reserve Corps, COVID-19 testing for symptomatic island residents and workers is available weekday afternoons at Mukai Farm & Garden.

The Vashon COVID-19 Testing Project launched on April 7 and tested approximately 30 people in its first two weeks. So far there have been no positive tests, and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among island residents was still at four as of Monday. Testing at the Mukai site is expected to continue at least throughout the summer, as the state loosens its restrictions and additional people contract the illness. Plans are in the works not only to continue testing, but also to conduct contact tracing when called for, and provide practical support to people who test positive as well as those in their households.

So far, patients have been appreciative of this local effort, with many sending thank you notes after their tests.

They are glad to have us here, and we are glad to be here, and we are here for the long haul, Bristow said.

Medical Reserve Corps member Dr. Zach Miller, who had a long career as an infectious disease specialist with Group Health Cooperative, has also been involved with the local testing effort. He cautioned islanders not to read too much into Vashons low number of confirmed cases, as the extent of illness is not fully known.

I think it is very, very hard to make any assumptions about coronavirus from our testing in terms of how widespread it might really be. It has been hard to know that in any community at any given time, Miller said.

He pointed to hospitalizations and deaths as better markers than testing for the amount of illness circulating, but those figures are not available for the island. He also noted that it is possible for any community to have many people with mild to moderate respiratory symptoms who would not have access to testing or have not sought to be tested, so the disease could easily be present but undetected.

I would not tell anybody that they should be thinking there is not COVID on Vashon Island and that they should feel fine about not taking precautions, he said. You still have to be concerned that it is out there and hope that it will diminish along with its decrease in the greater Seattle area because of the measures people are taking.

Self-administered testing is slightly less reliable than the nasopharyngeal swab, with data showing the self-tests are about 5% less likely to detect the virus, Miller noted. He cautioned that no test is perfect and stressed that no matter the test, those who are given a negative result could still have the illness in a small percentage of instances.

Last week, Bristow retired from his career as a pediatric cardiologist at the University of California San Francisco and as the deputy director at the Joint Genome Institute at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory recounted how this homegrown testing project came to be.

At the same time Bristows wife was sick and he looked in vain for a test for her, Dr. Anthony Fauci told Congress that public health testing efforts were failing. Initially, Bristow, a staunch believer in public health, was angry, but then changed course.

I realized that it was time for me to stop complaining and start working, he said. I started calling around to figure out how to make something happen.

Those calls eventually led him to Rick Wallace, who has long been instrumental in the islands emergency and disaster planning/response efforts through VashonBePrepared. Wallace connected him with the leaders of the islands Medical Reserve Corps, part of the VashonBePrepared coalition. That connection was essential in identifying and overcoming obstacles and creating the path forward.

Their participation was crucial in helping turn my enthusiasm into something that could be done here, Bristow said.

Miller identified obstacles early on: Bristows original plan called for volunteers to conduct tests by administering the nasopharyngeal swabbing themselves. This method, which collects secretions from the back of the nose and throat, was the only one approved at the time. Using it meant they would need abundant personal protective equipment, which was not available. It also would have put the local volunteers at risk of contracting the illness a particular concern because many of them are over 60. With those issues in mind, Miller suggested self-testing as the best option. That method was not FDA-approved at the time, a complication that made for additional obstacles, including that Public Health- Seattle & King County would not agree to its use.

Soon after the project appeared that it might not move forward, the FDA approved self-collected swabs for COVID-19 testing, based on data from Washington state and that made all the difference.

All of a sudden, the pieces fell into place, and we were ready to go, Bristow said.

After that, the rest of the details were about logistics. Public Health-Seattle & King County and the University of Washington did not have enough tests to supply the effort. Ultimately, LabCorps, a national clinical laboratory network that routinely serves the island, provided the tests.

The testing steering committee, which also includes island physicians Ina Opplinger and Bonny and Clayton Olney along with operational and logistical support from Allen de Steiguer and Shawn Boeser, determined just how the Mukai site would work, with patients remaining in their cars throughout the testing process. The plan for traffic flow came about in true Vashon style, Bristow noted. In a discussion about how to proceed, Opplinger had shared that the fruit club had recently distributed mason bees to its members, and it had worked perfectly.

So pretty much our model is based on the fruit club mason bee distribution model, Bristow said with a laugh, noting the group made some adjustments after a dry run. Its spectacular.

Now each day, between 3 and 4 p.m. one person at a time visits the site by appointment, assisted by volunteers from the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), also part of the VashonBePrepared network. CERT Manager Jan Milligan says it is a good partnership and one that will likely extend into the future, with CERT providing support for other Medical Reserve Corps actions. Currently, 15 of CERTs 40 active volunteers have participated in the testing effort. That group, too, is prepared to be involved for the duration.

There are lots of really great people in CERT. This could go on and on, Milligan said.

For his part, Bristow believes this model for testing could work well for many other rural and tribal communities. In fact, Bristow said he and the Medical Reserve Corps have been working with two tribes already and hope to expand the model well beyond that. He noted that many rural communities share much in common with Vashon: Acute care capabilities are limited; it may take a long time to get to an acute care facility; personal protective equipment is difficult to come by, and medical volunteers may be limited as well. But none of that gets in the way of testing the way it is being done at the Mukai site.

We realized what we have been able to do was really a very fortunate byproduct of the incredibly talented group of people on the island, Bristow said, acknowledging the many people who worked to make his initial plan a reality in three short weeks. I mean no disrespect for rural America. We just have a remarkable collection of people here.

Island residents and workers are eligible for tests if they have symptoms, including cough, shortness of breath and fever. A doctors referral is required. For people without a primary care physician, MRC members can provide the needed testing referral, but they do not provide follow-up care. The cost of the test is $50 and will be billed to insurance. For those without insurance or if their claim is denied, VashonBePrepared will cover the cost. For more information, call the testing project at 844-469-4554, or see testing.vashonbeprepared.org.

Neighborcare clinic offers coronavirus testing

In addition to the volunteer-run clinic at Mukai Farm & Garden, coronavirus testing has been underway for two weeks at the Neighborcare clinic at the Sunrise Ridge facility.

Medical Director Dr. Jessica Wesch said the clinic has its COVID-19 testing and respiratory evaluation tents up and running. When patients call with respiratory concerns or COVID-19 symptoms, Neighborcare providers refer them to the tent for care and testing if needed. The clinic has seen and evaluated two to eight patients a day and has conducted 32 COVID-19 tests on the island. Providers there have seen established patients as well as some who are new and want care on the island, Wesch said. The tents are available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Wesch urged caution regarding the virus on the island.

While the positive test numbers and the patients with clinical symptoms of COVID-19 are fairly low, we know COVID-19 is in our community, she said in a recent email. She added that as the pandemic precautions are lifted, the clinic may see the demand for testing and respiratory care quickly change and will be monitoring that need closely. Neighborcare providers are providing phone visits and some limited office visits for conditions that cannot be assessed or treated by phone.

We have been surprised by how much we can do over the phone, Wesch said. We encourage patients to call for care if they need it even issues not related to potential COVID-19.

Susan Riemer is a volunteer with VashonBePrepareds Emergency Operations Center and a former editor of The Beachcomber.

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COVID-19 testing rolls out on island - Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

Increased halal, kosher options offered at Staten Island meal sites – SILive.com

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The city Department of Education (DOE) will increase the supply and distribution of halal meals at 32 meal hubs with large Muslim populations -- including three on Staten Island -- during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month.

New York Citys more than 400 meal hub sites continue to offer grab-and-go meals that are free to adults and children across the five boroughs while public schools are closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

A halal meal is one prepared in accordance with Islamic law -- as defined in the Quran, Islams holy book. Ramadan began on Thursday and will end on the evening of May 23 with the traditional Eid al-Fitr festivity.

The three Staten island schools that will increase the supply and distribution of halal meals are:

-- Curtis High School in St. George - 105 Hamilton Ave.

-- PS 22 in Graniteville - 1860 Forest Ave.

-- CSI High School in New Springville - 100 Essex Drive

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

KOSHER NOW OFFERED

Beginning Monday, PS 54 in Willowbrook will exclusively offer kosher-certified meals, which are prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary regulations. The school is located at 1060 Willowbrook Rd.

Kosher meals follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) meal nutrition guidelines and are produced in partnership with a certified kosher distributor. The kosher meal sites are housed in DOE school buildings and staffed by DOE food service staff.

The meals are free and available to any New Yorker that requests them.

Life on lockdown: Coronavirus in NYC

GRAB-AND-GO

While school buildings are closed due to COVID-19, New York City has set up the meal hubs across the five boroughs to ensure New Yorkers dont go hungry.

The DOE offers three free meals on weekdays for any New Yorker, and all three can be picked up at one time from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Children and families pick up meals from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Adults pick up free meals from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

No one will be turned away from receiving a meal, according to the DOEs website. No registration, identification, or documentation is required. Vegetarian options will be available at all sites. No dining space is available, so meals must be eaten off-premises.

Families can search Free Meals on schools.nyc.gov or call 311 to find a site near them. Families can also text FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877 to find a meal near them.

Here is a complete list of meal hubs on Staten Island.

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Increased halal, kosher options offered at Staten Island meal sites - SILive.com

Greg Hardy ready to live on Fight Island, knockout all 15 heavyweights en route to UFC title – MMA Mania

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

Power-punching UFC heavyweight Greg Hardy is going to be stepping inside the Octagon to throw hands anyway, so why not do it on a lush tropical island where he can also live and train every day for the next year or so?

Thats why the Prince of War is petitioning promotion president Dana White for a spot on Fight Island, the remote (and still secret) location that will allow quarantined fighters to bypass stateside travel restrictions.

Dana, man, listen, if youve got quarters, I will stay on that island, bro, you know Im not ashamed to move in, Hardy told TMZ Sports. We can fight every couple of weeks, dude. With all seriousness, lets run it. Ill live on it and break my own record that I tied last year 100 percent.

Before Hardy (5-2, 1 NC) can worry about his island adventures, the Prince of War must first get past Yorgan De Castro at the upcoming UFC 249 pay-per-view (PPV) event on May 9, taking place inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

After that? Hardy, 31, plans to eliminate the rest of the Top 15.

I think we start with (No.) 15 and go down the line, Hardy continued. Fifteen fights later, I knock out the guy whos holding the belt whoever that is. You get the best show like that. Go down the whole line so everybody can just shush, calm down, wait their turn, and get knocked the crap out. Nobody can talk trash because Id be fighting all the best everybody with a number. We do it the G. Hardy way easily just eliminate everybody one by one on the island.

That would require him to avenge his UFC Moscow loss to this guy.

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Greg Hardy ready to live on Fight Island, knockout all 15 heavyweights en route to UFC title - MMA Mania

Staten Island Home of the Week: Multiple large balconies and terraces, $2.9M – SILive.com

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Danzig

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Built in 2005, this all-brick, center-hall Colonial is located in a private wooded neighborhood at 120 College Place, Todt Hill.

It is priced at $2,888,888, as listed on SILive.com."The house has multiple large balconies and terraces, framed with columns and elaborate aluminum railings, for relaxing and enjoying the views," according to the listing on Staten Island Multiple Listing Service at SIBOR.com.

The listing mentions that the uniqueness of this property is a remarkable product carried out by the building team. For its construction, skilled masons, stone cutters, inlayers, carvers, painters and other artisans were requested and hired."