Review: Neato Robotic’s Botvac D7 is the Robot Vacuum I’ve Always Wanted – The Mac Observer

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Neato Robotics sent me the Botvac D7 robot vacuum and I really enjoy it. Ive never had a robot vacuum before so I cant compare it to other products, but if youve specifically looked at the D7 before, I recommend it.

This is Neatos top-of-the-line model. This also means top-of-the-line pricing. At US$829.99 it doesnt come cheap, but Neato also has cheaper models like the US$399.99 Neato D3. Of course, lower pricing means less battery life and fewer features, so you get your moneys worth.

The main thing that impresses me about the D7 is how smart it is. You dont have to do much besides emptying the dustbin and making sure there are no cords to get stuck on. Every time it starts, it turns around to note the location of its charger. It then methodically travels around your house, vacuuming everywhere it can reach.

If it runs out of battery, which lasts up to two hours, it drives back to the charger, and once it has a full battery again its smart enough to finish exactly where it was cleaning.It uses laser navigation, which Ive learned is better than other robot vacuums that use infrared cameras.

Speaking of cameras, if youve read my articles regularly, youll know Im privacy-conscious. I was satisfied by Neatos privacy policy, and it doesnt sound like the company wants to share indoor maps of your house like iRobot did. And the fact that the D7 doesnt have cameras puts my mind at ease.

Additionally, you donthave to connect it to Wi-Fi, either. You wont be able to use the app for advanced features, but theres still a physical button on the robot vacuum to turn it on, reset it, and choose the cleaning mode. But as I noted above, even if hackers took control of it in a worse-case scenario, there are no cameras to spy on you anyway.

Something else I liked was that the robot came fully assembled with two spare filters. All I had to do was set it up with Neatos app and let it charge. The package also comes with a physical No-Go Line. Its a flat, magnetic strip you can tape on the floor. Use it if theres an area of your house that you dont want the robot vacuum to enter. You can use the app to create multiple, virtual No-Go Lines as well.

Neatos app is simple and intuitive to use. You can install it on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch to start, pause, or stop cleaning from afar, plus get notifications about the robots status. The app shows you a map of your home that the D7 created, and it supports multiple floor plans for homes with more than one story. You can zoom in, use spot cleaning so it will clean certain areas of the house, manage the cleaning profile, and set a cleaning schedule. You can manually drive the robot, too.

There are two cleaning modes in the profile. Eco is a lighter, quieter cleaning run and Turbo is a louder, more powerful mode with maximum suction. Theres also a toggle called Extra Care, so it will take extra care when navigating around your home.All of Neatos robots are in the shape of a D; in other words it looks like a standard manual vacuum. The advantage it has over round robots is the ability to clean corners.

The most recent app update added support for Siri Shortcuts. Its cool to be able to use voice commands to tell the robot to start cleaning, pause cleaning, or send it back to the charger. If you have the D7 model, you can use voice commands to clean zones, a.k.a. certain areas of your house.

As you can see, Im quire pleased with my robot vacuum. I decided that hes a boy and his name is Archie. I did curse at him a couple of times (No dont run over my toes you $%&#@!). But otherwise he works great and cleans well. The D7 can handle most any surface, and if it gets stuck it will just shut down. Pick him up, nudge him a couple of times, and he will resume cleaning as if nothing happened.

Company: Neato Robotics

List Price: $829.99

We Like It. You Should Get It.

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Review: Neato Robotic's Botvac D7 is the Robot Vacuum I've Always Wanted - The Mac Observer

Universal Robots Launches ActiNav, the World’s First Autonomous Bin Picking Kit for Machine Tending Applications – AiThority

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ActiNav From Universal Robots (URF) Is a New Ur+ Application Kit for Companies of All Sizes That Simplifies the Integration of Autonomous Bin Picking of Parts and Accurate Placement in Machines Using UR Cobots. ActiNav Synchronously Handles Vision Processing, Collision-Free Motion Planning and Autonomous Real-Time Robot Control, Eliminating the Complexity and Risk Usually Associated With Bin Picking Applications.

The complexity of automated bin picking is well-known throughout the industry, requiring huge efforts in both integration and programming. Today, most bin picking products are solely focused on the vision aspect of bin picking and often require hundreds of lines of additional programming to bridge the gap from pick to place especially if the place is not just dropping into a box or tote but accurately inserting the part into a fixture for further processing. ActiNav Autonomous Bin Pickingchanges all that, allowing manufacturers with limited or no bin picking deployment expertise to quickly achieve high machine uptime and accurate part placement with few operator interventions.

ActiNav combines real-time autonomous motion control, collaborative robotics, vision and sensor systems in one easy to use, fast to deploy and cost-effective kit. The system requires no vision or robotic programming expertise, but is instead based on a teach-by-demonstration principle using a six-step, wizard-guided setup process integrated into the UR cobot teach pendant. ActiNav can be easily and quickly deployed by manufacturers in-house automation teams or through assistance from a Universal Robots distributor or integrator to deliver increased productivity, quality and efficiency.

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Machine tending has always been one of the mainstay applications for our collaborative robot arms, says VP of Product and Applications Management atUniversal Robots, Jim Lawton. We discovered a significant market need for a simple solution that enables UR cobots to autonomously locate and pick parts out of deep bins and place them precisely into a machine. This is not pick and drop; this is accurate pick and part-oriented placement.

ActiNav isavailablethrough URs distribution channel and via the newUR+ Application Kits platform, an expansion of the cobot pioneers successful UR+ ecosystem of components certified to work seamlessly with UR cobots. Like other UR+ application kits, ActiNav is developed with in-depth application knowledge that eliminates the duplication of engineering efforts when deploying widely used applications. ActiNav works with URs UR5e and UR10e e-Series cobots, a UR+ component or user-defined end effector, and application-specific frame or fixture as needed. The kit includes the Autonomous Motion Module (AMM) and ActiNav URCap user interface software, along with a choice of 3D sensors.

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While there is a variety of approaches to automating machine tending stations, many of which include implementing trays, bowl feeders or conveyors to get the parts to the machine, Lawton explains how ActiNav bypasses this step. Parts are often already in bins, so the most flexible and scalable option is to deliver that bin of parts to the machine and then pick them directly from the bin and place them into the machine, he says. This minimizes floor space and reduces the need for part-specific tooling.

ActiNav autonomously inserts parts into CNC or processing machines such as drilling, deburring, welding, trimming or tapping. The high-resolution 3D sensor and CAD matching enables high-accuracy picks powered by ActiNavs Autonomous Motion Module (AMM) that determines how to pick the part, then controls the robot to pick the part and place it in a fixture each time. The autonomous motion control enables ActiNav to operate inside deep bins that hold more parts; something that standalone bin picking vision systems struggle to accomplish.

IDCs Research Director covering robotics, Remy Glaisner, is closely following the market for automated machine tending solutions. Today more than ever, technology users are looking to preserve the integrity and continuity of business operations, he says. In that context, simplifying the integration or redeployment of highly flexible robotic systems becomes a critical capability for manufacturers and other industrial users.In many ways, ActiNav will set a new level of operational expectations regarding the future of intelligent systems.

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Universal Robots Launches ActiNav, the World's First Autonomous Bin Picking Kit for Machine Tending Applications - AiThority

Will Americans Warm Up To Robots In Place Of Workers Amid Threat Of Being Exposed To Virus? – Kaiser Health News

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Before the pandemic, automation had been gradually replacing human work in a range of jobs, but the pandemic could speed up that process as society sees the benefits of restructuring workplaces in ways that minimize close human contact. In other health and technology news: Alexa's role in the pandemic, telemedicine use, and security concerns.

The New York Times:Robots Welcome To Take Over, As Pandemic Accelerates AutomationThe recycling industry was already struggling before the pandemic. Now, an increasing number of cities are suspending recycling services, partly out of fear that workers might contract the coronavirus from one another while sorting through used water bottles, food containers and boxes. One solution: Let robots do the job. Since the coronavirus took hold in the United States last month, AMP Robotics has seen a significant increase in orders for its robots that use artificial intelligence to sift through recycled material, weeding out trash. (Corkery and Gelles, 4/10)

The New York Times:How Do I Get Help? Dying Coronavirus Patient Asked AlexaThey lived about 20 minutes apart in Michigan, but when a cousin gave the sisters Lou Ann Dagen and Penny Dagen each an Amazon Echo Show last year to make video calls, they would keep each other company for hours on end. The virtual assistant Alexa connected them during meals and discussions about what was on television. I think she just wanted to know that I was there, Penny Dagen, 74, said of her sister, who lived in a nursing home. (Vigdor, 4/9)

Mass INC Polling Group:Telemedicine Use Has Nearly Tripled Among Mass. Residents, Poll ShowsAs Massachusetts approaches a projected surge of COVID-19 cases, residents remain keenly aware of a widespread shortage of tests and protective medical gear. But as the health care system seizes under the weight of coronavirus, one sector of it is growing by leaps and bounds: telemedicine. A rapidly growing share of residents are "seeing" their doctors over the phone or computer, according to data from the latest MassINC/Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts coronavirus tracking poll. (Duggan, 4/9)

WBUR:Psychiatrists Lean Hard On Teletherapy To Reach Isolated Patients In Emotional PainPsychiatrist Philip Muskin is quarantined at home in New York City because he's been feeling a little under the weather and doesn't want to expose anyone to whatever he has. But he continues to see his patients the only way he can: over the phone. (Noguchi, 4/9)

KQED:Security Concerns Prompt Berkeley Unified To Suspend Use Of Zoom For ClassesAround the country, fear over organized Zoombombing campaigns have prompted school leaders to drop Zoom, while others have switched to alternative platforms. School meeting disruptions and reports of racist and pornographic imagery being shown to young children led the FBI to warn schools about using Zoom, and law enforcement agencies have said they'll take on Zoombombers. (Rancao, 4/9)

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Robots may become heroes in war on coronavirus – Raw Story

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Long maligned as job-stealers and aspiring overlords, robots are being increasingly relied on as fast, efficient, contagion-proof champions in the war against the deadly coronavirus.

One team of robots temporarily cared for patients in a makeshift hospital in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the COVID-19 outbreak began.

Meals were served, temperatures taken and communications handled by machines, one of them named Cloud Ginger by its maker CloudMinds, which has operations in Beijing and California.

It provided useful information, conversational engagement, entertainment with dancing, and even led patients through stretching exercises, CloudMinds president Karl Zhao said of the humanoid robot.

The smart field hospital was completely run by robots.

A small medical team remotely controlled the field hospital robots. Patients wore wristbands that gathered blood pressure and other vital data.

The smart clinic only handled patients for a few days, but it foreshadowed a future in which robots tend to patients with contagious diseases while health care workers manage from safe distances.

Checkup and check out

Patients in hospitals in Thailand, Israel and elsewhere meet with robots for consultations done by doctors via video conference. Some consultation robots even tend to the classic checkup task of listening to patients lungs as they breathe.

Alexandra Hospital in Singapore will use a robot called BeamPro to deliver medicine and meals to patients diagnosed with COVID-19 or those suspected to be infected with the virus in its isolation wards.

Doctors and nurses can control the robot by using a computer from outside the room, and can hold conversations with the patient via the screen and camera.

The robot reduces the number of touch points with patients who are isolated, thereby reducing risk for healthcare workers, the hospitals health innovation director Alexander Yip told local news channel CNA.

Robotic machines can also be sent to scan for the presence of the virus, such as when the Diamond Princess cruise ship cabins were checked for safety weeks after infected passengers were evacuated, according to the US Centers for Disease Control.

Additionally, hospitals are turning to robots to tirelessly rid room, halls and door handles of viruses and bacteria.

US firm Xenex has seen a surge in demand for its robots that disinfect rooms, according to director of media relations Melinda Hart.

Xenexs LightStrike robots have been used in more than 500 healthcare facilities, with the number of deployed bots rising due to the pandemic, Hart said.

We are getting requests from around the world, Hart said.

In addition to hospitals, were being contacted by urgent care centers, hotels, government agencies and pharmaceutical companies to disinfect rooms.

Shark Robotics in France began testing a decontamination unit about a month ago and has already started getting orders, according to co-founder Cyril Kabbara.

Worth the price?

The coronavirus pandemic has caused robotics innovation to accelerate, according to Lesley Rohrbaugh, the director of research for the US Consumer Technology Association.

We are in a time of need for some of this technology, so it seems like benefits outweigh costs, Rohrbaugh said.

Artificial intelligence, sensors and other capabilities built into robots can push up prices, as can the need to bolster high-speed internet connections on which machines often rely, according to Rohrbaugh.

Innovations on the horizon include using drones equipped with sensors and cameras to scan crowds for signs of people showing symptoms of coronavirus infection.

A team at the University of South Australia is working on just that, in collaboration with Canadian drone maker Draganfly.

The use will be to identify the possible presence of the virus by observing humans, said university professor Javaan Singh Chahl.

It might form part of an early warning system or to establish statistically how many people are afflicted in a population.

His team is working on computer algorithms that can spot sneezing or coughing, say in an airport terminal, and remotely measure peoples pulses and temperatures.

2020 AFP

then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has cut advertising rates in half, and we need your help. Like you, we here at Raw Story believe in the power of progressive journalism. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnstons DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. Weve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. Weve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and legal efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. And unlike other news outlets, weve decided to make our original content free. But we need your support to do what we do.

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How Russia is influencing the EU and NATO during the pandemic – New Eastern Europe

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While the Kremlin has concentrated on the crisis unfolding in Western Europe, serious problems loom at home as the pandemic spreads further into the Russian heartland.

April 9, 2020 - Maksym Skrypchenko- Articles and Commentary

Ilyushin Il-76 Russian transport plane. Photo: Rob Schleiffert (cc) wikimedia.org

While Italy continues to record the largest number of deaths during the COVID-19 crisis, Russian President Putin has sent nine Il-76 military airplanes to Rome, carrying more than 100 specialists, some medical equipment (including truck-based units for disinfection) and testing devices. The planes and trucks bore giant stickers showing heart-shaped Russian and Italian flags with the slogan From Russia with Love in both languages. Russian media claimed it to be an act of goodwill free from any political pretext. At the same time, Italys daily La Stampa reported that 80 per cent of the Russian supplies are not useful to the countrys health services.

It is worth saying that this entire mission is the work of the Russian Ministry of Defence. Even the specialists are Russian military officers whose expertise is decontamination. This was one of the reasons why the airplanes had to change their route to avoid the airspace of some northeastern European countries Moscow would need to ask permission to fly over them.

Last month, whenCOVID-19 began spreading rapidly in Italy, the country appealed for help viathe Emergency Response Coordination Centre. We asked for supplies of medicalequipment, and the European Commission forwarded the appeal to the memberstates. But it didnt work, Italys permanent representative to the EU,Maurizio Massari, stated in an interview with Foreign Policy. After theoutbreak in Italy, EU or NATO members were not able to send immediate help.

Putin sent nine airplanes within 24 hours of his phone conversation with Prime Minister Conte. At that moment, Rome had not received any substantial help from the EU or NATO members. First of all, EU governments decided to close their national borders. Secondly, all European states are still suffering from a dramatic shortage of masks and medical equipment to fight the pandemic. Face masks, being the cheapest protection items to be bought in large numbers, are today a scarce product and it is very difficult to buy enough for a whole countrys population. As a result, it is increasingly hard to export such masks to other countries. Some EU countries are expecting a situation similar to Italy in the coming weeks and they subsequently do not feel comfortable sending masks to Rome. This logic also applies to ventilators, medicinal drugs and protective suits.

Even so, afterRussian planes had landed in Italy, some EU members decided to send millions offace masks and thousands of protective suits (Germany, France, Austria and theCzech Republic). Some countries, like Poland and Germany, sent experienceddoctors and also agreed to fly some critical patients to their hospitals. NATO isalso now using aircraft to transport patients and medical supplies. No matterhow useless or politically motivated it was, Russian aid attracted muchattention among the media as one of the first states to lend Italy a helpinghand.

Russian flags onthe trucks driving around Italy could affect Romes attitude towards the EU andNATO, which were not able to allocate resources at the same time as Moscow. Polishdoctors do not wear a specific uniform with national symbols like Russianmilitary officers. NATO placed trucks at Italian disposal without any alliancesymbols. A resident of Bergamo, the city worst hit by the coronavirus, would notbe able to differentiate between Italian military trucks and those provided byNATO. At the same time, Russian vehicles, which are not typical for the region,do possess many distinctive flags and symbols.

The nature ofthis military operation is also unprecedented for Moscow Russianspecialists are gaining access to Italys health and military system, which ispart of a larger NATO structure. One of the largest and most important USmilitary bases in Italy is located just two hours from the Bergamo area. Russianstate media continue to report that the countrys soldiers have been travellingin the very heart of Europe along NATO roads. It is clear that Putinwill demand that the operation continues regardless of any internaldevelopments. After all, the Kremlins prestige is at stake.

Italy is a NATOmember which has 166 soldiers based in Latvia as part of NATOs Enhanced ForwardPresence, which is ultimately an effort to deter Russia. A few days afterMoscow sent its specialists to Italy, NATO jets intercepted a Russian militaryaircraft in the Baltic Sea close to Latvia.

An EU internal document seen by Reuters accused Russian media of deploying a significant disinformation campaign against the West in order to worsen the impact of the coronavirus. Of course, Moscow denied any such plan. While not mentioning Russia by name, the EUs foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on his blog that the EU needed to be more aware of a struggle for influence through spinning and the politics of generosity.

Although Putin says that there is no need to declare a state of emergency due to Moscows level of preparation for the pandemic, many Russian media reports have stated that the situation inside Russia is deteriorating and is only being made worse by deliberate government misinformation. According to official statistics, there are some 10,000 persons infected in Russia. However, independent media reports believe that there has been an ARVI and pneumonia outbreak in many large cities, as well as in the regions in close proximity to Russia-China border. Moscow does not have enough kits to test even those living in the capital. Many people with pneumonia, as Lenta reports, cant find out if they have been infected with COVID-19 because there are no test kits. Russian Vostok-media has provided stories of people in the Russian Far East, close to China, which claim that a strange flu is making many elderly people sick.

It is clear that the Kremlin is scared of any potential societal panic due to the economic crisis already affecting Russia. Sanctions over Ukraine and the collapse of crude oil prices have already defanged the Russian economy. Due to this, the coronavirus crisis may become a black swan event for the country. Despite this, Putin knows that the situation is critical and that he needs to mobilise all available resources. So why did he decide to send experienced Russian experts, ventilators, masks and even trucks to Italy when his own local authorities should be using them?

On March 18th, KonstantinKosachev, the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Councilof Russia, called for a global lifting of sanctions, except those imposed bythe United Nations, due to the spread of coronavirus and the ongoing situationin the oil market. Of course, Russias own sanctions resulting from its actionsin Ukraine were not imposed by the UN, but rather the European Union andAmerica.

A year ago, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stated that his government was trying to lift EU sanctions against Russia. The belief that Italy should respond to a hypothetical Russian attack on a NATO ally has become less common over time, decreasing from 40 per cent in 2015 to just 25 per cent in 2019 according to the Pew Research Center. The European Parliament has also reported a downward trend regarding the EU, with just 44 per cent of Italians surveyed stating that they would vote to remain a member. This is the lowest rate of support for EU membership among all 27 states.

It is alsoimportant to note that China was also one of the first states to help Italy.Certainly, it is still the biggest exporter of medical aid to affected countrieswhilst it simultaneously attempts to sell even more equipment. However, Beijingis still blamed for the coronavirus outbreak so its help is useful, at the veryleast, in restoring the bilateral status quo. Beijing has sold medicalequipment to many countries which are now returning it due to its lack ofquality.

Swedensexperience with China provides a clear example of the underlying politics oftenpresent in Beijings gift giving. It did not receive any medical aid from Chinaeven after it requested help. Elisabeth Braw believes that this is because of Swedishsupport for the imprisoned Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai, who was blamed for illegallyproviding intelligence overseas.

On April 2nd, Donald Trump stated that a Russian airplane full of medical stuff was preparing to land at New Yorks John F. Kennedy airport in the late afternoon. Trump expressed gratitude for 60 tons of ventilators, masks, respirators and other items. While Russian media were reporting about another successful Kremlins aid mission, one of the US officials told Reuters that Washington had to pay for that airplane. However, he admitted that the price was below market value. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Washington had only paid half the cost. Putin failed to present it as a gift but Trump anyway extended thanks for any help.

Overall, it is very important for state leaders to see the difference between real aid efforts and those tied to political interest. It is critical to remember that sanctions are ultimately imposed to exert pressure on dictatorial governments rather than people. Moscow waged war against Georgia in 2008. A year later, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with a reset button which was to symbolise a new era of relation between the Kremlin and the West. In 2014, Russia occupied Crimea and Donbas and established separatist republics. The EU and other countries imposed sanctions on Russia for violating Ukrainian territorial integrity. This war is not over, soldiers and civilians die every day and sanctions are increasing every year. Consequently, there is only one condition for the sanctions to be lifted Russia should abandon Ukraine and restore the borders as they were before the conflict. Otherwise, it would only legitimise the actions of others who violate international law.

Maksym Skrypchenko is a cofounder of Ukrainian TranslatlanticPlatform and a Deputy Director of Security Initiative Center residing in Kyiv. His main areas of expertise are conflictology, Eastern Europe, Ukraine-EU and Ukraine-NATO relations.

Covid-19 pandemic, European Union, NATO, Russian foreign policy, Russian influence

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How Russia is influencing the EU and NATO during the pandemic - New Eastern Europe

Coronavirus response: Turkey dispatches medical supplies to Allies and partners in the Balkans – NATO HQ

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An A-400M cargo plane of the Turkish Air Force carrying medical supplies donated by Turkey was dispatched to a number of Allies and partners in the Balkans region on Wednesday (8 April 2020).

The medical supplies were provided by the Turkish Ministry of Health to help combat the COVID-19 outbreak in North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo.

The supplies include masks, overalls and test kits and left from Ankara's Etimesgut Airbase on a Turkish Army aircraft earlier today.

The medical supplies were sent in crates displaying the words of 13th century poet Jalaluddin Rumi: "There is hope after despair and many suns after darkness.

North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina requested assistance via NATOs Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC). The EADRCC is NATOs principal disaster response mechanism. The Centre operates on a 24/7 basis, coordinating requests from NATO Allies and partners, as well as offers of assistance to cope with the consequences of major crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Turkish initiative is the latest example of Allied efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, Turkey sent another A-400M cargo plane of the Turkish Air Force carrying medical supplies to Spain and Italy.

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Coronavirus response: Turkey dispatches medical supplies to Allies and partners in the Balkans - NATO HQ

Could Movie Theaters Reopen by Early June? Thats the Optimism of NATO – IndieWire

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Top brass from the National Association of Theatre Owners struck an optimistic tone during a webinar Friday, as VP Patrick Corcoran said he expects movie theaters to begin to reopen by late May or early June and ramp up to a summer blockbuster season beginning in July.

The webinar, hosted by NATO magazine Boxoffice Pro and viewed by exhibitors, concessionaires, theater vendors, and journalists from around the world, represented the latest effort by the trade group to offer guidance and soothe an industry facing an unprecedented crisis during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to NATO president John Fithian, We anticipate when we first open cinemas back up anywhere in the world, well have social distancing. This would include enforcing 50 percent auditorium capacity,a measure that was common if brief, before US theaters closed their doors in March. Well return to the very intense cleaning procedures and anything else the health officials recommend.

His hope is that within a couple of weeks of reopening of theaters, theyll be on full blast.

We essentially need to go through the period where the government is confirming that the threat has been abated, Fithian said.

That timeline coincides with the pandemic picture painted by President Donald Trump, who last week abandoned his earlier hope that things could return to normal by mid-April and extended social distancing guidelines through the end of the month. He suggested that by June 1, a lot of great things will be happening.

Other governments have less hopeful projections. In New York, the epicenter of the US outbreak, Governor Andrew Cuomo last month forecast the coronavirus spread could last up to nine months, with up to 80 percent of the population contracting the virus. And California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday confirmed that school campuses will be closed for the remainder of the academic year, which runs through mid-June at some institutions.

Here are some key takeaways from the NATO webinar.

NATO is urging its theater-owner members to rely on government programs created as part of the $2 trillion stimulus bill to ease their pain. The group said they lobbied Congress to ensure theaters could enjoy some of the benefits. We wanted liquidity for our members so they can get through this, Corcoran said.

Among those are Small Business Association loan and grant programs, some of which are partly forgivable contingent on businesses retaining employees and keeping payroll going.

The first thing I would say is you should be talking to your banker right now, Corcoran said.

Moving forward, NATO expects to see some conflicts arise surrounding the number of programs in which businesses can participate. The group is lobbying officials to ensure rules are clear, and discussing additional stimulus programs in the pipeline.

Nearly all of the 65,000-plus employees of the countrys three largest circuits, AMC, Regal, and Cinemark, have been laid off or furloughed. Theres also tens of thousands more who worked at small chains and local theaters.

Taking care of the employees is equally important, and a key concern because we want them to stick with us, Fithian said. We want employees that are trained and believe in the cinema experience.

For that, NATO is again counting on government assistance. The Will Rogers Motion Pictures Pioneers Foundation on Monday launched a fund with an initial $2.4 million to provide grants to exhibition workers facing financial needs due to the coronavirus outbreak.

To start, $300 grants are available to experienced workers those with at least five years in the business. (Larger grants may be available on a case-by-case basis.)The money is meant to supplement government relief, such as the additional $600 per week for unemployment claims provided by the stimulus bill.

Closed theaters presented studios with a choice: Push back theatrical release dates or send movies straight to VOD. The most prominent example came when Universal announced last month it would release the animated musical Trolls World Tour for premium rental April 10. Fithian took pains to draw a distinction between the VOD debut of Trolls which he described as a mistake to on-demand movies that saw their theatrical runs cut short by theater closures.

Trolls: World Tour

Universal

Fithian downplayed the idea that the Trolls move represented a threat to theatrical.

Im very confident that for almost all distributors, almost all movies will get postponed, he said. We believe that was a bad decision, but one movie does not change a model. All the other movies are being postponed for later theatrical release.

That assessment overlooked another film, the Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae-starrer The Lovebirds, which was scheduled for release by Paramount April 3 and is now heading straight to Netflix theater chains public enemy number 1.

Asked what hes been hearing from studios, Fithian said The conversations are not suggesting significant changes in the business model. The conversations are how do we survive as an industry.

Fithian cited the Gulf War as a would-be analog to the current pandemic; during that time, Israeli cinemas were closed. When they reopened, the population flocked to cinemas for months.

We strongly believe there will be a rush to cinemas to see all kinds of movies because people will just want to connect with their family and friends once its safe to do so, he said.

However, the Gulf War happened three decades ago a time when the exhibition business was very different, and VOD didnt exist. Also, the threats of war are very different than a pandemic.

Bobbie Bagby, executive VP at Texas chain B&B Theatres, said its key for cinemas to engage with their audiences online. She also suggested launching an industrywide campaign that rallies people behind a message of seeing movies together. It would encourage them to sign a pledge that theyll head to the theater once the threat dissipates, and to sign up for an alert that lets them know when their local theaters open.

Tom Brueggemann contributed reporting.

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Could Movie Theaters Reopen by Early June? Thats the Optimism of NATO - IndieWire

Meet Major Stephen Dicks, a chaplain deployed to Europe with the US 1st Cavalry Division – NATO HQ

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Major Stephen Dicks is 45 years old and serves in the 1st Cavalry Division Artillery of the United States Army. Based at Fort Hood, Texas, this division is one of the most decorated combat divisions of the US Army. But the major is not an artilleryman he is a chaplain.

My job entails ensuring the free exercise of religion for soldiers, explains Major Dicks. This includes performing religious services, weddings, baptisms, funerals and sermons. It also includes facilitating for the religious needs of soldiers that are different from my faith group.As part of the commanders senior staff, it is his responsibility to advise the commander on matters of morale, morals, ethics and religion.

In his spare time, Dicks has been a cartoonist for many years. He has even had the privilege of drawing cartoons for two US presidents both of whom gave him an autographed copy of his cartoon in return.

For exercise DEFENDER-Europe 20, Dicks was deployed to Germany. The country is not new to him. In the 1970s, his father was stationed in Wildflecken, Germany, together with a good friend who invited him to visit his home in the United States, where he fell in love with his friends daughter. They got married and went back to Germany where Major Dicks was born in the city of Wrzburg in northern Bavaria.

The very fact that I am now the soldier serving where my father once served fills me with happiness, says Dicks.

Training with other Allied units

During DEFENDER-Europe 20, NATO Allies tested their ability to move quickly across the Atlantic and Europe and to work together to protect each other from any potential threat.

From January to March 2020, the US Army moved approximately 6,000 soldiers from the United States to Europe, as well as 9,000 vehicles and pieces of equipment from Army Prepositioned Stocks, and about 3,000 pieces of equipment via sea from the United States. Moreover, in coordination with other Allies, it also completed movement of soldiers and equipment from multiple ports to training areas in Germany and Poland.

Dicks believes it is important to exercise with other NATO Allies. The United States military has continually worked with NATO Allies for years, especially over the last two decades of conflicts around the world. Since we work together on the battlefield, it is important to train together because we will fight like we train, therefore we must train as a multinational team of Allies.

Dealing with the COVID-19 crisis

In response to the current outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, exercise DEFENDER-Europe 20 was modified in size and scope. On 13 March 2020, all movement of personnel and equipment from the United States to Europe ceased. Allied forces, however, continue to preserve their readiness, if needed.

The health and well-being of all soldiers, civilians andfamily members is a top priority and critical to our readiness, concludes Major Dicks.

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Meet Major Stephen Dicks, a chaplain deployed to Europe with the US 1st Cavalry Division - NATO HQ

Coronavirus gives NATO a chance to demonstrate its worth | TheHill – The Hill

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On March 27, North Macedonia became NATOs 30th member, expanding the Alliances direct area of responsibility to much of the Balkans, with the exceptions of Serbia, Bosnia and Kosovo. Bosnia is negotiating to enter the Alliance, and Kosovo has indicated it intends to apply. Whether NATO has the resources, the will or, for that matter, the ability to defend every one of its members and certainly any more members is an open question.

Four days after North Macedonias accession, the U.S. Navy placed all but the skeleton crew of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in quarantine to halt the spread of the coronavirus onboard the ship. The decision underscores the tenuous nature of NATOs ability to defend its members against external aggression. The carriers commander, Capt. Brett Crozier, who asked the Navy for assistance after several of his crewmen contracted COVID-19, had asserted that the situation would be different in wartime because in combat we are willing to take certain risks that are not acceptable in peacetime. (Crozier since has been relieved of his command.)

Whether the United States, or any other NATO member would undertake those risks during a crisis, or in the face of an aggressors gray zone operation against one of its weaker members such as North Macedonia, is not that clear, however. Indeed, the Alliances flaccid collective response to the challenge of the coronavirus points to its lack of cohesion and does not augur well for its ability to mobilize militarily in the face of an impending threat to one or more of its members.

NATOs foreign ministers released a statement Thursday after discussing the COVID-19 threat by video conference, saying in part, Allies continue to stand together and support each other in the pandemic, through different NATO arrangements, as well as bilaterally, and that the ministers will consider what more can be done.

But in fact, the NATO states have not done much to assist one another in combating the coronavirus. It took weeks, and hundreds of deaths, before Italy began to receive aid from its European neighbors. Until mid-March, China was Italys major source of protective masks. NATO created the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) in 1998, but tellingly, it did not issue its first situation report until April 1. At the same time, it has received requests from seven nations including a North Macedonian request for 500,000 masks and 800,000 nitrile gloves to which it has yet to respond. Thus far, only Turkey and the Czech Republic have completed deliveries to Spain and Italy.

France, which had started to supply large numbers of masks to Italy, now is running short of its own supply of masks and is in need of ventilators as well. Thus far, it does not appear to have received much, if any, assistance from its NATO or European Union partners.

In his statement welcoming North Macedonia to NATO, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called it great news in a difficult time. The time is certainly difficult, but the news may not be that great. The alliance is stretched thin and North Macedonias entry stretches it thinner. NATO simply has too many members and too few that can make a material contribution to its defenses. Its cohesion in the face of a threat is not a foregone conclusion.

The travails of the Theodore Roosevelt highlight the reality that NATOs forces even those of the United States may be insufficiently robust to overcome extraordinary challenges, such as the coronavirus, that would reduce its readiness and responsiveness in a crisis. And the go-it-alone policies of NATOs member states, most especially the United States, in combating the coronavirus do little to inspire confidence that all, or even most, members can be relied upon to invoke Article 5, which calls for their common response if one of their counterparts comes under attack.

As the coronavirus rages on, it offers NATO a chance to demonstrate its credibility to operate as a unit for the benefit of all members. The Alliance, together with its partners, should build upon its creation of the EADRCC to develop a common plan for the most efficient distribution of masks, protective gear, ventilators and other badly needed commodities including any newly developed vaccines among all member states.

In addition, now that the Trump administration has finally recognized the seriousness of the threat that the virus poses, it should assume its historic NATO role and lead both the planning effort and its rapid implementation. There is no time to lose. Too many lives remain in serious peril.

Dov S. Zakheim is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and vice chairman of the board for the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He was under secretary of Defense (comptroller) and chief financial officer for the Department of Defense from 2001 to 2004 and a deputy under secretary of Defense from 1985 to 1987.

Editor's Note: This article was updated to reflect that Kosovo is not yet negotiating to join NATO.

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Coronavirus gives NATO a chance to demonstrate its worth | TheHill - The Hill

Tensions flare up between Greece and Turkey during NATO meeting – Greek City Times

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Tensions erupted between the Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministers during a meeting on Thursday, according to diplomatic sources who spoke to CNN Greece. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlt avuolu reiterated some of the fake news that his countrys media and leaders have been spreading about Greece during the migration crisis that Turkey unleashed in March.

Ankara claimed that Greek border forces tortured and killed illegal immigrants, something that Turkey attempted to disseminate to international media to discredit Greece with little effect or success. Greek City Times has already debunked the Turkish fake news relating to the migration crisis. However, we must remind our readers that Turkey isone of the lowest ranked countriesfor media freedoms in the world, is the second most susceptible country surveyed on the European continentto fake news, has themost imprisoned journalistsin the whole world, and90% of media is government controlled.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias was not tolerating any of the allegations made by avuolu and immediately took the floor during the online NATO conference to inform the alliance thatGreece faced an orchestrated and unprecedented attackon its border and a disinformation campaign from Turkey. Themethods used by Turkey violated the supposed values of NATO, adding that all so-called allies have the right to call for NATOs solidarity, but only if they honour their commitments.

The Turkish Foreign Minister became so enraged by Dendias comments that he called for a second opportunity to speak. This was promptly rejected by NATO Secretary GeneralJens Stoltenberg. avuolu clearly thought he was dealing with the Turkish public where he can disseminate the fake news with a high level of believability and little scrutiny, and became frustrated with the rejection that he resigned from the meeting even before the conference was over.

On Twitter, Dendias said During the Council of Foreign Ministers of the NATO member states, I referred to the recent developments in Evros and the instrumentalization of people, which undermines the values of the Alliance, but offered no further details to what the diplomatic source revealed.

Both Greece and Turkey became NATO members in 1952, becoming the first new members of the alliance since the formation of it from the original 12 founders. Despite technically becoming NATO allies, relations have remained hostile between Greece and Turkey, mostly notably during the 1955 Istanbul pogrom when the Greek population of the city decreased from 116,108 to 49,081, the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and the 1996 Imia Island crisis.

In 2019, Turkish war planes violated Greeces airspace 4,811 times and Ankara redrew the maritime borders of the Eastern Mediterranean on a new map with the Muslim Brotherhood government in Libya. The new map claimed large swathes of Greeces maritime space. NATO has not condemned or punished Turkey for any of its hostile actions against Greece.

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Tensions flare up between Greece and Turkey during NATO meeting - Greek City Times

EU Foreign Policy Chief proposes creating European Military Task Force to work in cooperation with … – The Nation

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EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has proposed establishing a European military task force that will compliment and work in cooperation with NATO, the EUs foreign policy chief said at a press briefing on Monday after EU defence ministers held a video conference.

Borrell praised the work of armed forces across the bloc for their efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease and work infacilitating the building of fieldhospitals and ensuring deliveries of medical supplies. With the challenge of COVID-19 still looming, the EUs foreign policy chief proposed establishing a task force to coordinate responses and efforts across the continent.

"We agreed with the ministers to explore how we could use the military expertise at EU level to support the exchange of information and thesharing of best practicesamong member states and to do so, we could set up a task force within the European External Action Service, led by the European military staff," Borrell stated.

Despite European countries requiring their own distinct alliance in order to liaise and respond to the challenges the continent faces, Borrell stated that any potential task force would alsocooperate with NATO.

"This will be done in full compliance, in full coordination and complementarity with NATO. I can assure you there will not be a duplication of work, but it is important that we Europeans work together to ensure a coordinated effort and mutual supportwhere it is needed, in full solidarity," he said.

Brussels is working diligently to protect the health of military and civilian personnel currently engaged in missions abroad amid the current health crisis, Borrell stated. However, theEuropean Union is still tryingto continue its missions wherever possible in order to avoid worsening security conditions, he added.

During a press briefing after Fridays video conference of EU foreign ministers, Borrell called for the bloc toprovide greater assistanceto Africa during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. The EU also supports calls for a global ceasefire at the current time, he stated.

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EU Foreign Policy Chief proposes creating European Military Task Force to work in cooperation with ... - The Nation

NATOs nemeses Russia & China help its member-states amid Covid-19 pandemic FAR MORE than the alliance itself – RT

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NATO, struggling to justify its existence, has found a new role for itself as an indefatigable fighter against the Covid-19 pandemic. But so far, it has contributed significantly less to this fight than its supposed rivals.

During a NATO foreign ministers meeting, held earlier this month by secure video conference, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared, NATO was created to deal with crises. So we can help and our Alliance is playing its part. NATO was on the case. But what exactly was it doing? Here Stoltenberg became vague: NATO would apparently offer logistical, transport and medical help to member-states fighting the pandemic.

Russia and China have of course been providing logistical, transport and medical help all over the world for weeks, but NATO makes it sound as if it alone is doing anything, and rushes to take credit for aid that in reality has nothing to do with the alliance.

On March 30, a cargo aircraft from China landed in the Czech Republic to deliver respirators and face masks. This was the third such transport flight from China to the Czech Republicunder the NATO supported Strategic Airlift International Solution, NATO proudly announced. So, China delivers medical equipment, and NATO takes the credit?

Recently, NATO member-state Turkey was supposed to deliver medical supplies to NATO member-states Spain and Italy. Once again NATO rushed to take credit. Stoltenberg was proud to see NATO Allies supporting each other through our disaster relief centre. Understandably, Stoltenberg didnt address Spains complaint that Turkey had seized hundreds of ventilators and sanitary equipment that Spain had already paid for. The ventilators had reportedly been manufactured in Turkey on behalf of a Spanish firm that bought the components from China. Subsequently, Turkey ordered all domestic mask producers to produce exclusively for the Turkish state.

Lack of cooperation among NATO member-states has become endemic. In the US, the Trump administration ordered healthcare equipment firm 3M to stop exporting N95 respirator masks to Canada and Latin America. In response, Justin Trudeau, Canadas prime minister threatened retaliation: We have an enormous number of products that are essential for the United States in their fight against Covid-19. Canada, he said, provides the US doctors, nurses, testing kits and key ingredients for the N95 masks.

Meanwhile, Germany accused the US of engaging in modern piracy by diverting in Bangkok, Thailand, 200,000 facemasks that were destined for Germany. France also complained when the US seized a consignment of masks bound for France from China. The masks were on a plane at Shanghai airportwhen the U.S. buyers turned up and offered three times what their French counterparts were paying, the Guardian reported.

Germany, in turn, had initially banned the export of medical masks and other protective gear to Italy. Though Germany did eventually relent, there was no relenting on Spain, Italy and Frances plea that coronavirus-incurred debt be shared out in the form of corona-bonds. Germanys refusal infuriated the Italians so much, that a group of Italian mayors and politicians bought a page in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung to remind Germany that it had not been forced to pay back its debts after World War II.

In stark contrast to the reluctance of NATO member-states to do much for one another, China and Russia have been delivering aid all over the world, including NATO countries. Russia sent masks and ventilators to the United States; and ventilators, medical equipment and military virologists and epidemiologists to Italy. Russia also sent coronavirus testing kits to Iran, North Korea and Venezuela, as well as to former USSR republics such as Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus. Russia has also sent military doctors and virology and epidemiology specialists to Serbia.

China also stepped up to the plate. It sent coronavirus testing kits as well as ventilators, masks and doctors to Italy; testing kits to Spain; and facemasks to Holland. It also delivered coronavirus testing kits to Palestine, and aid to Cambodia and Malaysia.

Contrary to Stoltenbergs claims then, the most striking feature of the coronavirus crisis is the absence of a NATO contribution to its solution. Pandemics are as old as humanity. Sooner or later, something like Covid-19 was bound to come along. Yet, despite all of the resources NATO had eaten up over the years, it has undertaken no emergency planning for a possible pandemic or a biological weapon attack. Its military hardware, vaunted command structures and constant military exercises are as useless today as they were in 2015 when Europe faced its last serious crisis.

Of course, it was NATO itself that triggered the 2015 migration crisis. Its reckless intervention to overthrow the government of Libyas Muammar al-Qaddafi threw the previously stable North African country into chaos and caused the massive flow of migrants into Europe. The same sequence followed the subsequent intervention of key NATO powers in the civil war in Syria.

In 2015, Europeans woke up to discover not only that their most urgent security problem was not Russia, Ukraine and Crimea (NATOs obsessive concern), but Europes open borders, a problem NATO had done nothing to address and, worse, had exacerbated by fueling instability on Europes periphery. Yet NATO offered no explanation as to why Europes borders had remained so porous for decades. Similarly, in the face of a spate of terrorist attacks in Europe in 2015, NATO was unable to explain why, after supposedly fighting terrorism for the better part of two decades, it had done so little to safeguard Europe from the scourge of terrorism.

In a speech delivered in Wellington, New Zealand, on Aug. 5, 2019, a few months before the Covid-19 outbreak, Stoltenberg declared that the greatest challenge the West faced was increased competition between great powers and that a more assertive Russia, is putting the rules based order under pressure. Russia was everywhere, threatening everyone, trying to meddle in and undermining the trust in democratic institutions. And then there was the rise of China. China and Russia, Stoltenberg warned, represent challenges for all of us, both NATO Allies andmany other countries.

So there it is. A few months before the onset of a global pandemic, the full ramifications of which we can today barely grasp, NATO was expressing alarm about Russia and China, the two powers that have done far more to help NATO countries out during this pandemic than NATO itself has.

Meanwhile, Europe and the United States careen toward an economic catastrophe that will dwarf the 2008 crisis by several orders of magnitude. NATOs contribution to solving that crisis will be as useless as its contribution to solving the 2008 crisis. What will it be? It will plead with member-states not to skimp on their contributions to a security organization from which they derive no security.

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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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NATOs nemeses Russia & China help its member-states amid Covid-19 pandemic FAR MORE than the alliance itself - RT

Estonia’s far-right EKRE MPs vote against a statement supporting the EU and NATO – Estonian World

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The Estonian Conservative Peoples Party (EKRE) MPs voted against the parliament foreign affairs committees statement in support of the unity of the EU and NATO.

In the light of the current crisis, members of the Estonian parliaments (Riigikogu) foreign affairs committee on 2 April adopted a statement in support of the unity of the European Union and NATO and the solidarity between the member states.

While the MPs of the prime ministers party, the Centre Party, as well as the opposition MPs from the Reform Party and Social Democrats all voted in support of the statement, the committees two MPs of the far-right EKRE, Ruuben Kaalep and Anti Poolamets, voted against. Out of the two MPs of Isamaa party, also in the government, one (Mihhail Lotman) also voted in favour, while the other one (Raivo Tamm) abstained.

For Estonia, the membership in the European Union and NATO has been invaluable for both security and economic development. Protection of the value space of the West has to be the priority of the allies today. Protection of dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the principle of the rule of law and human rights is essential. The EU must jointly resist all attempts to use a state of emergency to restrict the freedoms and the rights of its citizens, the statement says.

Since its accession, Estonia has been a reliable and constructive member state and cooperation partner of the European Union and NATO, and we wish to be that also in the future. The present challenge is complicated for all our partners and allies, but when we rely on strong trans-Atlantic relations, the hardships can be overcome faster through common efforts and coordinated cooperation, the statement EKRE refused to back, also says.

Kaalep and Poolamets declined to comment, when asked by Estonian World.

EKRE is a radical, far-right and populist party that first entered the Estonian parliament in 2015, winning seven seats. In the 2019 election, the party more than doubled its seats and currently has 19 MPs. The party was subsequently invited to form the current government with the populist-leaning Centre Party and the centre-right Isamaa. The partys leading figures have over the years stood out for their use of xenophobic, racist and homophobic rhetoric.

Cover: Ruuben Kaalep and Anti Poolamets (Riigikogu).

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Estonia's far-right EKRE MPs vote against a statement supporting the EU and NATO - Estonian World

Caviarlieri: The World’s Only Caviar Food Supplement with the Latest Innovation in Swiss Cellular Therapy Technology – Yahoo Finance

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SINGAPORE, April 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Encapsulating the potent bioactive nutrients of Caviar into a supplement has been a dream and a formidable challenge for the Anti-Aging Medical World for several decades. Caviarlieri Limited, through its global panel of Anti-Aging medical experts has been able to create after 20 years of intensive research, this Age-Defying Caviar Supplement, Caviarlieri.

Unprecedented in its potency, the rare Sturgeon black caviar is rich in essential fatty acids and contains unique active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). Manufactured using its proprietary Swiss Cold DNA Extraction technology "Cellularix", Caviarlieri contains the potent Caviar Cellular DNA Extracts and effective bioactive Marine peptides resulting in a supplement, unparalleled in energy, vitality and beauty.

Unlike other food supplements, Caviarlieri provides essential nutrition directly at the cellular level, thereby enabling its optimal absorption into the cells because of its bioavailability. These caviar proteins and peptides are able to easily enter into the cells, triggering enhanced cell activity and stimulation, resulting in immense energy, ageless performance, enhanced vitality and timeless beauty.

Backed by extensive research, Caviarlieri has scientific studies which are published in peer-reviewed journals. It also has a empirical double blind placebo controlled studies on its key ingredients. Further research is still ongoing in the US, Switzerland and Europe on genetic expression in key biomarkers which defy the aging process.

Caviarlieri - The Only Swiss Caviar Cellular Therapy Supplement in the World

Researched, developed and made in Switzerland, Caviarlieri works on multiple levels of the human body and its benefits are diverse, extensive and its effects vary among individuals. Almost all of our customers are unanimous when they report improved energy levels, better sleep quality, enhanced skin complexion, significant reduction in joint pain, mood elevation, increased sexual desire and libido.

"Cell Regeneration is activated in Caviarlieri," said Dr. med. Brigitte Bollinger, Specialist FMH for Dermatology, Medical Center Bad Ragaz, Switzerland. "It can produce outstanding results in areas like strengthening the immune system, reducing chronic inflammation significantly, alleviating metabolic syndrome, improving physical stamina, providing faster recuperation after exercise, improving mental focus, enhancing sexual performance, satisfaction and many more."

Caviarlieri is clinically proven to accelerate cellular renewal and repair versus damaged or dysfunctional immune cells and potentially help to strengthen our immune system against viruses and diseases. Its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can prevent cell damage, enhance our immune responses and effectively combat inflammation.

Caviarlieri is available in most exclusive luxury Spas and Medical Centres and pharmacies throughout Switzerland.

Caviarlieri Limited

Caviarlieri Limited is committed to the development and creation of Anti-Aging Swiss Cellular Therapy products through significant investment in research and clinical studies. Caviarlieri is manufactured by Swiss Caps Inc (a USA-FDA approved and inspected facility) with cGMP certification. Certified and approved by the Swiss Public Health Authority, Caviarlieri complies with the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety. Caviarlieri is also certified by the German Sport University Cologne as a supplement free of steroids and stimulants.

Related Links: https://swisscaviarlieri.com/

Media Contact:

Mr. Shane WMarketing DirectorCaviarlieri Limited+41-445510014marketing@swisscaviarlieri.com

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200319/2755986-1

SOURCE Caviarlieri Limited

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Caviarlieri: The World's Only Caviar Food Supplement with the Latest Innovation in Swiss Cellular Therapy Technology - Yahoo Finance

Axonics Submits PMA Supplement to U.S. Food & Drug Administration to Expand Full-Body MRI Labeling for 3T Scans – Business Wire

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IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Axonics Modulation Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AXNX), a medical technology company that has developed and is commercializing novel implantable sacral neuromodulation (SNM) devices for the treatment of urinary and bowel dysfunction, today announced the submission of a premarket approval (PMA) supplement to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the purpose of gaining full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) conditional labeling for 3.0T MRI scans.

In September 2019, the FDA approved the Axonics r-SNM System with full-body conditional labeling for 1.5T MR scanners. Axonics has since performed all the required tests to support a PMA supplement for full-body conditional labeling on 3.0T MR scanners for the implantable components of its r-SNM System. The FDA review timeline for labeling expansion PMA supplements is 180 days.

Raymond W. Cohen, Axonics CEO commented, The Axonics r-SNM System is already approved for 1.5T and 3.0T full-body MRI scans in Europe. While only approximately 15% of MRI scanners operating in the U.S. are 3.0T, we believe it was a worthwhile investment to conduct the testing and analyses required for this filing and we are confident our PMA supplement will meet all criteria for FDA approval. This submission further demonstrates Axonics commitment to continuous innovation for the benefit of patients, clinicians and the healthcare system.

About Axonics Modulation Technologies, Inc.

Axonics, based in Irvine, Calif., has developed and is commercializing novel implantable SNM devices for patients with urinary and bowel dysfunction. These conditions are caused by a miscommunication between the bladder and the brain and significantly impacts quality of life. Overactive bladder affects an estimated 87 million adults in the U.S. and Europe. Another estimated 40 million adults are reported to suffer from fecal incontinence/accidental bowel leakage. SNM therapy has been employed to reduce symptoms and restore pelvic floor function for the past two decades. Reimbursement coverage is well established in the U.S. and Europe. The Axonics System is the first long-lived rechargeable SNM system approved for sale in the world, and the first to gain full-body MRI conditional labeling. For more information, visit the Companys website at http://www.axonics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this press release that relate to future plans, events, prospects or performance are forward-looking statements as defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as planned, expects, believes, anticipates, designed, and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. While these forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations and beliefs of management, such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in this press release, including the risks and uncertainties disclosed in Axonics filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available online at http://www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, Axonics undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, changed circumstances or unanticipated events.

Excerpt from:

Axonics Submits PMA Supplement to U.S. Food & Drug Administration to Expand Full-Body MRI Labeling for 3T Scans - Business Wire

Foods to boost your health while living through the pandemic – Belfast Telegraph

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In the coming months, lots of us will be looking at all areas of our life to help protect our own bodies. The overall function of the immune system is to prevent or limit infection. The immune system is good at differentiating between normal healthy cells and unhealthy ones. Infectious microbes release signals that the immune system recognises causing a response to deal with the problem. Infection arises when the bugs get ahead of the immune system. When it comes to nutrition, there are some areas that you could focus on in a bid to better support your immune system.

First and foremost, it's important to eat enough. Calories are needed to feed all systems in the body, including our immune system. On average women need about 2,000 calories a day while men require about 2,500 calories a day. It's important to try and eat enough, which may be challenging if you are sick. If sick and off your food, the 'little and often' approach is advisable as well as eating foods that you feel you can eat. Trust your gut! You may find it helpful to eat dry, plain and cold foods. Additionally, consuming calories through fluids may be easier. However, if you are not sick, it's a good idea to avoid calorie-restricted diets, especially those with large calorie deficits. A healthy diet does support the immune system. Some nutrients are worth focusing on.

Vitamin A is an antioxidant vitamin with many roles including supporting normal immune function. Additionally, vitamin A helps to keep our skin healthy as well as the mucous membranes in our mouth, stomach, intestines, and our respiratory system healthy. As our skin and mucous membranes act as one of the first barriers to infection, it's important that we nourish them. A supplement is often not required. There are two types of vitamin A: vitamin A from animal produce such as meat, dairy and eggs, and vitamin A from plants such as oils, leafy greens and yellow/orange vegetables. Aim to eat these foods often.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin that plays an important role in immune function. Since the 1930s, vitamin C has been proposed for treating respiratory infections. It became particularly popular in the 1970s when it was suggested to prevent and treat the common cold. Lots of trials have been completed since. A review from 2013 which included 29 trials and over 11,000 people stated that vitamin C supplementation had no effect on the incidence of the common cold in the general public. A review of five trials and nearly 600 participants showed that a vitamin C supplement halved the risk of the common cold in athletes. However, a regular supplement had a modest and consistent effect in reducing the duration of common cold symptoms, with results being higher in children. This is based off results from 31 studies with nearly 10,000 episodes of common cold.

The trials within this review didn't support taking vitamin C once you got a cold as it didn't impact duration or severity. Like all supplements, and despite being a water soluble vitamin, vitamin C is not healthy in large doses. As fruit and vegetables are such great sources, it may be beneficial to focus on eating your seven-a-day instead. For example, requirements are easily met if you eat red peppers.

Vitamin E is another antioxidant vitamin that has a role in supporting immune function. Naturally occurring vitamin E occurs in eight different chemical forms with varying levels of biological activity. Alpha-tocopherol is the one us humans need to focus on. Generally, a supplement isn't needed. Nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils are among the best sources of alpha-tocopherol, as well as green leafy vegetables. For example, sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts and peanut butter are rich sources.

Zinc has an important role in supporting immune function. Although zinc is an essential mineral that is naturally present in our foods, it is also found in many cold lozenges and some over-the-counter drugs.

This is because researchers suggest that zinc could reduce the severity and duration of the common cold by inhibiting rhinovirus in the nasal passage and by suppressing inflammation. Studies have provided conflicting results.

Nevertheless, zinc does appear to help in certain circumstances. Lozengers and zinc-containing syrups may be the preferred choice as they spend more time in the mouth. Oysters are an incredibly rich source of zinc. However, beef, pork, baked beans and pumpkin seeds are everyday foods that will help you meet your zinc requirements.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is naturally present in few foods. Researchers have suggested that taking Vitamin D supplements may enhance resistance to respiratory infections such as Covid-19, or limit the severity of the illness for those that do become infected.

The opinion of Dr Daniel McCartney and Dr Declan Byrne was published in the Irish Medical Journal last week. They recommended that adults living in this part of the world take 20-50 micrograms of vitamin D per day for the next three to six months as a short-term measure to specifically address the risk of COVID-19. Vitamin D deficiency is common here. Those at greater risk include older people, nursing home residents and hospital in-patients.

This level of supplementation should only be considered as a short-term measure which may potentially help those who are deficient in vitamin D or potentially deficient in vitamin D.

It is advisable that a person should only take this amount of vitamin D under the guidance and supervision of their doctor. The current recommended dose is 200-400 IU. Oily fish and eggs are sources.

Echinacea is widely used to reduce the risk and symptoms of a common cold, despite having limited evidence for it.

A big problem with the studies that have been conducted is that one echinacea product differs quite greatly to the next one. Like other supplements, sometimes other herbs are also added.

A review of the literature was done. However, due to all the differences in supplements being tested, it was difficult to draw any strong conclusions.

Nonetheless, it does seem that some echinacea products may be effective at treating colds. Although, the overall evidence is weak.

There have been a number of studies investigating the impact of particular strains of probiotics on upper respiratory tract infections and the immune system in athletic cohorts ranging from healthy active people to elite athletes.

Unfortunately, it's hard to draw guidelines from these studies, even though the evidence for use is building, as different types of probiotics are used within these studies. Additionally, differences in the effectiveness relate to the type of sport, the training history of the person, and the training load they're undertaking. For the general population, it's important to note that the gut appears to play an important role in immune function.

One of the most important areas to focus on when trying to improve your gut microbiome is to aim for a varied diet with lots of different types of plants. However, it's likely with time that more specific guidance will emerge.

Eating a healthy varied diet is the best way to support your immune system with food. Supplements can sometimes be referred to as the 'sprinkles on the icing of the cake'.

Covid-19 is new so no research has been completed on diet, nutrients and the likeliness of infection, severity of infection or duration of infection. Therefore, nutritional practices for the common cold are simply nutritional practices for the common cold. The most important steps with regards to Covid-19 remain hand hygiene and social distancing.

However, it will certainly do no harm to focus on eating lots of the foods mentioned above, taking your vitamin D supplement to prevent deficiency and eating a variety of plants to support a healthy gut microbiome.

BROWN BREAD

Ingredients: 350g wholemeal flour;125g plain flour; 20g wheatgerm; 20g wheat bran; 1 tsp bread soda; 1 tsp salt; 500ml buttermilk.

METHOD:

1. Preheat your oven to 200C.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

3. Add the buttermilk & mix well. 4. Grease a bread tin. Spoon in the contents. Bake for 10 min then turn down the heat to 180C and bake for another 40 mins.

BAKED EGGS IN RED PEPPER CUPS

Ingredients: 1 red pepper, oil spray, 2 eggs

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 175C.

2. Slice the pepper in half.

3. Place on a baking tray.

4. Crack an egg into each half.

5. Bake until your eggs are cooked to your preference.

Approx 20-30min.

POSH BAKED BEANS

Ingredients: 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds;

2 slices of brown bread; 200g baked beans; olive oil; half a garlic clove.

METHOD:

1. Heat a frying pan. Dry fry pumpkin seeds.

2. Toast brown bread.

3. Meanwhile heat your beans in a pan.

4. Brush your toast with olive oil and rub with garlic.

5. Place beans on top.

6. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Belfast Telegraph

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Foods to boost your health while living through the pandemic - Belfast Telegraph

Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market Size Analysis, Top Manufacturers, Shares, Growth Opportunities and Forecast to 2026 – Science In Me

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New Jersey, United States: Market Research Intellect has added a new research report titled, Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market Professional Survey Report 2020 to its vast collection of research reports. The Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements market is expected to grow positively for the next five years 2020-2026.

The Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements market report studies past factors that helped the market to grow as well as, the ones hampering the market potential. This report also presents facts on historical data from 2011 to 2019 and forecasts until 2026, which makes it a valuable source of information for all the individuals and industries around the world. This report gives relevant market information in readily accessible documents with clearly presented graphs and statistics. This report also includes views of various industry executives, analysts, consultants, and marketing, sales, and product managers.

Key Players Mentioned in the Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market Research Report:

Market Segment as follows:

The global Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market report highly focuses on key industry players to identify the potential growth opportunities, along with the increased marketing activities is projected to accelerate market growth throughout the forecast period. Additionally, the market is expected to grow immensely throughout the forecast period owing to some primary factors fuelling the growth of this global market. Finally, the report provides detailed profile and data information analysis of leading Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements company.

Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market by Regional Segments:

The chapter on regional segmentation describes the regional aspects of the Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements market. This chapter explains the regulatory framework that is expected to affect the entire market. It illuminates the political scenario of the market and anticipates its impact on the market for Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements .

The Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market research presents a study by combining primary as well as secondary research. The report gives insights on the key factors concerned with generating and limiting Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements market growth. Additionally, the report also studies competitive developments, such as mergers and acquisitions, new partnerships, new contracts, and new product developments in the global Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements market. The past trends and future prospects included in this report makes it highly comprehensible for the analysis of the market. Moreover, The latest trends, product portfolio, demographics, geographical segmentation, and regulatory framework of the Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements market have also been included in the study.

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Table of Content

1 Introduction of Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market1.1 Overview of the Market1.2 Scope of Report1.3 Assumptions

2 Executive Summary

3 Research Methodology3.1 Data Mining3.2 Validation3.3 Primary Interviews3.4 List of Data Sources

4 Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market Outlook4.1 Overview4.2 Market Dynamics4.2.1 Drivers4.2.2 Restraints4.2.3 Opportunities4.3 Porters Five Force Model4.4 Value Chain Analysis

5 Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market, By Deployment Model5.1 Overview

6 Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market, By Solution6.1 Overview

7 Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market, By Vertical7.1 Overview

8 Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market, By Geography8.1 Overview8.2 North America8.2.1 U.S.8.2.2 Canada8.2.3 Mexico8.3 Europe8.3.1 Germany8.3.2 U.K.8.3.3 France8.3.4 Rest of Europe8.4 Asia Pacific8.4.1 China8.4.2 Japan8.4.3 India8.4.4 Rest of Asia Pacific8.5 Rest of the World8.5.1 Latin America8.5.2 Middle East

9 Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market Competitive Landscape9.1 Overview9.2 Company Market Ranking9.3 Key Development Strategies

10 Company Profiles10.1.1 Overview10.1.2 Financial Performance10.1.3 Product Outlook10.1.4 Key Developments

11 Appendix11.1 Related Research

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Tags: Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market Size, Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market Growth, Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market Forecast, Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market Analysis, Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market Trends, Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market

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Probiotic Based Dietary Supplements Market Size Analysis, Top Manufacturers, Shares, Growth Opportunities and Forecast to 2026 - Science In Me

Disease Surveillance and the Fourth Amendment Reason.com – Reason

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A key issue will be determining what policy responses to the coronavirus can be squared with the requirements of the Constitution. Many constitutional provisions are implicatedfor example, the Due Process Clause may restrict the government's ability to quarantine people suspected infection, the Commerce Clause (and its judicially crafted inverse, the Dormant Commerce Clause) bears on the question of division of power between the federal government and the states, and the open-ended nature of Article II raises questions about the president's inherent powers to act in the absence of congressional authorization. For now, I want to focus on the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits "unreasonable searches and seizures" and requires that warrants be supported by probable cause, and which will determine the outer bounds of permissible surveillance at the federal and state levels.

A word of warning: Any analysis is going to be highly tentative, for two reasons. First, Fourth Amendment analysis is highly sensitive to factual details about both the surveillance at issue and the broader context (for example, the severity of the pandemic). In the absence of concrete proposals, any analysis is going to necessarily be at a fairly high level. Second, the relevant Fourth Amendment doctrinesthe third-party and special needs doctrinesare, even by the standards of constitutional law, in flux and without much coherence. Any predictions will thus be somewhat speculative.

I'll first give an overview of the relevant Fourth Amendment law and then apply it to three types of disease surveillance that are likely to be relevant in the near term: tracking the occurrence of coronavirus infection, contact tracing and quarantine enforcement.

Much of the legal difficulty, of course, indirectly stems from the text of the Fourth Amendment:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Not all searches and seizures are banned, but just the "unreasonable" ones; and the warrant/probable cause provision doesn't mandate warrants or probable cause, but only requires that a warrant be based on probable cause. That leaves a vast amount open to interpretation (as of course is true for many other constitutional provisions as well), but even more guided than usual by a necessarily vague principle of reasonableness, because "unreasonable" is right there in the text.

Excerpt from:

Disease Surveillance and the Fourth Amendment Reason.com - Reason

Disease Surveillance and the Fourth Amendment – Lawfare

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Like governments around the world, the United States is struggling with the coronavirus trilemma: It wants to protect lives, ease social isolation, and protect privacy and civil liberties, but it can do only two of those at the same time. In particular, and as South Koreas successful management of the coronavirus shows, extensive surveillance may be the only way to control the outbreak while preserving some degree of normalcy for economic and social life. Ive argued that the longer the pandemic drags on, the more willing (and rightly so) people will be to trade in some of their privacy for the freedom to work and play. There is already significant support for location tracking among both policy experts and the general public, and we should expect this sentiment to increase.

A key issue will be determining what policy responses to the coronavirus can be squared with the requirements of the Constitution. Many constitutional provisions are implicatedfor example, the Due Process Clause may restrict the governments ability to quarantine people suspected infection, the Commerce Clause (and its judicially crafted inverse, the Dormant Commerce Clause) bears on the question of division of power between the federal government and the states, and the open-ended nature of Article II raises questions about the presidents inherent powers to act in the absence of congressional authorization. For now, I want to focus on the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and requires that warrants be supported by probable cause, and which will determine the outer bounds of permissible surveillance at the federal and state levels.

A word of warning: Any analysis is going to be highly tentative, for two reasons. First, Fourth Amendment analysis is highly sensitive to factual details about both the surveillance at issue and the broader context (for example, the severity of the pandemic). In the absence of concrete proposals, any analysis is going to necessarily be at a fairly high level. Second, the relevant Fourth Amendment doctrinesthe third-party and special needs doctrinesare, even by the standards of constitutional law, in flux and without much coherence. Any predictions will thus be somewhat speculative.

Ill first give an overview of the relevant Fourth Amendment law and then apply it to three types of disease surveillance that are likely to be relevant in the near term: tracking the occurrence of coronavirus infection, contact tracing and quarantine enforcement. Since the Fourth Amendment imposes no restrictions on voluntary sharing of information with the governmenton the part of either surveillance targets or third parties who may have information about the targetsIm going to address only mandatory reporting. I will also address the implications of the Fourth Amendment on surveillance. The Fourth Amendment has other applications to disease control that I dont address herefor example, whether individuals can be subject to quarantines and forced medical testing, which raises the question of government seizures (of the body).

A threshold question in any Fourth Amendment analysis is whether the government activity is a search. An activity is a search and thus triggers the Fourth Amendment if it infringes on a reasonable expectation of privacy (the Katz test) or it involves a government trespass (the Jones test). Different forms of disease surveillance could trigger the Fourth Amendment under one or both of these tests. For example, any government surveillance program that required individuals to download an app on their phones might constitute a Fourth Amendment search under the trespass test, since it would interfere in individuals property intereststhat is, to control what is on their devices. By contrast, if the government were to track peoples movement by directly surveilling cellphonesfor example, though IMSI (international mobile subscriber identity) catchers, which mimic cell towersthat might violate a persons reasonable expectation of privacy.

Things become more complex if the government were to compel third partiescellphone companies, internet platforms, medical-device makers or health care providersto turn over data. A long-established carve out to the Katz reasonable-expectation-of-privacy test is the third-party doctrine: People cannot claim a reasonable expectation of privacy in information they have voluntarily handed over to a third party and that the government subsequently acquires. But the third-party doctrine is in flux, and its precise contours are unclear. For example, in the landmark Carpenter v. United States case from 2018, the Supreme Court held that the third-party doctrine did not apply to a weeks worth of cellphone location data that the government had acquired from a mobile provider. Unfortunately the court did not provide much guidance on how to apply Carpenters reasoning to different fact patternssmaller amounts of more-precise location data, larger amounts of less-precise location data, nonlocation data (for example, health data) that nevertheless reveals intimate information about an individual, and so on. All we can say is that, after Carpenter, courts are going to have to decide whether data that would normally be excluded from the Fourth Amendments scope under the third-party doctrine is nevertheless protected because it is particularly sensitive and revealing.

Assuming the Fourth Amendment does apply to the government surveillance, the Fourth Amendment requires that the activity be reasonable. In most cases reasonableness requires that the government have probable cause and get judicial authorizationa warrantbefore conducting the search. In some cases this may be feasible. For example, if the government gets a reliable tip that an infected individual has violated a quarantine order, that might be enough to establish probable cause that a crime has been committed (the quarantine violation) and thus justify a warrant for location data to confirm this fact.

But for many public health purposes, strict adherence to a warrants regime may not be required. Specifically, warrants are not required when exigent circumstances make getting them unfeasible. For example, police do not need a warrant to arrest a fleeing suspect or to prevent the destruction of evidence. Nor is a warrant required when police are engaged primarily in a community caretaking activityfor example, when they are trying to track down someone who is experiencing an imminent medical emergency. But courts tend to construe these exceptions narrowly and, most importantly, they still require police to have probable cause that the underlying activity is taking place. These exceptions to the warrant requirement thus are unlikely to be sufficient for disease surveillance, which requires gathering ongoing data on a wide population (rather than individual by individual), of which few if any may have clear symptoms.

For this reason, any disease surveillance program is likely to be evaluated under the Fourth Amendments special needs doctrine (also called the administrative search doctrine), by which courts sometimes permit warrantless surveillance with less than probable cause if getting a warrant would be impracticable; the search is aimed at something other than a traditional law enforcement purpose; and the search is, all things considered, reasonable.

The difficulty is that the special needs doctrine is by far the least coherent and unsettled part of Fourth Amendment doctrine. Every element in the test is contested, lacking coherent theoretical foundations and full of seemingly arbitrary distinctions that appear to reflect little more than the gut instincts of shifting majorities on the Supreme Court. For example, vehicle checkpoints are permissible when aimed at drunk driving but not at intercepting drugs. Discretionary stops of vehicles to check licenses are not permitted, but similar stops of ships are. Searches of students generally require some degree of individualized suspicion, but student athletes or anyone engaging in extracurricular activities can be subjected to blanket mandatory drug testing. It remains difficult to predict when the courts will authorize nontraditional surveillance under the special needs doctrine.

Nevertheless, the cases suggest some factors that courts routinely consider. First, courts consider the proportionality of the government action. This inquiry balances the intrusiveness of the search against the expected government benefits of that search and also asks whether the government could achieve its objective using less intrusive means. Second, courts are more comfortable when warrantless searches are conducted pursuant to legislative authorization and strict administrative guidelines. Legislative authorization is important for democratic and separation-of-powers reasons, and administrative guidelines help limit the discretion that the front-line enforcement officials have. Third, judicial supervisionin particular ex ante authorization or the ability of the target to challenge the search before it is executedimproves the chances that the search will be deemed constitutional, even if judges arent applying the probable cause standard. Fourth, searches that can be done on an individualized basis are preferred to dragnet searches. Finally, the less that law enforcement has access to or uses the data in criminal prosecutions, the more likely courts are to find that the program is not intended for ordinary law enforcement purposes and is thus permissible.

We can now begin to apply the Fourth Amendment to different kinds of disease surveillance. First, disease reporting. All states require health care providers to report information about infected diseases, and the federal government has extensive disease-reporting programs as well. Traditionally these did not raise any Fourth Amendment concerns, chiefly because the third-party doctrine excluded such data collection from the Fourth Amendments scope. Carpenter may change this, although, given the public health interests at stake and the long history of mandatory disease reporting, such programs would almost certainly pass muster under the special needs doctrine.

Second, contact tracing. Traditional contact tracing involves a manual process by which infected individuals are interviewed and asked with whom they came in contact, so that those individuals can be tested and monitored. But as a group of Oxford researchers wrote in Science, traditional manual contact tracing procedures are not fast enough for the coronavirus. They recommend the widespread use of a contact tracing app that would use location tracking to detect contact with an infected person. If the government requires people to download such an app on their phones, that might trigger the Fourth Amendment under the Jones trespass test. If instead the government were to collect large amounts of location data from companies (in order to do contact tracing), that would likely trigger the Fourth Amendment under the Katz reasonable-expectation-of-privacy test, especially in light of Carpenter.

Thus the constitutionality of contact tracing would hinge on the special needs analysis. Here a lot would depend on how the factors listed above applied to the specific contact tracing program at issuethat is, how effective the contact tracing program was, what safeguards were built into the program, and so on. This is particularly important because contact tracing requires surveillance not just of infected individuals but of all the individuals the infected person might have come into contact with. This means that the government will need to collect information on individuals it has little individualized suspicion to think have contracted the virus. A robust contact tracing program would thus raise constitutional concerns similar to those regarding the National Security Agencys telephony metadata program under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act.

Finally, location surveillance to enforce quarantine orders. As above, a threshold question is how the government collected the information at issue. If the government required infected individuals to download a location-broadcasting app on their phonesor, in an extreme case, to wear a physical device, like a GPS braceletthat would almost certainly trigger the Fourth Amendment under Jones. If the government instead tracked the quarantined persons phone directly (for example, through IMSI catchers) or indirectly (by compelling the disclosure of location data from the cellphone provider), whether the activity was a search would likely turn on how much information the government acquired. And whether the search was nevertheless reasonable in the absence of a warrant would turn on the intrusiveness of the search relative to its importance in enforcing quarantine. Broad, constant surveillance would likely not pass constitutional muster given that enforcing a quarantine does not require constant surveillance of people while theyre in the quarantine zone but, instead, only when they leave it.

By contrast, if the government program only disclosed when individuals left the quarantine zone, that would substantially strengthen its argument for constitutionality. Indeed, such a program (absent a physical intrusion into the quarantined persons phone) might not even count as a Fourth Amendment search at all. Under binary search doctrine, government action that only discloses whether or not some contraband or other illicit substance is present is not a search, on the theory that no one has a reasonable expectation of privacy in breaking the law. The binary search doctrine has been most commonly applied in the context of drug-sniffing dogs or drug field tests, but the same logic might apply here. Especially if leaving a quarantine zone would violate the law, a system that notified the government only when someone left the zone might avoid Fourth Amendment scrutiny altogether.

In the background to all this doctrinal analysis is the question of the role of the Fourth Amendmentand the Constitutionin times of emergency. On the one hand, courts tend to give the government a lot more leeway in emergencies. We might expect the same in a pandemic situation, especially at the beginning, when there is less information and courts have little basis to question government representations about necessity or effectiveness.

On the other hand, emergency powers are not limitless. There are a number of safeguards that can be built into emergency powersand that courts might take into accountwhich can limit the possibility for abuse without harming efficacy. For example, courts may give the government more leeway when the action is taken pursuant to a formal invocation of emergency, especially if it is also ratified by the legislature. Sunset clauses (as in the United Kingdoms recently enacted Coronavirus Act), can provide an assurance that emergency powers will not be permanent. Transparency as to how the program is operating can increase accountability to the general public and civil society watchdog groups. And, above all, the emergency response must be limited to what is necessary to deal with the emergency; courts will (or at least should) examine the government program for surveillance creep.

To reiterate, this analysis is deeply provisional. We are confronted with a truly unprecedented situation (in both the legal and nonlegal senses of the term), and much will depend on the specific details of future disease surveillance programs. Part of my reason for writing this post is to encourage other Fourth Amendment scholars to weigh in and do their own analysis of how they believe the law applies to the coronavirus crisis. This legal spadework is important, if only to give policymakers and legislators as much guidance as possible as to what options are constitutionally permitted to fight the coronavirus and future pandemics.

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Disease Surveillance and the Fourth Amendment - Lawfare

Law Review: Police fail to inform drunk driver of loss of license for refusing blood test – Sierra Sun

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If you are unfortunate enough to be pulled over for suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, are you required to submit to a breath or blood test? What if you refuse? Read People v. Peter Balov.

SUSPECTED DRUNK DRIVING

After Peter Balov was arrested for suspected drunk driving, the arresting officer advised him that per California law he is required to submit to a chemical test, either a breath or a blood test.

Understanding he had to take a test, Balov chose a blood test, which showed a blood alcohol level above the legal limit.

Balov argued the results of the blood test should be suppressed in court, arguing his consent was invalid because the officer had not explained the consequences of refusing breath or blood testing as required by Vehicle Code section 23612. That section requires a driver to be told that his or her failure to submit to a test will result in a fine and loss of their drivers license.

CALIFORNIAS IMPLIED CONSENT

A blood draw is a search subject to the Fourth Amendment requiring a search warrant or the drivers voluntary consent to be searched.

To address that dilemma and prevent every driver from refusing to be tested, section 23612 provides that A person who drives a motor vehicle is deemed to have given his or her consent to chemical testing of his or her blood or breath for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content of his or her blood That is the so-called implied consent law. By driving on Californias roads, you consent to be tested if you are lawfully arrested for drunk driving.

LOSS OF LICENSE

NOT EXPLAINED

Most importantly for Balov, section 23612, as noted, also requires that the driver be told that his or her failure to submit to a test will result in a fine, loss of drivers license (one year for first conviction) and mandatory imprisonment if convicted of driving under the influence. The gist of this case is that Balov was not informed of those consequences, he was merely told that he must take a test, either blood or breath.

Is Balov entitled to have the results of his blood test thrown out because he was not told of the consequences of refusing to be tested?

For example, if he had known of the consequences of refusing a test, Balov might have refused to take a test figuring his odds of convincing a jury that he was not driving under the influence would improve if the blood test was not entered into evidence.

COURT RULING

The Fourth District Court of Appeal upheld the trial courts finding that the officer correctly told Balov he was required to submit to a breath or blood test, and while the statement was incomplete because Balov was not informed of the consequences of his refusal, the officer did not intend to deceive Balov. To be honest, I find whether the officer intended to deceive Balov irrelevant. He did not tell him of the consequences of refusing to take one of the tests which the law required.

Balovs conviction of driving under the influence is upheld as he did not object to taking a test, even though the officer did not inform him of the consequences of refusing a test required.

Jim Porter is an attorney with Porter Simon licensed in California and Nevada, with offices in Truckee and Tahoe City, California, and Reno, Nevada. Jims practice areas include: real estate, development, construction, business, HOAs, contracts, personal injury, accidents, mediation and other transactional matters. He may be reached at porter@portersimon.com or http://www.portersimon.com.

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Law Review: Police fail to inform drunk driver of loss of license for refusing blood test - Sierra Sun