Daily Archives: March 24, 2020

Facebook has begun rolling out the overhauled version of its desktop site. Starting today, users have the option to opt in to the new design, which places a heavier emphasis on two of Facebooks most critical features: events and groups. The redesign was previously exclusive to the Facebook mobile app and was first announced at the companys F8 developer conference last year.

Starting today, the majority of people on Facebook will have access to the new desktop design, a Facebook spokesperson tells The Verge. People can opt-in to try out the new design before it becomes default later this year. So if you dont have access now, it should be showing up shortly.

Similar to the mobile app redesign last year, the new desktop layout gives you quicker access to some major Facebook features and employs a cleaner, simpler design with more generous amounts of white space. The redesign includes larger fonts and sleeker icons, a dark mode, and a simplified layout with fewer columns of information to look at. Facebook Stories have been moved above the Update Status box, while just above the Stories section, theres a redesigned menu bar housing several tabs previously found in the left-hand corner of the screen, such as Events and Marketplace.

The most significant change in the desktops design is the new Groups tab located on the redesigned menu bar. Clicking on the tab will bring you to a personalized feed of updates from groups you are a member of while also suggesting groups for you to join based on your interests.

You can try the new design by heading to Facebook and logging in to your account. Head to your Settings menu, and click See New Facebook. If you dont like it and want to delay using the new redesign, you can click Switch to Classic Facebook.

Facebook has committed to transforming its social network into a privacy-focused communications platform, in part by pushing more focus on groups and events. Groups currently has 400 million active users (many more users belong to inactive groups or dont check them regularly), while 700 million people use Facebook Events each month. The new design makes those two products more prominent, and Facebook hopes people will be more inclined to use them as reliance on the News Feed continues to shrink.

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Facebooks less cluttered desktop redesign is more widely available starting today - The Verge

DALLAS (NEXSTAR) Country power couple Garth Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood performed for more than 3 million people during an at-home concert Monday evening on Facebook Live.

In fact, so many people tuned in that the stream crashed the site, according to USA Today.

It looks like the Facebook Live concert wasnt posted in full likely due to the technical issues. However, Brooks posted the couple performing a song request: Shallow by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

The couple sang many of their hit songs and few other favorites like Hallelujah and Ed Sheerans Perfect.

According to USA Today, Brooks got emotional watching Yearwood sing Amazing Grace. Following her performance, Brooks delivered the message, were all in this together.

USA Today reports the couple wouldve kept going but were told it was time to shut things down.

This thing flew by. I have overstayed my welcome, Brooks said.

Lets hope more footage of the concert will be released on Facebook over the next few hours. You can keep an eye on Brooks page by following this link.

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Garth Brooks brought to tears during at-home concert on Facebook Live - WGHP FOX 8 Greensboro

Posted: Mar 24, 2020 / 11:25 AM EDT / Updated: Mar 24, 2020 / 06:03 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. While your kids are at home all day, we want to help keep them engaged and entertained by learning about the weather.

Join Weather Authority Meteorologist Star Derry on Facebook Live every Wednesday morning at 10:15 for Weather School a fun and interactive lesson with a related art project.

All craft projects can be completed with either items you have around the house or printouts well provide you here. Theres no need to buy supplies.

We encourage you to join in live Wednesday mornings so your children can interact with the group in real time, asking questions and posting pictures. Star will monitor the comments and respond to as many questions as she can.

For those who cant join us live, the video of each weeks lesson will be posted on this page every Wednesday by early afternoon so your kids can participate later. Check back every week for updated lessons and information.

Heres a preview of the schedule, plus the materials youll need to participate:

Wednesday, March 25 Observing the weather

Wednesday, April 1 Forecasting the weather

Wednesday, April 8 Storms!

We cant wait for you join us Wednesday morning at 10:15!

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Kids and parents: Join us for Weather School on Facebook Live each Wednesday - Fox 59

NBC 5 Meteorologist Samantha Davies is taking to Facebook and Instagram to provide children at home during the coronavirus learn more about the science behind the weather.

Davies is delivering Science with Samantha lessons on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m.

On Monday, Davies helped children learn about cards and make their own flash cards to help them remember about cloud formations. Items needed: construction paper, cotton balls or pads, glue stick, scissors and markers.

You can watch the lesson again here:

On Wednesday, Davies will teach children about the water cycle and how to make a rain stick. The items needed are: paper towel or toilet paper cardboard roll, markers, paint, stickers, wax paper, tin foil, beans or rice, tape or a hot glue gun.

On Friday, Davies will help children create a volcano and watch it erupt! Materials needed: 2 tablespoons of baking soda, dish soap, red food coloring, vinegar, warm water, cookie sheet, Play-Doh, and optional toy dinosaurs.

The latest news from around North Texas.

Davies conducts the lessons in her backyard, and with the weather being beautiful, you may want to take the kids outdoors for this one.

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Science With Samantha: Monday, Wednesday & Friday at 10 a.m. on Facebook and Instagram - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Acclaimed Northeast Ohio blues singer Mary Bridget Davies will take over Janis Joplins official Facebook page at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, for a virtual performance.

Davies will perform a mix of Joplins music, along with acoustic singles from her new album, Stay With Me -- a reimagining of music by Jerry Ragovoy, the songwriter behind Joplins hit single, Piece Of My Heart.

The singer is known for her performances of Joplins music, even earning a 2014 Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in the musical A Night with Janis Joplin.

The show -- streamed virtually due to the coronavirus crisis -- will allow audience members to ask questions in the comments section of the post. Davies announced the show on Monday, March 23 with a Facebook post.

As promised, a little happy-half hour break for you all, the post states. On Wednesday, 5 p.m. EST, we join hands with Janis Joplin Facebook page to bring you an acoustic treat; songs from my new album, Janis classics and so much more. Facebook LIVE from my living room! Oh, yes we did, honey. Tune in to Janis Joplin and come on, come on, come on....

Find more information and tune in for the show at facebook.com/janisjoplin.

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Mary Bridget Davies to host virtual concert on Janis Joplins Facebook page - cleveland.com

Fact-checking organization Snopes has been forced to scale back its routine content production and special projects, as the amount of misinformation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed its fact-checkers.

In a blog post that was later published as a series of tweets, the organization said the pandemic is overwhelming its small team and that it cant ask them to ramp up productivity at a time when everyones personal lives are being placed under such strain. Yes, publishing less may seem counterintuitive, the organization wrote, but exhausting our staff in this crisis is not the cure for what is ailing our industry. Going forward, it said it intends to focus its efforts only where we think we can have a significant impact.

Snopes isnt the only organization struggling to handle the amount of misinformation thats being spread about the novel coronavirus pandemic. Facebook, which until last year had partnered with Snopes to combat misinformation, pledged to remove coronavirus misinformation, only for a software bug to start marking legitimate news articles as spam. Twitter, meanwhile, has been inconsistent in its approach. It removed misinformation posted by several high-profile accounts but later refused to remove a misleading tweet from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

In its announcement, Snopes offered some advice on how people could help to combat the spread of misinformation. It directed people toward official information sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) and asked people to support local news publications and businesses. It also called for people to support Snopes directly with donations and to lobby big tech platforms to do more to combat misinformation themselves.

As well as scaling back production on its regular content, Snopes says that its offering all of its employees a $750 cash bonus to help with any costs they may be facing, and it has said it will offer paid time off for people as they look after themselves and their families.

In the meantime, if youd like to check out the COVID-19 fact-checking Snopes has already done, you can do so here.

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Snopes to scale back fact-checking due to overwhelming COVID-19 misinformation - The Verge

More than $10 billion in advertising arrangements, sponsorship deals and promotional events were linked to the summer games, which had been scheduled for July, according to the market intelligence service Sportcal. Companies often create elaborate campaigns around the Olympics, the most-watched sporting event in the world, recruiting athletes to star in Olympics-themed commercials and scheduling products to debut in promotional tie-ins.

Companies such as Coca-Cola, Airbnb, General Electric, Procter & Gamble and Visa had signed on as sponsors for the 2020 games.

But on Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan said that the games would be delayed, possibly for a full year.

Now, commercial plans four years in the making are being hastily rewritten around the world, said Conrad Wiacek, head of analysis and consulting for Sportcal, in a statement.

NBCUniversal, the main American broadcaster of the Summer Games since 1988 and the Winter Games since 2002, had already sold more than $1.25 billion in advertising commitments for 7,000 hours of planned broadcast, streaming and social media content. The media giant was set to send more than 2,000 people to Japan for the games.

NBC Universal said in a statement on Tuesday that it was actively working with our advertising partners to navigate this postponement.

Universal Studios said on its website on Tuesday that it would extend the closure of Universal Orlando Resort, including its theme parks and entertainment district, through April 19.

Campbell Soup Company said sales of soup jumped nearly 60 percent in the four weeks that ended March 15 from the same period last year, while sales of Prego pasta sauce were up more than 50 percent. The company, which also owns snack lines such as Goldfish, Cape Cod and Kettle potato chips and Snyders of Hanover, is offering extra pay to employees who work during the coronavirus crisis.

Citigroup will temporarily shut down 10 to 15 percent of its roughly 700 branches by the end of the week in response to shifts in foot traffic and market dynamics, a spokesman said. Other branches will have shorter operating hours.

General Motors said it would draw down a $16 billion credit line as it aggressively pursued austerity measures to mitigate the business impact of the coronavirus.

Business activity in the eurozone plunged in March at record rates, according to surveys by IHS Markit. Britains index fell to 37.1 from 53 in February, the lowest point since comparable figures have been available.

Reporting was contributed by Noam Scheiber, Mike Isaac, Sheera Frenkel, Matt Phillips, Michael H. Keller, Taylor Lorenz, Tiffany Hsu, Niraj Chokshi, Elaine Yu, Ben Dooley, Jason Karaian, Carlos Tejada, Jim Tankersley and Daniel Victor.

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Live Stock Market Coronavirus Updates and Tracker - The New York Times

The guys behind popular Newcastle event Kroud Karaoke are aiming to liven up lockdown this weekend with a massive online party from their kitchen.

In the space of nine months, father and son duo Chris and Alex Schrouder have made Kroud one of the most attended and most buzzed about party nights in the city, with queues around the block as people flock get into their regular outdoor sing-songs at Stack and belt out classics like Angels, Livin' On A Prayer and Sweet Caroline.

Well on Saturday, March 28, they are taking all of those air guitar vibes from Stack to the much smaller confines of their own kitchen for a huge online singalong which will broadcast live on Facebook Live and Kroud Karaoke's Youtube channel from 8pm.

Speaking to Chronicle Live, Alex said: "It's just totally fun and just to show everyone that we are stuck in the house and all in it together. We are bringing in the TV from living room !"

While, if you're a Kroud regular, you won't be joined by the usual mass crowd you're used to at Stack, due to coronavirus, one thing that will stay the same is the coveted Kroud Karaoke trophies!

Alex explained: "The only way of getting your hands on one is to be tagging us on all your videos singing either by yourself if with everyone in your house.

"We will then choose the best 2 winners which will be announced either later on that night or the next day!"

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Huge Newcastle event Kroud Karaoke to liven up lockdown by hosting Facebook party from their kitchen - Chronicle Live