Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

2nd Coronavirus Wave Hits Buffalo Area ‘With a Vengeance’ – The New York Times

Since mid-October, the number of cases in the county has gone from 322 per week to 3,449 per week. Hospitalizations have risen from 84 on Nov. 10 to 264 on Nov. 23. While hospitals have sufficient beds for now, county officials said, staff is being stretched thin.

Since mid-October, the number of cases in the county has gone from 322 per week to 3,449 per week. Hospitalizations have risen from 84 on Nov. 10 to 264 on Nov. 23. While hospitals have sufficient beds for now, county officials said, staff is being stretched thin.

Patients of a Vermont Hospital Are Left ‘in the Dark’ After a Cyberattack – The New York Times (and to make matters worse, the President fired the guy in charge of security over political temper tantrum)

In Vermont, the damage radiated out through a sprawling network, hitting especially hard in the cancer center.

“My really good friends are I.C.U. nurses, and they’re like, no big deal, all we have to do is paper charting,” Ms. Cargill, the charge nurse, said. But the cancer center was badly set back for weeks, able to serve only about one in four of its normal chemotherapy patients.

Ms. Cargill spent the rest of the day turning away patients, an experience she cannot relate without beginning to cry, nearly a month later.

“To look someone in the eye, and tell them they cannot have their life-extending or lifesaving treatment, it was horrible, and totally heart-wrenching,” she said. The very first person she turned away, a young woman, burst into tears.

“She said, ‘I have to get chemo, I am the mother of two young kids,’” Ms. Cargill said. “She was so fearful, and the fear was tangible.”

Volleyball star becomes surprising voice of anti-Bolsonaro Brazil | Brazil | The Guardian

Carol Solberg had been losing her patience with the “nightmare” that is Jair Bolsonaro’s Brazil: the burning rainforestthe attacks on culturethe catastrophic coronavirus response that has left more than 165,000 Brazilians dead. Finally, she snapped.

“Fora, Bolsonaro!” the Brazilian volleyball star shouted at the end of a live interview on Brazil’s most-watched sports channel, SporTV. “Bolsonaro out!”

When she uttered those few words one afternoon in late September, Solberg was best known for her on-court exploits.

Carol Solberg: ‘They say that we athletes are supposed to be examples. But how can you set an example if you don’t have a voice?’

Two months later the 33-year-old sportswoman has become a powerful symbol of opposition to Brazil’s far-right leader and an unlikely champion of free speech. Her image, and her opposition to Bolsonaro, have been splashed across newspaper and magazine front pages, with one weekly proclaiming her Brazil’s “Active Voice”.

Source: Volleyball star becomes surprising voice of anti-Bolsonaro Brazil | Brazil | The Guardian

Paris police filmed beating music producer in studio | France | The Guardian

Michel speaks outside the Inspectorate General of the National Police, IGPN, in Paris, on Thursday.

“I was afraid. I thought it was my last day … I kept saying, ‘I haven’t done anything’, and they kept shouting for me to get down on the ground.”

Once outside, police officers continued to beat Michel and the others.

“Suddenly someone shouted, ‘camera, camera’. It was someone filming from a window. As soon as the police heard this they stopped hitting us,” said one of the victims.

Michel was taken to the nearby police station and accused of insulting police and attempting to grab one of their guns.

Unknown to the officers, however, a camera inside the producer’s studio had captured the officers’ actions. Michel was held in custody for 48 hours then released without charge. The three officers are now being investigated for allegations of “violence by a public agent” and “making false statements”.

Source: Paris police filmed beating music producer in studio | France | The Guardian

Yanis Varoufakis calls for Black Friday boycott of Amazon

Thousands or workers to lose pay and thousands of small suppliers to lose profit. Better to ask governments to support more people working via internet and small businesses to earn from online sales?

4500.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=8

Economist takes on retail giant before planned day of international protests

The economist Yanis Varoufakis has called for a one-day boycott of Amazon on Black Friday as trade unionists, environmental activists, privacy campaigners and tax justice advocates plan coordinated actions against the company’s sites and supply chain.

Amazon’s success during the coronavirus pandemic – at one point the company was reported to be making sales of $11,000 (£8,200) a second – has vastly inflated its share price, increasing the personal wealth of its chief executive, Jeff Bezos, already the world’s richest man, by $70bn. Bloomberg estimates his current wealth to be $187bn.

Continue reading…

German COVID-19 restrictions set to last into 2021 | New Europe

“Given the high number of infections, we assume that the restrictions which are in place before Christmas will continue to be valid until the start of January, certainly for most parts of Germany”, Merkel said, adding that the number of COVID-19 deaths is a reason for concern. Source: German COVID-19 restrictions set to last into 2021 | New Europe

US looking to lift travel ban on Schengen passport holders soon | New Europe – (President wants to import more Covid-19 to keep US number one in deaths and sickness from the virus?)

The White House is considering ending its entry ban on non-US travellers entering the country from certain countries, including Brazil, the UK, Ireland and 26 European countries, several officials told Reuters.

The ban, imposed by the Trump administration to contain the spread of the pandemic, does not consider lifting separate entry bans on most non-US citizens who have recently been in China or Iran, according to the officials.

Source: US looking to lift travel ban on Schengen passport holders soon | New Europe

Norway to keep virus restrictions until mid-December | New Europe

Norway’s prime minister Erna Solberg said on Wednesday that the country needs at least another three weeks to assess whether its current coronavirus restrictions can be lifted. “There is light at the end of the tunnel. We must hold on”, Solberg said. She added that the government could offer v

Source: Norway to keep virus restrictions until mid-December | New Europe

Georgia begins second lockdown | New Europe

Georgia’s government announced a multi-phased plan for putting the largest cities into 2-months lockdown starting from Saturday.

The announcement comes as the country struggles to slow a second wave in COVID-19 infections. Georgia confirmed 3,801 new cases on Thursday, taking the total number of infections to 118,690.

Source: Georgia begins second lockdown | New Europe