Category Archives: News to use

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

‘Accessible only to State authorities’ Here’s how the EU explained its decision to sanction high-level Russian officials over Navalny’s poisoning — Meduza

the European Union imposed sanctions against six senior Russian officials and one scientific research institute in response to the use of a Novichok-type nerve agent to poison opposition figure Source: ‘Accessible only to State authorities’ Here’s how the EU explained its decision to sanction high-level Russian officials over Navalny’s poisoning — Meduza

Travellers from Italy must quarantine on arrival in UK | Politics | The Guardian

Italy is being removed from the UK’s travel corridor in a fresh blow to holidaymakers who will have to quarantine for a fortnight on their return from the country.

In a move revealed earlier by the Guardian, Italy – which this week recorded its highest ever daily tally of Covid-19 cases – is being dropped from the dwindling list of locations that UK travellers can visit without facing quarantine when they come home.

Source: Travellers from Italy must quarantine on arrival in UK | Politics | The Guardian

El Paso restricting activities amid spike in coronavirus cases | TheHill

“We did not want to take a step back, but this unprecedented amount of new cases has left us with no option but to implement these new restrictions,” the mayor said

Starting Friday, the city will be limiting occupancies of non-essential businesses 50 percent, down from the current 75 percent occupancy limit.

Restaurants will be limited to drive-thru and take-out services after 9 p.m., and bars will remain closed. Gatherings in parks are limited to groups of 10 people or less.

All indoor sports are paused, and no spectators are allowed at outdoor sporting events. Those restrictions do not apply to professional or collegiate sports.

Home gatherings are banned, and there will be no visitors to homes that care for the elderly. Waivers for outdoor events such as weddings and farmer’s markets are also suspended. However, outdoor events that were previously approved will still continue.

Source: El Paso restricting activities amid spike in coronavirus cases | TheHill

Foxconn hiring workers ‘in droves’ for iPhone 12 manufacturing & assembly | AppleInsider (in Wisconsin – zero)

article thumbnail The Taiwanese contract manufacturer has been hiring factory staff “in droves” to work at the company’s largest plant in Zhengzhou, long dubbed “iPhone City.” At least one recruitment center processing about 2,000 applicants a a day, the South China Morning Post reported. Source: Foxconn hiring workers ‘in droves’ for iPhone 12 manufacturing & assembly | AppleInsider

We Need to Reckon with the Aerosol Spread of Covid-19

A group of people indoors, without masks, breathing heavily, over long periods of time in what I’m guessing is not a properly ventilated room — this is exactly the sort of thing that has been shown over and over again to be problematic.

The science is there, but governments and public health agencies have not caught up with this yet. If you take the transmission by aerosols into account, the rules for gyms (and bars and restaurants) being open is that they should probably not be open at all — or if they are, they should be well-ventilated and the wearing of masks should be mandatory at all times. Source: We Need to Reckon with the Aerosol Spread of Covid-19

Opinion | Why Would a Republican Vote Biden? Ask Arizonans – The New York Times

Why is Arizona suddenly a swing state?

The answer is frequently attributed to changes in the demographics of our electorate. It is true that Arizona’s population is increasingly urban, college-educated and Latino — trends that favor the Democratic Party.

But this influx of Democratic-leaning groups doesn’t explain the change. After all, the proportions of registered Republicans and Democrats in Arizona have remained remarkably stable: Registered Republicans solidly outnumber registered Democrats.

What has changed is that more Republicans aren’t voting for the party’s candidate in elections for national office.

8 Million Have Slipped Into Poverty Since May as Federal Aid Has Dried Up – The New York Times

The number of poor people has grown by eight million since May, according to researchers at Columbia University, after falling by four million at the pandemic’s start as a result of an $2 trillion emergency package known as the Cares Act.

Using a different definition of poverty, researchers from the University of Chicago and Notre Dame found that poverty has grown by six million people in the past three months, with circumstances worsening most for Black people and children.

Significantly, the studies differ on the most recent month: While the Columbia model shows an improvement in September, the Chicago and Notre Dame analysts found poverty continued to grow.