Category Archives: Viva!

‘Muslims Are Foreigners’: Inside India’s Campaign to Decide Who Is a Citizen

Tribunal members in the state of Assam say they felt pressured to declare Muslims noncitizens as the government seeks to expel illegal migrants. Some politicians have vowed to take the process nationwide.

Trump is ‘decapitating’ intelligence leadership amid crisis, senior Democrat says

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Adam Schiff calls Trump ‘vindictive president’ after president fired the inspector general of the US intelligence community

Donald Trump is “decapitating the leadership of the intelligence community in the middle of a national crisis”, senior Democrat Adam Schiff has charged, after the president fired the inspector general of the US intelligence community late on Friday night.

Related: Donald Trump fires intelligence watchdog who sparked impeachment process

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The CDC’s Cloth Face Cover Recommendations

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How to Wear Face Cover










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As we discussed yesterday in Masking Our COVID-19 Concerns, there has been a growing call for Americans to wear some sort mask in public during the pandemic, if for no other reason than to prevent asymptomatic carriers from spreading the virus.  

After much debate, late yesterday the CDC issued `Face Cover’ recommendations for the general public, along with some easy tutorials (below) on how to make these items at home. 

Although a homemade face cover probably provides very limited protection to the wearer, it can reduce the transmission of the virus to others and it can remind us not to touch our face. They are not a substitute, however, for social distancing (staying 6 feet apart), handwashing, or staying home as much as possible.

While a imperfect solution, as part of a layered, NPI approach, they can help reduce community transmission of the virus. If nothing else, by wearing one, you are showing respect for the health and welfare of others, and are setting a good example at the same time.

Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19

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Face coverings should—

  • fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
  • be secured with ties or ear loops
  • include multiple layers of fabric
  • allow for breathing without restriction
  • be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape

CDC on Homemade Face Covers


CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

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Should cloth face coverings be washed or otherwise cleaned regularly? How regularly?

Yes. They should be routinely washed depending on the frequency of use. 

How does one safely sterilize/clean a cloth face cover?

A washing machine should suffice in properly washing a face covering. 

How does one safely remove a used face cover?

Individuals should be careful not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth when removing their face covering and wash hands immediately after removing.

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Maxine Waters unleashes over Trump COVID-19 response: ‘Stop congratulating yourself! You’re a failure’

Maxine Waters unleashes over Trump COVID-19 response: ‘Stop congratulating yourself! You’re a failure’:

seandotpolitics:

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) tore into President Trump on Monday over his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, calling him an “incompetent idiot” in a series of fiery tweets and telling him to “stop congratulating” himself.

“Trump, since you destroyed the WH unit designed to plan for pandemics like #COVID19, you need to stop being duplicitous about the DPA & get more corps to develop masks, respirators, & everything needed to protect hospital workers trying to save lives,” she said in the first of series of tweets attacking the president on Monday afternoon. “Get your act together!”

Waters was referring to the president’s decision to shutter a National Security Council pandemic directorate in 2018. Trump has received renewed criticism for the move as the country grapples with the COVID-19 outbreak, although functions of the unit that dealt with the tracking of possible threats from infectious diseases were picked up by another group in the security agency afterward.

The Democratic congresswoman, who also chairs the House Financial Services Committee, went on to take aim at Trump for what she called “self congratulations,” as the president has described his administration’s response using words such as “fantastic” and “incredible” over the past week.

“Trump, stop congratulating yourself!” she wrote. “You’re a failure & you’ve mishandled this #COVID19 disaster! You’re not knowledgeable & you don’t know more than experts & generals. Your ignorance & incompetence are appalling & you continue to demonstrate that every time you open your mouth!”