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General Motors ekes out $294 million profit in the first quarter despite crippling production and sales from coronavirus

The Covid-19 outbreak cut deeply into GM's performance, costing the largest U.S. automaker $1.4 billion before taxes during the first three months.




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Working to ensure we emerge stronger from coronavirus crisis, Solvay CEO says

Ilham Kadri, CEO of Solvay, discusses the chemicals company's first-quarter earnings.




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Expecting recovery from coronavirus to be L-shaped, strategist says

Stephen Isaacs, chairman of the investment committee at Alvine Capital Management, discusses the market recovery from the coronavirus crisis.




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Long-term economic scarring should justify further easing from Bank of England, economist says

Fabrice Montagne, chief U.K. economist at Barclays, discusses the U.K. economy.




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'Buyer beware' at this point — it's going to be a grind from here, strategist warns

Hani Redha, multi-asset portfolio manager at PineBridge Investments, discusses investing amid the coronavirus crisis.




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New tech expected from Apple

CNBC's Morgan Brennan and Piper Jaffray Senior Research Analyst Gene Munster discuss Apple's next possible moves following expectations of an online television service from tech giant.




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US oil needs more explicit support from policymakers: Standard Chartered

Eric Robertsen from Standard Chartered says it is hard to imagine oil and energy demand improving, so the U.S. shale industry needs explicit policy support to get back on track.




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HSBC results were unsurprising given economic fallout from coronavirus, says analyst

HSBC's first-quarter earnings were not surprising given the global economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, says Filippo Alloatti, senior credit analyst at Federated Hermes. He also discusses the bank's decision to suspend share buybacks and dividend payouts for now.




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Earnings will get a massive hit this year from the coronavirus hit: Portfolio Manager

Steven Glass of Pengana International Fund says there is a wide disconnect between fundamentals and market moves and we are currently witnessing a bear-market rally.




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Analyst expects low demand for soft commodities to continue from virus outbreak

Global demand on soft commodities has taken a huge hit with the pandemic shutting down food industries across countries, in addition to rising trade tensions between the U.S. and China. Oscar Tjakra from Rabobank gives his market outlook on the back of these issues.




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These are the three big things to focus on from OPEC and the G-20 meetings over the next 48 hours

These are the three things to focus on from OPEC and the G-20 meetings over the next 48 hours to discuss global energy markets.




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Op-ed: Recovering from this unprecedented oil crash could take years and may not benefit Saudi or Russian producers

Saudi Arabia and Russia aim to inflict pain on American producers, forcing them to shutter wells and give up the market share.




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Op-ed: Pandemic moves Modern Monetary Theory from the fringes to actual US policy

The total amount of government economic aid in response to the coronavirus downturn is expected to exceed $10 trillion.




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Siemens sees bigger hit from coronavirus impact coming as second-quarter profit plunges

Siemens on Friday said it expected "even stronger impacts" from the coronavirus pandemic in the weeks ahead as it ditched its 2020 guidance and posted an 18% drop in industrial profit during its second quarter.




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Roy Horn of Vegas duo Siegfried & Roy dead at 75 from coronavirus

Roy Horn met Siegfried Fischbacher on a cruise ship.




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Coronavirus live updates: New jobs emerge from the pandemic; Amazon and sellers struggle to adapt

Covid-19 has infected more than 3.8 million people around the world as of Friday, killing at least 269,881 people.




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ETF Spotlight: Energy rebounds from April lows

CNBC's Brian Sullivan reports on changes in the energy sector as demand for gas slowly ticks up.




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Roche CEO says it is 'very likely' people develop immunity after recovering from coronavirus

Roche CEO Severin Schwan said more research is needed to prove people gain immunity from Covid-19 infections.




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BNP Paribas' net profit slides as it warns of three 'major negative impacts' from the coronavirus

BNP Paribas reported a fall in net income for the first quarter on Tuesday, as it warned the coronavirus has had three "major negative impacts" on its balance sheet.




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UK could start lifting coronavirus lockdown measures from Monday, PM says

"We will want, if we possibly can, to get going with some of these measures on Monday," U.K. Prime Minister Johnson told Parliament.




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Google tells employees they cannot expense food, other perks from home

CNBC's Deirdre Bosa reports that Google has put the brakes on perks for employees working from home.




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Individual investors pulled $20 million from Fisher Investments following billionaire's sexist comments

While institutional investors have pulled more than $3 billion from the Camas, Washington-based firm in the wake of Ken Fisher's comments, retail clients have had a more muted reaction. Here's why individual investors may be slow to divest.




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What financial advisors, investors could expect from a Charles Schwab-TD Ameritrade merger

The custody arena for registered investment advisors is about to get a lot smaller if Charles Schwab acquires TD Ameritrade. Here's what that might mean for services for financial advisors and their clients.




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Clients' health-care spending gets closer look from advisors as costs squeeze budgets

With the average couple shelling out an estimated $285,000 for medical expenses after age 65, some advisors are looking closely at how their clients should best spend their health-care dollars.




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Bernstein's Alexia Howard on what to expect from Beyond Meat's earnings

Alexia Howard, Bernstein analyst, with a Beyond Meat earnings preview. With CNBC's Melissa Lee and the Fast Money traders, Guy Adami, Tim Seymour, Dan Nathan and Karen Finerman.




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From rubbish to rice: the cafe that gives food in exchange for plastic

The Garbage Cafe in Ambikapur, India, is helping to tackle the country’s plastic waste problem – and their novel idea is catching on

On bad days, when his employer made some excuse for not paying him his paltry daily wage, Ram Yadav’s main meal used to be dry chapatis, with salt and raw onion for flavour. Sometimes he just went hungry. For a ragpicker like him, one of the thousands of Indians who make a living bringing in plastic waste for recycling, eating in a cafe or restaurant was the stuff of fairytales.

But last week, Yadav was sitting at a table at the Garbage Cafe in Ambikapur, in the state of Chhattisgarh, over a piping hot meal of dal, aloo gobi, poppadoms and rice. He earned the food in exchange for bringing in 1kg of plastic waste. “The hot meal I get here lasts me all day. And it feels good to sit at a table like everyone else,” he said.

Continue reading...




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The US recovery from the pandemic lags way behind Europe – even as states reopen

While countries such as Spain and Italy that are lifting restrictions have forced the trend of infections down, in the US cases are rising

The US may be moving to loosen social distancing restrictions around the same time as several European countries but it remains in a far different, and worse, stage of the coronavirus pandemic.

While infections and deaths from Covid-19 quickly raced to terrifying peaks in Italy and Spain, both countries have managed to arrest the increase and are now forcing the key trends downwards.

Continue reading...




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French hospital discovers Covid-19 case from December

Man found to have had virus a month before government confirmed first cases

A French hospital that retested old samples from pneumonia patients has discovered that it treated a man with the coronavirus as early as 27 December, nearly a month before the French government confirmed its first cases.

Dr Yves Cohen, head of resuscitation at the Avicenne and Jean Verdier hospitals in the northern suburbs of Paris, told BFM TV that scientists had retested samples from 24 patients treated in December and January who tested negative for flu.

Continue reading...




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Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook advise employees to work from home

Announcements made following coronavirus guidance from Washington state officials instructing workplaces to allow employees to work remotely

As the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread across Washington state, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook have advised their Seattle-area employees to work from home for the next few weeks.

Related: Coronavirus: Google leads tech charge to work from home

Continue reading...




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From Fortnite to Fifa: 100 great video games to play in lockdown

From being a goose on the loose to controlling whole galaxies, here’s a world of experiences for all the family

The cinemas may be shut, the gig venues closed, but there is one place you can still meet your friends and be entertained without leaving your house: the world of gaming. For many of us, it has been years since we could really justify spending all day in our pyjamas slaying virtual dragons – now that way of life, for some at least, is a little less frowned-upon. But if you’re returning to serious gaming after a few years away, where exactly should you be spending your valuable money and time? Here are no less than 100 highly recommended titles, from family favourites to epic sci-fi sagas – all available on current platforms, be it PC, smartphones or consoles. Whether you want to be moved, terrified, relaxed or intellectually challenged, alone or with pals, we’ve got more than enough here to keep you occupied until you’re out and about again …

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From Australia to the US: when will football start again around the world?

As football prepares to start or resume seasons we look at 17 countries to see how close they are to a return

Clubs and the football federation hope for an August restart with a July training phase to step up for a resumption of the A-League, which was postponed indefinitely on 24 March. Five rounds of games, plus the finals, remain. All games are likely to be played in Sydney without spectators, with Wellington Phoenix to be based in NSW for a two-week quarantine before playing. The National Rugby League has the green light to restart on 28 May, which may lead to fixture clashes at cross-code venues such as Kogarah and Bankwest Stadium.

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Seeks to extend the validity of e-way bills till 31.05.2020 for those e-way bills which expire during the period from 20.03.2020 to 15.04.2020 and generated till 24.03.2020

[To be published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i)] Government of India Ministry of Finance




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Tax Implications on Income earned from Mutual Fund

India has plethora of investment instruments which are available, for an investor, to park his idle funds. At times, it becomes really difficult for a person to select one such instrument, which would reap him good gains.




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Bank Audit full notes- From ICAI module- CA Inter

Handwritten full notes - Bank Audit - CA Inter by CA Ekta Shah




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Direct Tax expectations from Union Budget 2020

Direct Tax expectations from Union Budget 2020




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Just Checking in from Oslo

Dear Readers,

Just wanted to report that I'm back in Oslo, after 2+ spectacular weeks of sailing around the western and northwestern coast of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, in the tall ship Antigua, with a group of wonderful artists, guides, and crew. I have many, many pictures to post and stories to tell, but I'm not home yet, and it'll be a few days until I get organized. Here are a couple just to start things off :o). I can't wait to share more!

xo,
Kristin

Kim Mirus, one of my sailing companions and an extraordinary weaver, took this photo. That's Antigua in the background.

And I took this panorama with my iPhone... it makes the ship look very bendy :o). Click to embiggen.




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The Arctic Circle: A hike from Lloyds Hotel to Lilliehöökbreen

Here is our trip log from Sunday, October 7:


Sunday 07.10 – Day 7

Lloyds Hotel – Lilliehöökbreen – North

-3/4°C Celsius, almost no wind in the morning, clear sky, beautiful sunrise. More wind in the evening going from WNW 2, to N 2-3 and later NW 4.

09:30 - Morning landing Lloyds hotel – Hike to Lilliehöökbreen.

11:15 – Anchor up Lloyds Hotel.

13:30 – Anchor down Lilliehöökbreen.

14:30 – Hikers back on board (Piet still smiling).

16:30 - Afternoon zodiac cruises Lilliehöökbreen.

19:00 - Going North.

Our leader, Sarah Gerats, kept this log for us throughout the trip… And October 7 was one of my favorite days. I woke that morning and, as happened most mornings, came out on deck to a view I'd never seen before.


If you take a close look at the middle of this picture — maybe click on it to make it bigger and more detailed — you might see an orange rectangle. This is a hut that's been decorated and painted orange. It's called Lloyds Hotel, and it is definitely the fanciest hut on Spitsbergen — though maybe more of a tourist destination then a destination for any anyone actually seeking shelter. You can read more about its history here.

We climbed aboard the zodiacs and crossed onto land to visit it.





I, for one, was less interested in the evidence of human activity inside the hut, and more interested in the COMPLETELY GINORMOUS polar bear prints outside the hut. They were fresh, for this was new snow.


This sight — evidence of a polar bear (or three or four) recently shuffling through — was quite common on our journey.


This time we got a special treat: evidence that it had lain down and rolled around :o)


I think it's time to introduce you to our wonderful, kickass guides, who always knew how to read the prints in the snow. Emma, Sarah, Åshild, and Kristin were our guides and guards, our organizers, our friends, our helpers, and our protectors. Any time we went on land, they were there with rifles, ensuring our safety in the land of polar bears.They had so much to share about the landscape, the environment, the animals, the history. They were wonderful storytellers and guides! And of course, Nemo was very, um, helpful as well. :o)


After exploring Lloyd's Hotel, we split into two groups. Some stayed put, working or enjoying the scenery, then returning to the ship. The rest of us set off on an 8km (5 mi) hike across the base of the fjord where we'd landed. See the little arrow I drew on the map below? That shows where we hiked, in this northwestern section of Spitsbergen.

Click here to check this out on Google Maps and see more details about where we were.

As we moved away from shore, we saw the Antigua sail off — abandoning us! Not really. The ship was circling the fjord to pick us up on the other side. Even knowing that, though, it was strange to see her go.

We hiked through spectacular terrain. Click on any of these to make them bigger and more focused.


The snow was pretty deep, but also very, very dry. It made for easier hiking than a snow-free terrain, for we were on a rocky moraine of loose stones much of the time. The snow evened out the terrain for us.


The sun was low behind us for the entire hike. If you see the sun in a picture, I'm looking back.


Our way was mostly flat, but every once in a while, we climbed a steep hill. The light was brilliant, everything white and blue! And lavender, pink, gray, if you looked closer.


At one point, Nemo was sorely tempted by this duck, who taunted him as he tried to walk out onto the thin ice and grab it. Sarah, Nemo's person, could not get him to desist. So we all took a little break and enjoyed resting, eating snacks, and watching the show :o). (The duck was fine. The duck was in charge the whole time really.)


Our path skirted the frozen edges of two beautiful lakes, this one crossed with the tracks of an Arctic fox.


I included the picture below because in the foreground, you can see what I mean about the terrain of loose stones. It's exactly the same backdrop as above, actually, but I'm standing at a higher point, so the sun is more visible.



Near the end of our hike, we climbed a steep ridge…


And there below us was another fjord, a glacier, and, waiting for us, the Antigua. Such a beautiful sight on a freezing day, after a long walk. I stood and stared, breathing fresh air, for a long time. As I watched, I heard her anchor fall — a familiar metallic clicking that was SO much louder on our ridge, echoing around the fjord, than it ever was from inside the ship.


And that was our hike from Lloyds Hotel to Lilliehöökbreen! If you're curious about the place in the log where it says "Piet still smiling," well, you may remember from a previous post that Piet was our chef. And we got home very late for lunch :o). But he fed us a delicious feast anyway.

I'll post another adventure soon! Maybe those zodiac cruises mentioned in the log, or maybe an explanation of some of our exciting activities on deck.





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News Brief: April updates from the Google News Initiative

Like many others, news organizations are navigating new ways of working remotely. This month, we’re looking at how technology can support and elevate the efforts of journalists who are delivering essential information to their readers.

Supporting fact checking efforts around the world 

Our fact check information panel on YouTube is now available in the United States. The information panel, which launched last year in India and Brazil, highlights fact check results from third-parties in search results for relevant queries, so viewers can make their own informed decision about claims made in the news. In addition, YouTube committed $1 million through the Google News Initiative to the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) to bolster fact-checking and verification efforts across the world. 


The fact check information panel on YouTube highlights fact checks in search results

Additionally, we worked with the designers at Polygraph to help create a visual database of COVID-19 fact-checking efforts led by the IFCN. This global collaborative project brought fact-checkers together to jointly combat misinformation about the pandemic, collecting a dataset of more than 4000 fact checks (and counting).

Supporting a more diverse global media industry

The Racial Equity in Journalism fund, created in partnership with Borealis Philanthropy, has awarded $2.3 million in grants to 16 news organizations serving communities of color across the U.S. The Fund’s inaugural grantee cohort all serve audiences who have been historically underserved by mainstream media. 

In partnership with the GNI, Chicas Poderosas launched the Ambassador Leadership Training, a global program to strengthen and promote a more diverse media industry. The training will focus on tools and leadership skills to build, support, and sustainably run organizations and foster women's leadership in the media. The program will involve women from 17 countries throughout Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and the U.S.

Using StoryShare to collaborate on local COVID-19 reporting

AP StoryShare, a project supported by the Google News Initiative, allows newsrooms to share content and coverage plans. Editorsin Colorado and Oregon are using StoryShare to collaborate on coronavirus reporting, assuring greater breadth of coverage and less duplication of effort at a time of dwindling resources. About 75 news organizations are participating in initial pilots throughout Colorado, Oregon, and New York.

Online trainings to help journalists find, verify and tell news stories


The global team of GNI Teaching Fellows led online training courses using tools like Google Earth

As journalists around the world adjust to new ways of working, we’re making more training resources available online. We held 27 livestream training sessions in nine languages to help journalists find, verify and tell news stories during the pandemic, with additional tools added to the Google News Initiative Training Center.

In partnership with journalism network Outriders, we’re also offering free tools, training, and support for journalists across Central and Eastern Europe. Live online workshops are offered on a range of topics, from Verification to Geo Tools and Environmental Reporting. An overview of upcoming sessions can be found here, and new sessions will be added on a regular basis.

Insights from Asia Pacific case studies

News organizations in Asia Pacific are using GNI data tools like Realtime Content Insights and News Consumer Insights to grow their audience and build loyalty. In the Philippines, Rappler empowered its news organization with better user data to help achieve digital sustainability. In India, Dainik Jagran improved engagement during India’s General Election by taking advantage of a cultural moment.

The power of words

In Japan, we launched “The Power of Words,” a collaborative reporting project with 24 national and local news organizations. Through the words of athletes, the website delivers uplifting messages, creating an immersive storytelling experience. The website is also accessible, optimized for visual readability, and text voiceover thanks to a screen reader. 

That’s all for April. Stay in touch with @GoogleNewsInit on social, and sign up for the GNI newsletter for more updates.




  • News
  • Google News Initiative

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What we learned from Hank Green about building community online

Tech Exchange is a student exchange program between Google and 11 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). During the program, students spend a semester at Google’s Mountain View Campus, taking computer science courses and learning about professional development. With Tech Exchange students now learning from home, we brought in a speaker who has made a name for himself by engaging with people online: Hank Green, author and YouTube creator. 

Hank began his journey as a YouTube Creator in 2007 when he and his brother John decided to communicate with each other through video blogs every day for a year. As more people started watching the Vlogbrothers, Hank and John went on to create 32 YouTube channels including Crash Course and SciShow. In a virtual Q&A with Tech Exchange students, Hank shared his insights on how to build community online. Here’s what we learned.

Understand the problem that you’re trying to solve

Hank is often asked, “How does one become a YouTuber?” He says the first step is to understand the question you’re actually trying to solve. “Is it that I want to have a job where I get to be creative all day? Is it that I want to make a specific kind of content that I know is going to be high impact ? Is it that I want to have an audience or that I want to have influence?”

Once you actually know that answer, think about the first step on that path (this applies to content creation but also in everything in life!). It’s important to understand what tools you bring to the table. Put the problem that you’re trying to solve in a bucket with your tools and see what falls out. 

There are other people like you in the world, create for them.

Hank shared three strategies that he and John learned when building the Vlogbrothers community. The first is to find common values and interests. “You just have to say, ‘What is the stuff that I would like to see made in the world?’ There are other people who, it turns out, are somewhat like you in the world, and they will be there for it.” The second is to build a feeling of actual connection and the third piece is what I call the "touchstone," which is the YouTube creator building a relationship with the viewer. You have to make people feel like this person is worthy of being the nexus of a community.

Put the problem that you’re trying to solve in a bucket with your tools and see what falls out.

Create content that represents various perspectives

Through Hank’s channels, he hopes to put out more content that is representative of a variety of voices and perspectives. To do this, he says you have to find hosts who don’t all look the same. But you have to go beyond that too, and give them full ownership of the creative process. The writing, the editing, the style need to be informed culturally all the way through. 


For more tips on building community, check out YouTube Creator Academy and Hank’s YouTube Channel, Vlogbrothers.




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Trump Attacks Post Office While Carriers & Clerks Die from COVID-19

President Trump has lashed out at the U.S. Postal Service as the pandemic brings it to the brink of collapse and more people than ever are relying on the mail. Trump claims the agency is only losing money because it is undercharging Amazon and other companies for shipping. "It just isn't true," says American Postal Workers Union President Mark Dimondstein.




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Education Crisis: From Pre-K to Higher Ed, Students Face Unequal Access During Coronavirus Shutdown

We look at the impact of the pandemic on schools, universities, students, parents, teachers and professors — and who is at the table to shape what happens next. "We now have an economic crisis on top of the public health crisis, and the ways that we're choosing to educate children is simply unequal and is going to lead to an educational crisis,” says education scholar and Cornell University professor Noliwe Rooks, author of "Cutting School: Privatization, Segregation, and the End of Public Education."




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As Workers Get Sick & Die from COVID-19, McConnell Demands Corporate Immunity in New Stimulus Bill

As the Senate reconvenes today, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is demanding that Congress use the next stimulus bill to protect corporations from liability for workers. "He wants to protect their right to engage in egregious misconduct," says Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen.




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ER Doctor: Pulse Oximeters Detect Oxygen Deprivation Earlier from COVID-19, Help Avoid Ventilators

We speak with Dr. Richard Levitan, an emergency physician based in Littleton, New Hampshire, who volunteered at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for 10 days at the height of the COVID-19 surge in April. Based on what he saw, he argues patients should be going to hospitals sooner and that medical professionals could use a small device you clip on your fingertip, called a pulse oximeter, to help detect the virus earlier by revealing oxygenation problems and elevated heart rates. "A pulse oximeter is just a measure of identifying how well the lungs are working, and, I believe, can be basically an early warning system in terms of patients to know who has COVID pneumonia," says Dr. Levitan.




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Calls Grow for Mass Release from Ohio's Marion Prison as 80% of Prisoners Test Positive for COVID-19

We get an update on one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the United States, at the Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio, where 11 prisoners and one staff member have died, and at least 80% of prisoners and half of the prison staff tested positive. Despite growing calls to release thousands of Ohio's nearly 50,000 incarcerated people as the coronavirus spreads, Governor Mike DeWine has only approved the release of more than 100 people in the state's prisons. "We're seeing a few people being released … but not anywhere near the 20,000 [we are] demanding," says Azzurra Crispino, whose husband, James, is incarcerated at Marion. She is co-founder of Prison Abolition Prisoner Support.




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Profiting from the Pandemic: Will Pharmaceutical Giants Use Patents to Limit Access to COVID Drugs?

As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide approaches 4 million and the pandemic could be with us for months or years, we look at who can access drugs like remdesivir, being developed by pharmaceutical giant Gilead, which has the patent for the drug and is poised to make massive profits. We look at how much drugs like remdesivir will cost, and who can access them, with writer Achal Prabhala, coordinator of the AccessIBSA project, which campaigns for access to medicines in India, Brazil and South Africa.




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Reliance Jio Launches New Work From Home Annual Plans; Offering 33% More Value

Reliance Jio has announced the launch of new plans for its prepaid subscribers. The firm has launched an annual prepaid plan, where it is offering 33 percent more value than other players. The new plan is priced at Rs. 2,399. {image-jio-introduces-rs-2399-annual-prepaid-plan-with-2gb-daily-data-new-data-add-ons-also-announced-1589010615.jpg




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How China's 'Bat Woman' Hunted Down Viruses from SARS to the New Coronavirus

Wuhan-based virologist Shi Zhengli has identified dozens of deadly SARS-like viruses in bat caves, and she warns there are more out there

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com




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Mars Needs Money: White House Budget Could Prompt Retreat from Red Planet

Proposed cuts could end decades of U.S. leadership in exploring that world

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com




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Withdrawing from the Dragon Awards

So, amid the furor of preparing for a book launch, I’ve had to divert time to another matter. I found out belatedly that The Obelisk Gate had been nominated for the Dragon Awards, basically when I started to hear murmurs that the awards were especially problematic this year. I went to go see what the […]