Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: The global race for a coronavirus vaccine is on. And around the world, hopes for a vaccine are high. (SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE) UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #1: Tests on humans are already underway in the U.S., China, the United Kingdom and Germany. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #2: The time that it takes to do these things is being at a level that no one has ever seen. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #3: Good morning, Andrew. Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech starting the dosing of the first U.S. participants in their clinical trial. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #4: And, Jim, Moderna is going to be a talking point this morning. FDA approval for phase 2 trial of its vaccine candidate, mRNA... KELLY: So what is a realistic timeline for a coronavirus vaccine, and when might we, the public, actually be able to get it? Well, those are the million-dollar questions that NPR science correspondent Joe Palca is here to address. Hey, Joe. JOE PALCA, BYLINE: Hello

The Census Bureau says it is continuing the gradual relaunch of limited field operations for the 2020 census next week in nine states where the coronavirus pandemic forced the hand-delivery of paper forms in rural areas to be suspended in mid-March. On May 13, some local census offices in Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington are scheduled to restart that fieldwork, according to an updated schedule the bureau published on its website Friday. All workers are expected to be trained in CDC guidance in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and besides a new reusable face mask for every 10 days worked and a pair of gloves for each work day, the bureau has ordered 2 ounces of hand sanitizer for each census worker conducting field operations, the bureau tells NPR in an email. The announcement means more households that receive their mail at post office boxes or drop points are expected to find paper questionnaires left outside their

This is part of a series looking at pressing coronavirus questions of the week. We'd like to hear what you're curious about. Email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: "Weekly Coronavirus Questions." More than 76,000 people in the U.S. have died because of COVID-19, and there have been 1.27 million confirmed cases across the country — and nearly 4 million worldwide. Though the virus continues to spread and sicken people, some states and countries are starting to reopen businesses and lift stay-at-home requirements. This week, we look at some of your questions as summer nears and restrictions are eased. Is it safe to swim in pools or lakes? Does the virus spread through the water? People are asking whether they should be concerned about being exposed to the coronavirus while swimming. Experts say water needn't be a cause for concern. The CDC says there is no evidence the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas or water

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Dear friends of Amazing Facts International,

We are living in unprecedented times.

The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically transformed how we live and do business; of course, we are all being urged to isolate ourselves to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The state of California, in which Amazing Facts operates, is also now in a virtual lock-down, enforcing “shelter-in-place,” and non-essential businesses are closing everywhere.

With this in mind, we wanted to update our friends on how Amazing Facts is responding to the crisis.

While we are adhering to local, state, and national recommendations and ordinances, we want you to know that we are still actively spreading the gospel … without spreading germs!

Of course, Amazing Facts has been asked to restrict our onsite operations, and we are complying. For the foreseeable future, most of our team will be safely working from home so that our mission can continue.

Fortunately, Amazing Facts is a media ministry that operates two TV networks, so we are exempt from many statewide restrictions that require complete closure. This means that we are still able to do our work with a minimized crew at our headquarters to continue basic operations—including shipping Bible studies and witnessing resources.

However, the office building is closed to the public for their safety. Please do not make plans to visit until the all-clear is given.

The good news is that Amazing Facts is still broadcasting present truth!

• Our YouTube sermons and websites have many thousands of visitors every day, searching for Bible answers in these extraordinary times.
• Amazing Facts TV (aftv.org) and our recorded programs on partner networks are still reaching millions around the globe
• Over 200 radio stations are broadcasting God’s truth across our nation.

That means that although many people are now home-bound, Amazing Facts is still reaching their hearts with truth-filled lessons, including through our online and mail-based Bible School programs.

And while Pastor Doug is not able to travel, he is still preaching around the world, presenting new messages each week that will continue to be broadcast online globally. We will still be broadcasting our Sabbath School Study Hour and worship services every Sabbath—with a slimmed-down crew, right from our new office worship room.[PQ-HERE] 

These trying times are loaded with gospel opportunity as people are looking for answers. This is a prime time for us to pray and move forward with the last-day work, proclaiming the hope of Jesus’ soon return.

Please pray for Amazing Facts and for God’s protective hand to be over our ongoing work of evangelism. And pray for our fellow citizens, especially those traumatized by this crisis.

His message is our mission!

By Gary Gibbs

Ordained in 1989, Pastor Gary Gibbs serves as president of the Pennsylvania Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Before that, he served as the Chesapeake Conference Ministries Development director and as the vice president for the Hope Channel. Gibbs was also an integral part of the Amazing Facts ministry, including founding the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism. He is the author of several books, including The New Winsome Witnessing and Prophecies of Hope Bible study guides.

An article in the Financial Times hints at how global responses to the coronavirus pandemic could facilitate Revelation’s prophecies regarding the mark of the beast:

“Many short-term emergency measures will become a fixture of life. That is the nature of emergencies. They fast-forward historical processes. Decisions that in normal times could take years of deliberation are passed in a matter of hours. Immature and even dangerous technologies are pressed into service, because the risks of doing nothing are bigger.” ¹

While the author is not making a biblical point, the principle of “fast-forward” is central to how Bible prophecies are sometimes fulfilled. Many are even now wondering if this global pandemic is a prophetic fast-forwarding event leading us to the time described in Revelation 13, where people will be commanded to worship contrary to God’s law. 

Could the events we are currently experiencing be what one author predicted for the last days? “Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones.”² The answer may lie in two revelations being exposed by this pandemic.

They Are Watching

Multiple news sources have reported that our personal travel is being remotely monitored in order to understand the spread of the virus.³  That your movements can be constantly recorded is prophetically relevant, as such technology could be used to determine whether a person is obeying laws to “worship the beast.” A simple analysis of the tracking data could inform authorities whether you went to church or not (Revelation 13:12). The nanny government would either economically penalize violators or worse (Revelation 13:15).

Even now, countries are tracking compliance of pandemic stay-at-home orders. In the United States, 97 percent of the population has been ordered not to go anywhere except for the most essential reasons.  Disobedience can result in “civil or criminal penalties.”⁵  Violators in Western Australia face a fine of A$50,000 ($32,000 USD).⁶ Fellow citizens are incentivized to report non-complying neighbors.⁷ 

This pandemic demonstrates that authorities have the ability and will to legally prevent people moving around, buying and selling, or worshiping God in church.⁸ Clearly, the technology is in place to enable the enforcement predicted in Revelation 13.

Cashless Society

Combine this with a question posed in a recent Bloomberg Tax article, Why Going Cashless Has Added Value in Pandemic Age—“Do we still need cash?”⁹ This is not a new proposition. 

I recall President Ronald Reagan wrestling with how to stop the drug cartels. A secular financial newsletter that I subscribed to at the time reported that someone on Reagan’s cabinet suggested he could stop the illegal trade by removing cash from society. In reply, another cabinet member quipped, “Like the mark of the beast?” The room became eerily silent for a moment, then the president ignored the topic and pivoted to the next agenda item. [PQ-HERE]

Today, cashless transactions have grown from a frightening suggestion to a comfortable and convenient reality. In Sweden, considered the most cashless society in the world, 80 percent of purchases are made electronically.¹⁰ Even African countries use electronic currencies—more than 75 percent of adult Kenyans use a mobile-wallet service.¹¹ India, with the world’s second-largest population, recently pushed to eliminate cash by withdrawing the most popular bills from circulation. China’s central bank announced earlier this year that it is ready to test a digital currency.¹²  

Advocates for a cashless society see an opportunity in this pandemic. They point out that China’s central bank is removing money they suspect is contaminated.¹³ Perhaps, as Bloomberg Tax suggests, this pandemic will be a fast-forwarding catalyst. “Fear of contagion could accelerate the general trend to more digital payments, according to the Bank of International Settlements.”¹⁴

There are many practical reasons for society to go cashless that transcend this pandemic. “For governments, getting rid of cash would cut minting and distribution expenses and make it easier to crack down on tax evasion and drug trafficking. Stores could save on cash-handling costs, reduce theft and possibly earn more.”¹⁵

While eliminating cash may be a practical solution for banking and business concerns, even secular sources warn that a cashless society can easily lead to tyranny, just as is predicted for the mark of the beast. “Critics say that in a digital-only economy, governments and banks could take control of your financial life, leaving you penniless with a flick of a switch.”¹⁶

Is the End Here?

With barely a protest, more than a third of the world’s population was quickly put under lockdown.¹⁷ They gave up their civil rights to peaceably assemble, privacy, and even to earn a livelihood. If one were planning a Revelation-type event to bring people into line, it would probably look a lot like this. The only thing missing is a law commanding when people must worship. 

So… is this the end?

While this pandemic could be a fast-forwarding event, it unlikely spells the imminent end. Remember, the mark of the beast concerns forced worship. This is not an element in the current pandemic. However, Revelation does predict that things will dramatically change and that worship will be legislated someday. What fast-forwarding event will be the catalyst is anyone’s guess.

In a very practical sense, it’s not the future so much that we need to focus on, it’s the here and now. People are losing jobs, bills are stacking up, and this cruel virus is robbing us of loved ones. But even as an uncertain future anxiously overshadows us, we can reach for the hand of One who will safely see us through this storm. His reassuring voice says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:1, 2 NKJV).

2. White, Ellen. Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, page 11. (1909)

3. See for example: GOOGLE IS TRACKING PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Apple using Maps data to show if people are social distancing during coronavirus outbreak
Using Location Data to Map People’s Movements, Social Distancing Efforts, and the Spread of COVID-19
Google will release maps data ‘mobility reports’ to show people’s movements in coronavirus pandemic

4. Secon, Holly; Aylin Woodward. “About 95% of Americans have been ordered to stay at home.” Business Insider. (April 7, 2020).

5. Pearl, Betsy; Lee Hunter; Kenny Lo; Ed Chung. “The Enforcement of COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders”. American Progress. (April 2, 2020).   

6. BBC News. “Coronavirus: How are lockdowns and other measures being enforced?”. (March 17, 2020).

7. Ruiz, Michael. “De Blasio: New Yorkers can report social distancing violations by texting photos to authorities.” Fox News. (April 18, 2020).

8. Dallas, Kelsey. “Yes, the government can force churches to close. Here’s why”. Deseret News. (March 21, 2020).

9. Bloomberg Tax. “Why Going Cashless Has Added Value in Pandemic Age: QuickTake.” (April 15, 2020).

10. Sweden/Sverige. “Sweden—The First Cashless Society?” (September 11, 2019).

11. Horsley, Scott. “China to Test Digital Currency. Could It End Up Challenging the Dollar Globally?” NPR. (January 13, 2020).

12. Horsley, Scott. Ibid.

13. Yeung, Jessie. “China is disinfecting and destroying cash to contain the coronavirus.”  CNN. (February 17, 2020).

14. Bloomberg Tax. Ibid.

15. Bloomberg Tax. Ibid.

16. Bloomberg Tax. Ibid.

17. Buchholz, Katharina. “What Share of the World Population Is Already on COVID-19 Lockdown?” Statista. (April 3, 2020).

By the Amazing Facts Webmaster

Recently, I was at the grocery store picking up a few items. When I got to the cashier at the checkout line, I tried to engage her in conversation by asking a few simple questions. (I find it’s easier to share materials with people if you’ve broken the ice.) I asked if “things were crazy there lately,” and she said yes, commenting on how rapidly their recent shipment of toilet paper had disappeared.

As she was finishing up, she asked me if I needed a bag. I told her no and pulled mine out and set it on the counter. She said that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were not allowed to touch our bags and that I would have to bag my own groceries. After she told me this, the thought went through my mind that “she probably won’t take any material that I try to give to her.” So I bagged up my groceries and left without attempting to share any tracts or DVDs with her.^*

That left me wondering: “How do we share our faith during a lockdown?” 

Right now, if you knock on someone’s door, they're not likely to answer it. If you try to hand them a tract, they may not take it. Even having face-to-face Bible studies with people is more of a challenge now.

Yet, at this time, people are wondering what on earth is happening. They’re wondering what all of these rapid changes mean, and they want answers. As Christians who understand Bible prophecy, we have the answers that they need, but circumstances have made it more challenging to give those answers the way that we used to.

So here are a few ideas on ways that you can reach out to people and share your faith during the coronavirus lockdown: [PQ-HERE]

1. Use Your Phone!

One of the pastors at our church is continuing to have Bible studies with people but instead of going to their homes, he’s doing it over the phone. Also, many people who may not be Christians appreciate prayer and would not pass up an opportunity to pray with someone. Lots of people are out of work and don’t know what to do or where to turn—so give somebody a buzz and see what happens.

2. Use Social Media! 

Many more people are online now. If you have a social media account, instead of posting only cat videos, post something of substance that speaks to the times in an intelligent and informed way. Ask thought-provoking questions and see what kind of dialogue it generates. You may find many opportunities to share as others express their thoughts and concerns about the things that are happening right now.

3. Use Text Messages! 

Who doesn’t have a cell phone nowadays? I personally don’t have a smartphone, but texting still works on my “dumb” phone! Send Bible verses or inspirational quotes to people. And if you don’t have a cell phone, you can still send text messages if you have a Google Voice account, which is free.

4. Use Snail Mail! 

Although someone might not take a tract directly from your hand at this time, they would likely have no problem if they got it in the mail. Lots of people are stuck at home and, quite honestly, they’re bored! Send them something to read or watch. A friend of mine mentioned that they were looking up random names and addresses in the phone book and sending an uplifting card with a Bible tract in it. What a great idea! 

I felt inspired by that and, over the weekend, I hand-wrote a brief letter to several neighbors on a nearby street and placed a Final Events of Bible Prophecy and Kingdoms in Time DVD, as well as an 8 Amazing Steps to Optimize Your Health and Ancient Prophecies That Reveal the Future! Amazing Fact Tracts.

I hand-wrote the notes because people are more likely to open a handwritten envelope and to read a handwritten letter. If you choose to do this, you can put your name or just identify yourself as a friend or neighbor; it’s up to you, but it’s a great way to share with people while they’re under lockdown. (Here is a link to the letter that I sent out with the materials. Feel free to use and modify it as you see fit: Dear-Friend.pdf.)

How are you sharing your faith at this time? Please share your ideas in the comments below. Others might be inspired by what you’re doing! Just because we’re under lock-down doesn't mean that we can’t be about our Father’s business. Let’s be prayerful and look for creative ways to reach out to others.

*Just a note, I still should have offered her a resource and allowed her to decide if she wanted it or not. The next store I went to, instead of assuming that the cashier wouldn't take anything, I asked him if I could give him something. The young man said, “It depends on what it is.” I pulled a Final Events of Bible Prophecy DVD out of my purse, and he said, ‘Oh yeah! I'll take that.’ Praise the Lord! But what if I had not offered it?

Statistics help us make sense of the world around us. These numbers help everyone from political pollsters to fantasy football aficionados make informed calls based on the mountains of data at their disposal. In this weekly series, learn how to decode the statistics that pop up on a daily basis. Eddie Davila explores a new eclectic, real-world topic each week. Learn how stats are used to find the average score on a test, how casinos use stats to ensure that the house will usually win, and more.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

There are many stories in the Bible about how God saved people from the pit. The Pit is also a symbol of when we are lost in sin, overwhelmed by Passions, Possessions, and Positions.

This sermon deals with the topic of when it would be wise for Christians to leave the cities. Country living is the ideal place to live. Yet God calls us to reach the cities as well. The Lord does not want us to be hermits away from people. Neither do we need to live in the inner city environments. But there will come a time at the end in which we should flee the cities.

Zunächst sah sich unser Autor auf seiner Weltreise durch die Pandemie kaum beeinträchtigt. Doch irgendwann bekam auch er Angst. Denn mancherorts in Asien gibt es Tipps gegen das Coronavirus, die kaum beruhigen.

Im Interview mit WELT verteidigt Außenminister Heiko Maas die Entscheidung für eine Verlängerung der weltweiten Reisewarnung bis 14. Juni. Auch wenn eine Reisewarnung kein Reiseverbot sei, werde die Bundesregierung weitere Rückholaktionen im Sommer nicht wiederholen, so Maas.

'With the coming of the Son of Man, God’s dominion is restored to those to whom it properly belongs. What Adam lost in the garden, the Son of Man recovers in the heavenly judgment.'

It is May 8th and time for the latest check-in thread. As previously ([4][3][2][1])) this is for actual news, updates, personal experiences, and more mutual support from and to people dealing with this virus in their daily lives. All hail the mods for continuing to provide this sanctuary for us, and good health to readers and commenters alike. How is one doing?

Hire good people; review their work; correct errors.

This is the "eat food, not too much, mostly plants" of modern management.

Now we add some more songs to our essential Georgia playlist from Avery Gipson . We ask artists to pick two songs written or performed by another Georgian that best represent the state. At 18 years old, Avery Gipson is already an award-winning singer-songwriter. Her first single , “Look What You’ve Done,” came out earlier this year.

Jontavious Willis got his start singing gospel in his hometown of Greenville, Georgia, but something clicked inside him when he heard the blues. His second album, Spectacular Class, came out earlier this year. Critics and blues artists hailed it and declared him a wunderkind and genius who proves the blues is very much alive.

Middle school spans those tween and early teenage years when, for many, puberty hits. Bullies seem to reign supreme. And we begin to grow into ourselves. Like most, writer and reporter Judith Warner was once a middle schooler. She's also the mother of two former middle schoolers. In her new book, And Then They Stopped Talking To Me , she investigates why the middle-school years can be so awful — and what we can do to help make them a little bit better. Interview Highlights On asking people what words come to their mind when thinking of middle school Soul crushing. Shattering. A rush of nausea. Any variation on the word misery that you can come up with. By and large, the answers were so powerful. And yet then there were a couple of people who had good memories too. And that was something that was important for me to hold on to and listen to in more detail. On deciding to write the book It really grew out of a kind of random thought one day when my daughter was in middle school and I

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Meet our Alumni Spotlight for this month: Tracy Avila!

Maxwell Kirsner used to build sets for a company that staged big events in New York City. Those events dried up suddenly in mid-March. "I was laid off on Friday the 13th," he recalls. The timing actually turned out to be fortunate, as Kirsner was able to apply for and start receiving jobless benefits before the huge wave of layoffs that soon followed, overwhelming unemployment offices. His fiancée, Natalie Borowicz, and others who worked for the same company got pink slips a few weeks later. When we spoke, some were still waiting for their benefits to begin. "They're struggling to pay rent and buy food and all that," Kirsner said. "We're all in the same boat, but we're all on different seats on that boat." He's grateful that his bosses and coworkers continue to check in on one another regularly, and he hopes to return to work someday. "The light at the end of the tunnel is that it's New York City, and eventually, events have to come back," he said. "So, part of me has faith, but part

Updated at 8:38 a.m. ET The telephone lines are still jammed at the nation's unemployment offices. Another 3.8 million people filed claims for jobless benefits last week, according to the Labor Department . While that's down from the previous week's 4.4 million, a staggering 30.3 million have applied for unemployment in the six weeks since the coronavirus began taking a wrecking ball to the U.S. job market. That's roughly one out of five people who had a job in February. The pandemic has cut a wide swath of destruction through the economy, as restaurants, retailers and businesses of all kinds closed their doors in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Don't see the graphic above? Click here. An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found half the people surveyed had either lost a job or had their hours reduced because of the pandemic and the aggressive public health measures to contain it. The sudden job losses are all the more striking after a long period of record low unemployment, in

Very briefly, at the end of 2019 and the start of 2020, there were slightly more women on American nonfarm payrolls than men. That's no longer true. The historically disastrous April jobs report shows that the brunt of job losses fell on women. Women now account for around just under half — 49% — of American workers, and they accounted for 55% of the increase in job losses last month. One way of looking at why that matters that is to look at the gap that opened up between women's and men's unemployment last month. The below chart shows women's unemployment rate minus men's unemployment rate since 2007. Usually, the line bumps around near or just below zero — meaning men's unemployment is usually near or slightly higher than women's. But that spike on the far right shows how women's unemployment leapt to be 2.7 points higher than men's in April. Women had an unemployment rate of 16.2% to men's 13.5% last month. That's uncommon for a recession. The below chart is a longer view, and the

Live performances from Chely Wright, Andrew Combs, The Claudettes, Michaela Anne, and Cave Twins. Recorded 11/3/2019 in Charleston, WV. Support is provided by Adventures on the Gorge. https://adventuresonthegorge.com/

Today on “Two Way Street” we’re discussing The New York Times obituary project “ Overlooked ” with its co-creator Jessica Bennett . From Ida B. Wells to Emily Warren Roebling , “Overlooked” features the retroactive obituaries of prominent women whose stories initially failed to make it into the Times obit section. Jessica, the Times’ newly appointed gender editor, joins us to discuss her work on “Overlooked” with the digital editor of the obituary desk Amisha Padnani . And since no conversation about obituary writing is complete here in Georgia without including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s longtime obit editor, we asked Kay Powell to join us, too. Kay served as obituary editor of the AJC from 1996 to 2009. “Overlooked” began after an exhaustive search of the Times’ obituary archives struck Jessica and Amisha with this epiphany: white men had historically dominated the newspaper’s obituaries. The two editors responded by writing obituaries for some of the women who had been

On this edition of "Two Way Street," we sit down with four smart, well read Georgians to discuss their favorite books. This conversation picks up the discussion started by " The Great American Read ," an eight-part PBS series that unpacks a diverse list of 100 books. "The Great American Read" premieres Tuesday May 22 at 8 PM on GPB. Our guests today are Oglethorpe Unvirersity Creative Writing Professor Jessica Handler , Bitter Southerner Editor in Chief Chuck Reece , Altanta International School Headmaster Kevin Glass, and On Second Thought's new host Virigina Prescott .

Savannah businessman Charles Lamar on Nov. 28, 1858, became the first person in 40 years to land a slave ship on American soil. That event is the subject of Jim Jordan’s new book, “ The Slave-Trader’s Letter-Book: Charles Lamer, the Wanderer, and other Tales of the African Slave Trade .” Jordan was able to reconstruct the story because he got his hands on valuable research material — Charles Lamar’s own letters, which most historians didn’t even believe existed.

Johnny Mercer grew up in Savannah and went on to write some of the most popular love songs of the 20th century. You may not know his name, but you certainly know his music, which includes "Something’s Gotta Give," "Moon River," and "Autumn Leaves." Between 1929 and 1976, Mercer wrote the lyrics—and in some cases the music too—to some 1,400 songs. We explore the life and music of Johnny Mercer with Georgia State University archivist Kevin Fleming . Georgia State is the repository for Johnny Mercer’s papers as well as a vast collection of other materials related to his life and career.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Very briefly, at the end of 2019 and the start of 2020, there were slightly more women on American nonfarm payrolls than men. That's no longer true. The historically disastrous April jobs report shows that the brunt of job losses fell on women. Women now account for around just under half — 49% — of American workers, and they accounted for 55% of the increase in job losses last month. One way of looking at why that matters that is to look at the gap that opened up between women's and men's unemployment last month. The below chart shows women's unemployment rate minus men's unemployment rate since 2007. Usually, the line bumps around near or just below zero — meaning men's unemployment is usually near or slightly higher than women's. But that spike on the far right shows how women's unemployment leapt to be 2.7 points higher than men's in April. Women had an unemployment rate of 16.2% to men's 13.5% last month. That's uncommon for a recession. The below chart is a longer view, and the

Staying connected and feeling normal is more important than ever nowadays, which is why we’re today reminding you of all the free, public live shows and training we bring you at Digital DJ Tips. Whether you’re after help with your DJing, want to hook up with other students and DJs worldwide, or just fancy joining … Continued The post Improve Your DJing & Have Fun With Our...

»

Amtrak is the latest transportation provider to require all passengers to wear facial coverings or masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, beginning Monday. The intercity passenger rail agency joins most of the nation's passenger airlines and many public transit systems in requiring coverings or face masks on passengers. Customers will have to "wear a facial covering over their nose and mouth while in stations, on trains and [Thruway] buses," Amtrak said in a news release. "Facial coverings can be removed when customers are eating in designated areas, in their private rooms, or seated alone or with a travel companion in their own pair of seats. Small children who are not able to maintain a facial covering are exempt from this requirement." "The safety of Amtrak's customers and employees is our top priority," Amtrak President and CEO Bill Flynn said in a statement, "and requiring a facial covering is one more way we can protect everyone." To maintain physical distancing on

The last time you were in your office, who did you walk past in the lobby? Stand next to in the elevator? Chat with in the kitchen? You're not alone if you can't remember each of those encounters. But that is exactly the sort of information employers want to have on hand, in case an employee catches the coronavirus. Some companies that are preparing to welcome employees back to the office are planning to use technology to monitor their movements at work. While the technology may be more precise than human memory, it raises fears about greater surveillance at work — and whether employers would relinquish that power after the health crisis subsides. One company that has begun to use such tools is PwC, the big accounting and consulting firm. It has developed an app that tracks how close employees get to each other by noting their smartphones' Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals. The app allows the company to do contact tracing — the process of identifying people who may have been exposed to the

Copyright 2020 KUNR Public Radio. To see more, visit KUNR Public Radio . AILSA CHANG, HOST: They make cars. They make cocktails. They clean hotel rooms, and they clean your teeth. They are the more than 20 million people who lost their jobs in April. New numbers out today bumped the jobless rate up to 14.7%. That's the worst rate since 1940, and no industry went untouched. For more on where the economic knife cut deepest, we are now joined by some of the reporters who cover these industries. NPR's Alina Selyukh covers retail and restaurants. Camila Domonoske covers the auto industry and oil and gas for NPR. And Will Stone has been covering health care for NPR from Seattle. Welcome to all three of you. ALINA SELYUKH, BYLINE: Hi. CAMILA DOMONOSKE, BYLINE: Hello. WILL STONE, BYLINE: Hi. CHANG: Alina, let's start with you. The lockdowns, I mean, they forced so many restaurants, so many bars, travel destinations to shut down. We know about that. But today we got a read on just how bad those

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: On a day when the U.S. unemployment rate soared to nearly 15%, the worst level since the Great Depression, we're thinking about all the Americans affected, all the jobs lost - 20.5 million in April. And it seemed a good day to hear from one of the major stakeholders in the U.S. financial system, not to mention a major employer. Brian Moynihan is the CEO of Bank of America. He joins me now. He's on the line from Boston. Mr. Moynihan, welcome. BRIAN MOYNIHAN: It's good to be here. Thank you for having me. KELLY: I wonder if you would start with how this moment is playing out at Bank of America itself. More than 200,000 people report to you. You have done no layoffs, and more stunningly, you've committed to doing no layoffs through the end of 2020. How are you managing that in this moment when so many jobs are being cut? MOYNIHAN: I think we need to back up and, as always, remember that this is a health care crisis that is

Very briefly, at the end of 2019 and the start of 2020, there were slightly more women on American nonfarm payrolls than men. That's no longer true. The historically disastrous April jobs report shows that the brunt of job losses fell on women. Women now account for around just under half — 49% — of American workers, and they accounted for 55% of the increase in job losses last month. One way of looking at why that matters that is to look at the gap that opened up between women's and men's unemployment last month. The below chart shows women's unemployment rate minus men's unemployment rate since 2007. Usually, the line bumps around near or just below zero — meaning men's unemployment is usually near or slightly higher than women's. But that spike on the far right shows how women's unemployment leapt to be 2.7 points higher than men's in April. Women had an unemployment rate of 16.2% to men's 13.5% last month. That's uncommon for a recession. The below chart is a longer view, and the

There are many stories in the Bible about how God saved people from the pit. The Pit is also a symbol of when we are lost in sin, overwhelmed by Passions, Possessions, and Positions.

This sermon deals with the topic of when it would be wise for Christians to leave the cities. Country living is the ideal place to live. Yet God calls us to reach the cities as well. The Lord does not want us to be hermits away from people. Neither do we need to live in the inner city environments. But there will come a time at the end in which we should flee the cities.

Is Calvin’s doctrine of predestination biblical—or could it actually lead a soul to eternal loss? Pastor Doug explores the ramifications of once saved, always saved.

Unless you're planning a road trip to the west coast of course on which I'd be happy to have you take it the entire way!

I want to buy something on eBay, but the seller is in Italy and won't ship internationally. Are there any MeFites in Italy, who'd be willing to buy the item and ship it to me, in the United States?

Obviously, I'll reimburse you for the item's cost, shipping, and your time.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Nearly 70,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. Some of them worked in schools - teachers, coaches, counselors. Today we remember three of those people as seen through the eyes of their students. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Paula Pryce-Bremmer was a guidance counselor at Careers in Sports High School in New York City. She was 51 years old. Michael Westbrook was 54. He was the band director at Hardin-Jefferson High School in Sour Lake, Texas. And Ron Hill was a coach and substitute teacher at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School in Fulton County, Ga. He was 63 years old. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) BRITT WHITSTEIN: My name is Britt Whitstein (ph). I graduated from Mount Vernon Presbyterian High School in 2017. Coach Hill was one of my varsity basketball coaches. Coach Hill had a way of changing your perspective without you even knowing it. Because he believed in me, I did things in high school and even going into college that I

A for-profit college received millions of dollars from the federal government to help low-income students whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus outbreak, but that same school, Florida Career College (FCC), is also accused of defrauding students. A federal class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of students in April calls FCC "a sham" and alleges that, long before the pandemic, the college was targeting economically vulnerable people of color. The plaintiffs say the vocational school enticed them with false promises of career training and job placement — but spent little on instruction while charging exorbitant prices and pushing students into loans they cannot repay. The lawsuit comes as thousands of colleges across the country are receiving federal emergency relief in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Through the CARES Act, FCC has been allotted $17 million. The law requires that at least half of that money goes directly to students, but makes few stipulations for the rest

When Congress allocated money for higher education in the coronavirus rescue package, it set aside nearly $350 million for colleges that had "significant unmet needs." Most of that money has now been allotted by the U.S. Department of Education to small, private colleges that serve just a fraction of U.S. college students. Meanwhile, public colleges — which serve more than 70% of all college students — are facing a steep drop in state funding . The 20 institutions that received the most amount of money from the unmet-need fund serve less than 3,000 students combined, and about half are religious schools — including Bible colleges and seminaries — several of which serve less than 100 students. Don't see the graphic above? Click here. Lawmakers designed this unmet-need fund to give priority to any higher education institution that has received less than $500,000 through the CARES Act's other pots of funding. As a result, a school like Virginia Beach Theological Seminary, which serves 47

Middle school spans those tween and early teenage years when, for many, puberty hits. Bullies seem to reign supreme. And we begin to grow into ourselves. Like most, writer and reporter Judith Warner was once a middle schooler. She's also the mother of two former middle schoolers. In her new book, And Then They Stopped Talking To Me , she investigates why the middle-school years can be so awful — and what we can do to help make them a little bit better. Interview Highlights On asking people what words come to their mind when thinking of middle school Soul crushing. Shattering. A rush of nausea. Any variation on the word misery that you can come up with. By and large, the answers were so powerful. And yet then there were a couple of people who had good memories too. And that was something that was important for me to hold on to and listen to in more detail. On deciding to write the book It really grew out of a kind of random thought one day when my daughter was in middle school and I

A while back, I went looking for a TNG version of Deanna – not finding one, I obviously had to make one myself.

The last time I edited video was 1998.

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Inspired by this post my favorite pastime recently, when I'm feeling down or bored, has been getting GPT-2 to complete William Carlos Williams poems. I've made a tumblr where I have been posting some of my favorite completions of his classic, "This Is Just To Say."

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