Yahoo Finance’s Alexis Christoforous and Brian Sozzi discuss the latest market action with Heritage Capital President Paul Schatz.
The new SARS-CoV-2 variant's increased transmissibility is believed to come from a change in the spike protein, visible here in yellow under an electron microscope. National Institute of Allergies and Infectious DiseasesA fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has been found in at least 10 states, and people are wondering: How do I protect myself now? We saw what the new variant, known as B.1.1.7, can do as it spread quickly through southeastern England in December, causing case numbers to spike and triggering stricter lockdown measures. The new variant has been estimated to be 50% more easily transmitted than common variants, though it appears to affect people’s health in the same way. The increased transmissibility is believed to arise from a change in the virus’s spike protein that can allow the virus to more easily enter cells. These and other studies on the new variant were released before peer review to share their findings quickly. Additionally, there is some evidence that patients infected with the new B.1.1.7 variant may have a higher viral load. That means they may expel more virus-containing particles when they breathe, talk or sneeze. As professors who study fluid dynamics and aerosols, we investigate how airborne particles carrying viruses spread. There is still a lot that scientists and doctors don’t know about the coronavirus and its mutations, but there are some clear strategies people can use to protect themselves. Airborne particles are still the biggest problem The SARS-CoV-2 variants are believed to spread primarily through the air rather than on surfaces. When someone with the coronavirus in their respiratory tract coughs, talks, sings or even just breathes, infectious respiratory droplets can be expelled into the air. These droplets are tiny, predominantly in the range of 1-100 micrometers. For comparison, a human hair is about 70 micrometers in diameter. The larger droplets fall to the ground quickly, rarely traveling farther than 6 feet from the source. The bigger problem for disease transmission is the tiniest droplets – those less than 10 micrometers in diameter – which can remain suspended in the air as aerosols for hours at a time. How effective are different types of masks? UNSW/Thorax. With people possibly having more virus in their bodies and the virus being more infectious, everyone should take extra care and precautions. Wearing face masks and social distancing are essential. Spaces and activities that were previously deemed “safe,” such as some indoor work environments, may present an elevated infection risk as the variant spreads. The concentration of aerosol particles is usually highest right next to the individual emitting the particles and decreases with distance from the source. However, in indoor environments, aerosol concentration levels can quickly build up, similar to how cigarette smoke accumulates within enclosed spaces. This is particularly problematic in spaces that have poor ventilation. With the new variant, aerosol concentration levels that might not have previously posed a risk could now lead to infection. What can you do to stay safe? 1) Pay attention to the type of face mask you use, and how it fits. Most off-the-shelf face coverings are not 100% effective at preventing droplet emission. With the new variant spreading more easily and likely infectious at lower concentrations, it’s important to select coverings with materials that are most effective at stopping droplet spread. When available, N95 and surgical masks consistently perform the best. Otherwise, face coverings that use multiple layers of material are preferable. Ideally, the material should be a tight weave. High thread count cotton sheets are an example. Proper fit is also crucial, as gaps around the nose and mouth can decrease the effectiveness by 50%. 2) Follow social distancing guidelines. While the current social distancing guidelines are not perfect – 6 feet isn’t always enough – they do offer a useful starting point. Because aerosol concentrations levels and infectivity are highest in the space immediately surrounding anyone with the virus, increasing physical distancing can help reduce risk. Remember that people are infectious before they start showing symptoms, and they many never show symptoms, so don’t count on seeing signs of illness. 3) Think carefully about the environment when entering an enclosed area, both the ventilation and how people interact. Limiting the size of gatherings helps reduce the potential for exposure. Controlling indoor environments in other ways can also be a highly effective strategy for reducing risk. This includes increasing ventilation rates to bring in fresh air and filtering existing air to dilute aerosol concentrations. On a personal level, it is helpful to pay attention to the types of interactions that are taking place. For example, many individuals shouting can create a higher risk than one individual speaking. In all cases, it’s important to minimize the amount of time spent indoors with others. The CDC has warned that B.1.1.7 could become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant in the U.S. by March. Other fast-spreading variants have also been found in Brazil and South Africa. Increased vigilance and complying with health guidelines should continue to be of highest priority. [Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Suresh Dhaniyala, Clarkson University and Byron Erath, Clarkson University. Read more:When COVID-19 superspreaders are talking, where you sit in the room mattersWhat a smoky bar can teach us about the ‘6-foot rule’ during the COVID-19 pandemic Suresh Dhaniyala receives funding from National Science Foundation and NY State Energy Research and Development Authority. Byron Erath receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR)
Navalny, who is Putin’s most prominent foe, was returning from Germany, where he spent months recovering from a poisoning he blames on the Kremlin.
‘Nobody is above the law,’ HR McMaster says
Rebekah Jones, who clashed publicly with Ron DeSantis in a dispute over data manipulation, said she would turn herself in On Sunday, Florida reported 11,093 new cases of coronavirus for a total of 1,571,279, and 135 deaths, bringing that toll to 24,515. Photograph: Michele Eve Sandberg/REX/Shutterstock Rebekah Jones, the founder of Florida’s coronavirus database who has clashed publicly with Governor Ron DeSantis in a dispute over data manipulation, said she would surrender on Sunday after a warrant was issued for her arrest. The state department of law enforcement said it would not reveal details of the allegations against the 31-year-old data analyst until she was in custody. The agency had been investigating allegations Jones illegally accessed a state messaging system and staged an armed raid at her Tallahassee home last month. Jones, who was fired by the Florida department of health in May for insubordination after claiming she was ordered to censor and manipulate information on the database she founded and managed, said she was told the charge was unrelated to that investigation, and accused DeSantis of retaliation. “The governor will not win his war on science and free speech,” she said in tweets that also confirmed her intention to turn herself in to police on Sunday night. “He will not silence those who speak out.” The episode prolongs a bitter dispute that began last year when Jones claimed she was told to change data to support the Republican governor’s plan to reopen the state economy despite soaring Covid-19 cases. Jones was fired by health officials and DeSantis was swift with his own retribution, subjecting Jones to a public character assassination and dismissing her as an insubordinate and disgruntled former employee. Since her dismissal she has continued to amass and disseminate state Covid-19 information online, maintaining a rival to the official database and more recently compiling and publishing information on cases in Florida schools. Jones’s December arrest followed an allegation by the Florida health department that an unknown person or persons hacked into a state system used to send emergency communications and sent an unauthorised message to members of a team responsible for coordinating public health and medical response. The message urged recipients to “speak up before another 17,000 people are dead. You know this is wrong. You don’t have to be a part of this. Be a hero. Speak out before it’s too late”. On Saturday, Jones said a law enforcement search of computer equipment seized during the raid on her home in December “found no evidence of a message”. She conceded that “police did find documents I received/downloaded from sources in the state, or something of that nature” but insisted the “crime” was not related to the original warrant. In her most recent tweet, posted on Sunday lunchtime, Jones said she was “censored by the state of Florida until further notice”. Jones posted a video of the 7 December raid and said police pointed guns at her children. Her family have since moved out of Florida for safety, she said. A Florida judge is mulling her request for the return of seized computer equipment. On Sunday, Florida reported 11,093 new cases of coronavirus for a total of 1,571,279, and 135 deaths, bringing that toll to 24,515.
Posts get repercussions of a second Trump impeachment mostly correct, but revocation of perks depends on a Senate conviction before Jan. 20.
What changes will a Biden presidency bring to American politics and policy? Here's a quick look at his priorities once he takes office.
Veterans of President Donald Trump’s failed reelection campaign had key roles in orchestrating the Washington rally that spawned a deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol, according to an Associated Press review of records, undercutting the grassroots image pushed by groups involved in the event. A pro-Trump nonprofit organization called Women for America First hosted the “Save America Rally” on Jan. 6 at the Ellipse, a federally owned patch of land near the White House. Other staff scheduled to be “on site” during the protest have close ties to the White House.
IO Interactive has promised that 'Hitman 3' players won't have to buy the first two games to use their maps, although a solution isn't ready yet.
States capitals increased security while Washington, D.C., locked down Sunday ahead of expected inauguration protests. Live updates.
Smatterings of ‘boogaloo boys’ have begun appearing at state capitols
Clashes broke out for a third consecutive evening Sunday in several Tunisian cities, pitting stone-throwing youths against security forces despite a tight lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Mr Schiff says any members of Congress found to have aided the rioters should be punished
Graham, who this month had criticized Trump over his demands to overturn his election loss, expressed more support for him Sunday.
Shortly after police detained Russian opposition leader and Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny upon his return to Moscow from Germany, where he was recovering from a poisoning allegedly carried out by Russia's FSB spy agency, President-elect Joe Biden's incoming National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan called for the anti-corruption activist's immediate release.Sullivan said the Kremlin's actions were a "violation of human rights" and "an affront to the Russian people who want their voices heard."The forceful statement quickly drew attention from members of the U.S. media, who compared it to the Trump administration's generally more lax approach to Moscow.> The Biden team, taking a different approach to Russia than Trump did: https://t.co/EMkPT3Ln7T> > -- Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) January 17, 2021Sullivan also beat the current White House to the punch -- there's been no word on the Navalny situation from President Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, or National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien as of yet. > Biden's incoming national security advisor comments on @navalny's detention in Moscow today, saying the Russian opposition leader should be immediately released. The urgency of this statement tells you something about how the Biden admin will be. The Trump admin is still mum. https://t.co/tIsS3sl9yq> > -- Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) January 17, 2021More stories from theweek.com How 'bewildered' Trump campaign aides would reportedly discreetly escape election challenge meetings 5 more scathing cartoons about Trump's 2nd impeachment Trump's vaccine delay is getting suspicious
MSNBC host suggests legal action against outgoing president for spreading conspiracies against him
‘Every state has to look at their own intelligence matrix and make those kind of judgments,’ Asa Hutchinson says
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Coalition alleges director and deputy director retaliated against a veteran reporter for questioning secretary of state The Voice of America building in Washington. The organization is an international broadcast service funded by Congress. Photograph: Andrew Harnik/AP A coalition of Voice of America journalists has called for the director of the organization and his deputy to resign, alleging in a letter they retaliated against a veteran reporter for questioning Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In the letter dated 14 January, some two dozen reporters charged that three days previously VOA director Robert Reilly and deputy director Elizabeth Robbins “violated” the organization’s journalistic code by staging “a propaganda event” for Pompeo. They also said that the violation stemmed from the decision to remove Patsy Widakuswara from her role as VOA White House correspondent, after she tried to question Pompeo as he left the network’s headquarters. The letter also slammed the “sudden and unexplained” reassignment of Yolanda Lopez, formerly central news director. VOA is an international broadcast service funded by Congress. In his speech there last Monday, Pompeo praised Michael Pack, a Trump-appointee who heads the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which runs VOA, but has faced criticism for allegedly trying to undermine VOA editorial independence. Pack has denied such claims. Pompeo also discussed “American exceptionalism” and took questions from Reilly, who the VOA journalists said “did not pose questions submitted by the agency’s main newsroom about recent news events”. Pompeo touted a free press in America but claimed VOA had been overly negative in past coverage, according to NBC. Widakuswara posted to Twitter a description of the questioning which allegedly led to her removal from her beat. On 11 January, she wrote, she asked Pompeo “What are you doing to repair [the] US reputation around the world?” and “Mr Secretary, do you regret saying there will be a second Trump administration?” “The nation’s top diplomat [ignored] my questions,” she wrote. According to the VOA journalists’ letter, Reilly shouted at Widakuswara: “‘You obviously don’t know how to behave. … You are out of order!’” Several hours later, the letter said, Robbins removed Widakuswara from covering the White House. According to NPR, Widakuswara was initially placed in a general assignment position and then, the next day, informed she was being assigned to the Indonesian news service, where she worked almost two decades ago. “Because I wanted to hold Secretary Pompeo to his words, I followed him and shouted two questions,” she tweeted on Sunday. “He ignored me. He has yet to address these issues. “Hours after the incident, I was informed that I have been taken off the White House beat. Per directive from VOA top leadership, starting today I am reassigned to VOA Indonesia, where I started my career in 2003.” The Government Accountability Project has since filed a whistleblower complaint, claiming: “It is obvious that this investigation is retaliatory and potentially illegal …The applicable federal statute … prohibits supervisory employees like Ms Robbins from taking personnel actions against employees like Ms Widakuswara who are whistleblowers.” USAGM did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Asked for comment, a VOA spokesperson said: “VOA does not comment on internal personnel matters.”
The Trump ally tells the Democratic leader the proceeding against a former president is unconstitutional and will impede “the healing of this great nation.”
Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit reached space on Sunday, eight months after the first demonstration flight of its air-launched rocket system failed, the company said. The launch occurred after the Boeing 747-400 took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in the desert north of Los Angeles and flew out over the Pacific Ocean to a drop point beyond the Channel Islands. “According to telemetry, LauncherOne has reached orbit!” Virgin Orbit tweeted later.
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