(2020-04-20). Facebook deems protests 'harmful misinformation' as citizens defy quarantine orders. rt.com 
Americans protesting their states' coronavirus lockdown measures won't be able to organize protests on Facebook any longer, after the Silicon Valley firm declared them "harmful misinformation." | Speaking to ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Monday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that anti-lockdown protests organized through his platform are considered "harmful misinformation," and will be removed by moderators. | "I think a lot of the stuff that people are saying that is false around a health emergency like this can be classified as harmful misinformation," Zuckerberg added. | @GStephanopoulos urges
(2020-04-20). Facebook's Zuckerberg touts users' data as 'superpower' as Covid-19 symptom survey set to roll out worldwide. rt.com 
A Facebook survey allowing US users to self-report coronavirus symptoms (and reveal their own 'presumed' infection to the platform) is expanding globally, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg touts the data as a "new superpower." | The social media giant's symptom-checker tool, developed with Carnegie Mellon University, released its first set of
(2020-04-20). 'Dense!' Tokyo governor's coronavirus catchphrase turned into viral video game that mocks Japan's mask plan. rt.com 
As leaders across the world plead with citizens to stay home to help fight the coronavirus, the catchphrase used by Tokyo's governor to warn the populace has itself inspired not one, but two viral video games. | Many of the Tokyo metropolitan area's 36 million residents will, by now, be familiar with Governor Yuriko Koike's "mitsu desu!" (meaning "dense!") finger-wagging catchphrase calling for social distancing. The soundbyte has become so embedded in the public's minds that game developers have created their own adventures in 2D and 3D. | The first game, published by Twitter user Gunjo Chikin, includes a cha…
(2020-04-20). El Salvador: Bukele Imposes Total Closure of Municipality. telesurenglish.net El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele implemented the closure of the Puerto de La Libertad municipality. The measure was imposed after several videos appeared on social media networks showing street crowding in La Libertad. | RELATED: "Everyone will have to be in their homes and 100% of businesses closed, until further notice," Bukele tweeted. The president also posted on his Facebook official profile: "no one shal…
(2020-04-20). Branson fights back with open letter as he pleads with government to save Virgin Atlantic. thecanary.co Richard Branson has warned that Virgin Atlantic will collapse unless it receives government support. | The Virgin Group boss said the airline needs taxpayer support in the form of a commercial loan. | It has been reported that the carrier is asking for up to £500m of public money. | Branson put out a tweet which attempts to counter some of the criticisms that have been levelled at his businesses: | t.co/Nv1RLBhp3j — Richard Branson (@richardbranson)
(2020-04-20). Kashmir photojournalist faces charges over Facebook post. yenisafak.com Indian authorities on Monday booked a Kashmiri photojournalist under a draconian law for her Facebook post, a move criticized for violating the right to free speech in the world's largest democracy."Cyber police station received information through reliable sources that one Facebook user Masrat Zahra is uploading anti national posts with criminal intention to induce the youth and to promote offences against public tranquility," according to a statement issued by the police.Zahra has been booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Section 505 of Indian Penal Code.If convicted, she could face up…
(2020-04-20). #GOT7_NOTBYTHEMOON Win Over Worldwide Trends as K-Pop Boy Band Releases New MV. sputniknews.com GOT7 released their new album 'DYE,' the same day with a videoclip for the title track.
(2020-04-19). Gunman hijacks bus in Texas, shot dead after police chase (VIDEOS). rt.com 
An armed hijacker has been shot dead by Texas police after he commandeered a bus and led police on a chase through traffic. The man fired at police before his rampage was brought to an end. | Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) police were called to the scene of a hijacking on Sunday morning, after an armed man boarded a bus in the Dallas suburb of Richardson and forced the driver to chauffeur him along the George Bush Turnpike toward Rowlett, another suburb of the city. | pic.twitter.com/zU64BSe0z0— Nathan Arizona (@arizona_nathan) (2020-04-19). Iranian Health Ministry Document Shows Coronavirus Test Kits Blocked by US Sanctions. iranian.com Iranian Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour released a document which proves that the US sanctions against the country have blocked imports of coronavirus kits from South Korea. Jahanpour wrote on his twitter page on Saturday evening that a SWIFT request by Iran for the purchase of coronavirus diagnosis kits from South Korea has been rejected …
(2020-04-18). US right-wing protesters, supported by Trump, organize against stay-at-home orders. peoplesdispatch.org Different States in the United States are faced with threats of armed resistance from right-wing and conservative groups who are opposing measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. So far, Michigan and a few others States have had or are set to have thousands of protesters defying stay-at-home orders passed by their respective governments. Unsurprisingly, president Donald Trump has come out in support of such dangerous acts. | On April 17, president Donald Trump tweeted in support of these right-wing protests in the States which are led by Democratic governors. The tweets include content like "LIBERATE MICHIGAN",…
(2020-04-18). 'Journos are living this like everyone else': CNN's Brian Stelter has Twitter Covid-19 breakdown. rt.com 
CNN host Brian Stelter claimed through Twitter that he "hit a wall," "crawled in bed" and "cried for our pre-pandemic lives," but many aren't buying his Covid-19 breakdown. | "Disturbed by the [government's] shortcomings" and "dismayed by political rhetoric that bears no resemblance to reality," Stelter says it was all too much to bear for him on Friday night, crying "tears that have been waiting a month to come out" over worries about "friends who are losing jobs; kids who are missing school; and senior citizens who are living in fear." | The 'Reliable Sources' host said on Saturday he was motivated to share…
(2020-04-18). Trump slams 'rude & nasty' Dems admitting Covid-19 cooperation bad between parties. rt.com 
Donald Trump slammed Democrats for a "rude and nasty" phone call with the vice president over the Covid-19 pandemic, and theorized nothing will satisfy them as they try to "fool" America in November's election. | "No matter what you do for the Do Nothing Democrats, no matter how GREAT a job you are doing, they will only respond to their Fake partners in the Lamestream Media in the negative, even in a time of crisis," Trump tweeted on Saturday. | He added that his working relationship with Democrats during the Covid-19 pandemic has been "even worse" than before and revealed senators held a "rude and nasty" conf…
(2020-04-18). Police launch investigation into officer over threat to fabricate offence. thecanary.co Lancashire Police have launched an investigation into an officer caught on camera threatening to fabricate an offence against a young man. | The police force has also apologised for the unnamed officer's "completely unacceptable" language and behaviour, as shown in a video widely shared online. | But as the Network for Police Monitoring pointed out on Twitter this type of policing is nothing new: | 'Who are they going to believe?' Don't assume this attitude is an exception. Based on our work over the last decade, we can assure you, it's commonplace […
(2020-04-18). Nigerian President's Chief of Staff Dies of COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Abba Kyari, the trusted chief of staff to Nigeria's president Muhammadu Buhari has died from complications related to COVID-19 after a nearly month-long battle with the virus. | RELATED: | "The Presidency regrets to announce the passage of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari," presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said Friday on Twitter. Kyari had been hospitalized in the commercial capital, Lagos, after testing pos…
(2020-04-18). One heartbreaking tweet from a nurse exposes the horrendous reality for NHS workers. thecanary.co 
Despite many broken promises, NHS workers still do not have the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to work safely. Instead of the right equipment, the answer appears to be to As The Canary
(2020-04-17). US to Provide $5 Million in Aid to Palestine. imemc.org United States of America reportedly announced it would grant Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza a sum of five million US Dollars, or 3.6 million New Israeli Shekels (NIS) to help deal with the Covid-19 paramedic. In a tweet he posted on Thursday, the US Ambassador to Israel, David …
(2020-04-17). BJP Capitalizes on Coronavirus Fears to Take India's Fascist Creep to the Next Level. mintpressnews.com Last week, 22-year-old Dilshad "Mehboob" Ali was dragged into a field on the outskirts of Delhi and beaten with sticks and shoes by an enraged crowd demanding to be told, "who else is behind this conspiracy?" His attackers believed he was part of a "corona Jihad: " an evil plot by India's Muslim minority to spread the disease and kill as many Hindus as possible. Ali was dragged to a temple and told to convert to Hinduism before they would allow him to go to the hospital. Images of the incident went viral, illustrative of a nationwide assault on the country's nearly 200 million Muslims. | Ali is part of the Tabligh…
(2020-04-17). Which Bailed Out Industries Have a Shortcut to Biden World? cepr.net For the reality-based, Trump's indifference to the tragedy that COVID-19 is spreading across the country might be maddening but not surprising. Trump downplaying the severity of the crisis, tweeting nonsense, and pushing for a $500 billion corporate bailout are entirely on brand. This is to be expected of an administration full of former lobbyists and industry executives. But special interests are coming for Democrats, …
(2020-04-17). How discovering the structure of SARS-CoV-2 makes antiviral drug design possible. peoplesdispatch.org Structures play an important role in molecular biology. The functioning of key proteins (enzymes) depends on structures. In turn, proteins are made from various amino acids and the amino acids in a particular protein are directed by a particular gene. Proteins, in their matured and functional forms, take their particular 3D structures. A deviation in the structure of a protein can lead to many pathogenic conditions, known as proteopathy. | If the structure is of pivotal importance as far as the functionality of a protein is concerned, then, inversely, the distortion of the structure of a key protein that is essen…
(2020-04-16). 'Lock your doors': Manhunt underway in Wisconsin for two violent escaped inmates who fled MAX-SECURITY prison. rt.com 
A major manhunt is underway in Portage, Wisconsin after two inmates — each convicted of violent felonies — escaped from the maximum-security Columbia Correctional Institution. Nearby residents have been urged to lock their doors. | Portage Police Department has warned the public to stay alert following a jailbreak by convicts James Newman, 37, and Thomas Deering, 46, on Thursday morning. It's not clear exactly how the pair made their escape. | www.facebook.com/PortagePD/posts/4021919677848630 | With the majority of the American population already on lockdown due to Covid-19, police are reit…
(2020-04-16). 'How do you still exist?' Musk unloads on CNN after claims his ventilators were never delivered to California hospitals. rt.com 
The continued existence of CNN is surprising, Elon Musk tweeted, after the network said the 1,000 ventilators that the Tesla CEO had promised to California never made it to hospitals. Musk posted evidence to the contrary. | The tech entrepreneur was praised by California Governor Gavin Newsom after Musk pledged in March to deliver life-saving medical equipment to help the state deal with its Covid-19 epidemic. The promised 1,000 ventilators, however, never made it to the hospitals, CNN reported on Thursday, citing the governor's office. | "The Administration is communicating every day with hospitals across the…
(2020-04-16). Hate Groups and Racist Pundits Spew COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media Despite Companies' Pledges to Combat It. splcenter.org Hate groups and racist pundits have pushed misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic on mainstream social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube throughout the crisis, despite companies pledging to fight fake news about the virus.
(2020-04-16). Zarif lauds China COVID19 aid to Iran. iranian.com Iranian Foreign Minister in a message on Thursday thanked China for providing medical aid to Iran in time of coronavirus outbreak and slammed US sanctions that hindered Iran's fight against pandemic. "I am very happy to talk to my old friend, Wang Yi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister again," Zarif said in a Twitter …
(2020-04-15). Antiviral reducing influenza spread in ferrets could help control flu outbreaks. imperial.ac.uk A new antiviral treatment has been found to reduce the risk of ferrets with influenza spreading the virus to healthy animals.
(2020-04-14). Preemptive Therapy vs Antiviral Prophylaxis and CMV in Seronegative Liver Transplant Recipients With Seropositive Donors. jamanetwork.com This randomized trial compares preemptive therapy vs antiviral prophylaxis with valganciclovir in cytomegalovirus (CMV)-seronegative liver transplant recipients with seropositive donors for the prevention of CMV disease.
(2020-04-14). Preventing Cytomegalovirus Infection After Liver Transplant: An Evolving Approach. jamanetwork.com Despite recent advances in the management of patients following liver transplant, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection remains a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality among this population. Clinicians and transplant centers have adopted varying approaches to managing CMV-seronegative liver transplant recipients with CMV-seropositive donors, a recipient group that is at highest risk for developing CMV-associated complications. Antiviral prophylaxis is typically initiated soon after transplant for a period of several months. Although the most widely used strategy, prophylaxis is limited by the incidence of delaye…
(2020-04-14). A New Vaccine for Chikungunya Virus. jamanetwork.com Arboviruses (arthropod-borne) are a group of viruses that encompass hundreds of members and span multiple viral families making it one of the most genetically diverse, widespread, and dangerous groups of viruses on earth. Arboviruses are transmitted to humans by a variety of geographically widespread arthropod vectors (most commonly, mosquitoes and ticks) so that these viruses can change location with human hosts or arthropod vectors, with potential for rapid spread wherever these vectors are present. Past outbreaks of West Nile virus and recent outbreaks of eastern equine encephalitis virus, Zika virus, and chik…
(2020-04-09). I'm Queer and I've Been in Solitary. Ellen Isn't Experiencing What I Did. aclu.org On Monday, I ended a 12-hour day returning emails to incarcerated queer folks, providing direct aid for housing to folks living with HIV & AIDS who have been incarcerated and challenging the state of Nebraska to provide humane conditions for incarcerated individuals and decided to mindlessly scroll on Twitter. , , I found the quote from the show Ellen DeGeneres filmed from her multimillion-dollar, multi-room mansion: "One thing that I've learned from being in quarantine is that people — this is like being in jail, is what it is," she said. "It's mostly because I've be…
(2020-04-07). Facebook's Strategy for Taking Down Hate Groups is Spotty and Ineffective. splcenter.org Facebook continues to provide a safe haven for hate groups and extremists despite the company's attempts to "stop the most egregious and dangerous groups from using its tools." Hatewatch staff previously reported several extremist groups and pages currently active on the platform directly to Facebook in 2018.