Viruses prevented by vaccines

Amazon had been in touch with federal officials about the coronavirus during the Trump administration, according to the company, including discussing its virus testing program with the FDA, participating in the White House’s High Performance Computing Consortium addressing the disease, and contacting the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The company urged the CDC committee last year to prioritize vaccinating essential workers such as Amazon’s. … [Read more...] about Amazon offers President Biden help with COVID-19 vaccine distribution

In the real world, there are bold signs that warn us of danger—whether it’s a red “no entry” sign on a road or an exclamation mark that shouts: “keep clear.” It’s time key players like Facebook, Google, and Twitter consider how a simple tweak to their designs might just help people spot danger online too. … [Read more...] about Twitter, Facebook, and Google could combat disinformation with this simple design tweak

The atmosphere of the day reflected both what we already knew about him, and what we would soon find out. The many “Pussy Grabs Back” signs represented the president’s infamous Access Hollywood remarks, and dozens of sexual assault allegations, and preceded the rise of the #MeToo movement. The signs depicting Trump’s cozy relationship with Vladimir Putin marked the extreme fishiness of Team Trump’s many varied meetings with Russian officials throughout the election, and anticipated years of overblown hype for the woefully wishy-washy but still misrepresented Mueller Report. The Black Lives Matter signs alluded to Trump’s inflaming of white grievance, starting with a five-year embrace of the racist Birther conspiracy against President Obama, and they foreshadowed four years of white supremacists having a champion in the White House—and Black voters playing a pivotal role in removing him from office. … [Read more...] about What looking back at Trump’s inauguration tells us about Biden’s presidency

“We shouldn’t be fooled—that is happening,” says Donovan. Disinformation experts say that while deplatforming is an important first step, it will not stop these groups from organizing. People who believe Trump was the true winner of the election have spilled onto a range of platforms like Gab, MeWe, Telegram, Signal, and even walkie-talkie apps. There are still other less prominent sites where these groups are gathering, sharing content, and coordinating fresh efforts. Given the FBI’s ongoing search for those involved in the Capitol insurrection, it’s unlikely we’ll see a massive mobilization during the inauguration, says Donovan. However, we may see more targeted offenses outside of Washington, D.C. … [Read more...] about Deplatforming is working—for now

After Trump announced his intent to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, the crucial global deal that aims to limit emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, he had to wait three years to formally get out. Biden plans to rejoin on his first day. After sending a letter to the UN, the U.S. can be back in the agreement in 30 days. Then the U.S. will need to set new goals for cutting emissions. “It needs to be updated for a new timeline and new climate needs and a new reality,” says Ted Lamm, a senior research fellow on climate at the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment. “So it’s a long-term process to develop the actual implementation of that, but they can rejoin on day one, and that’s, I think, pretty significant.” … [Read more...] about 7 climate actions that Biden could take on his first day