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Apple and Google have unveiled a rare partnership to add technology to their smartphone platforms that will alert users if they have come into contact with a person with COVID-19. People must opt in to the system, but it has the potential to monitor about a third of the world's population

We can define a lockdown in today's world as a government-ordered shutdown of businesses, schools, public facilities and of the free movement of people in general. Lockdowns are taking away human freedom under the rationale of trying to "save lives." This is no different from the argument used for banning guns, e.g. "if it will save just one life, we have to do it." Neither policy actually works for similar reasons. A. Both guns and the virus are already out there. In theory, a ban on importing or making guns and on letting someone with the virus into the country...

Invigorated by rival Sen. Bernie Sanders exit from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, former Vice-President Joe Biden turned his attention to the general election with a flurry of health policy initiatives that he says "will differentiate me from the failed incumbent." "Statistics show that more men than women are dying from the coronavirus," he observed. "Yet, at the same time sex-change surgery has been classified as 'elective' rather than 'essential' medical care. One of the first actions I will take as president will be to reclassify these surgeries as 'essential.' Men should have the option to increase their...

In announcing the extension of Los Angeles County’s stay-at-home order Friday, officials issued a grim warning: Nearly 96% of the county’s population could be infected with coronavirus by summer if social distancing measures stop. “Virtually all residents in the county” would be infected by August 1 if residents stopped distancing themselves from others and everything returned to business-as-usual, the county’s Department of Health Services director Christina Ghaly said at a news conference. Projections by the county and the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center found that social distancing measures taken by state and local officials have clearly delayed and lowered the peak of...

President Trump on Friday described the decision on when and how to reopen the country as the most difficult one he’s had to make in his life, underscoring the careful line he is walking between concerns about the economy and public health during the coronavirus outbreak. “I don’t know that I’ve had a bigger decision. But I’m going to surround myself with the greatest minds. Not only the greatest minds, but the greatest minds in numerous different businesses, including the business of politics and reason...” “And we’re going to make a decision, and hopefully it’s going to be the right...

A fire has engulfed large parts of a prison in Russia's Siberia region following a riot by inmates who accused guards of mistreating them. The area around the high-security Penal Colony No 15 in Angarsk has been sealed off and security forces deployed. There are reports of casualties but their number is unclear. Russia's penal service said inmates had "attacked a guard" who had to be taken to hospital. Officials said the unrest was under control and investigators had opened an investigation.

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Like the rest of the nation, Sandra Lee has had her eyes glued to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo — and his nipples — during the coronavirus pandemic, which can make it hard for a person to move on from a breakup like the two had in September. “I get up and I see what the latest news is. Of course I watch Andrew live,” Lee, 49, said in a recent New York Times profile. “And then share with him my thoughts.” “He’s still my guy,” she adds, cryptically, “Neither one of us, well, as far as I know, has...

The arguing over a financial rescue package for hard-hit states shows that even member states don’t trust Europe The past week has been a disgrace. When ministerial talks collapsed on Thursday over the plan for a “coronabond”, the reaction seemed terminal. Germans and Dutch insulted Italians and Spaniards. Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, said his country faced an “economic and social emergency”, and the EU appeared not to care. The Danes spoke of “a financial crisis on steroids”. The European commission’s vice-president, Frans Timmermans, predicted “the EU as we know it will not survive this”. Finally a last-minute package was...

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Sweden's daily death toll and its number of new coronavirus cases both fell today as the country continues to hold out against imposing a lockdown. The 77 new deaths - down from 106 yesterday - bring the total from 793 to 870, according to figures from Sweden's public health agency. The number of confirmed infections went up by 544, a drop of nearly a quarter from yesterday's near-record figure of 722. It takes the total number of cases from 9,141 to 9,685. These figures will likely be used to pressure governments which have resorted to lockdowns to battle Covid-19 to...

When do you think President Trump will reopen the economy and enable us to go back to work? Early May? Late May? June?

A new study conducted in rats shows that animals ignore social contact in favor of highly addictive opioid drugs. Researchers went on to show that this drug-seeking behavior could be reversed by stimulating a region of the brain. Researchers in the Arizona State University Department of Psychology previously used an animal model of opioid addiction and empathy to show that animals stopped prosocial behaviors - helping another animal - when heroin was available. The same research group has now shown that activating the anterior insula restored prosocial behaviors in opioid-addicted animals. The study will be published in Social Neuroscience and...

This was a rooftop performance by the Beatles during the recording of Let it Be.It was not their last album. Abbey Road would be released approximately 6 months later.

A man was forcibly removed from a Philadelphia public bus on Friday for not wearing a face mask, according to WHYY. A Philadelphia Police official told WYYY that the incident began when a bus driver told the man to “leave the bus several times and the passenger repeatedly refused.” Police reportedly received 911 calls about the disturbance on a bus near the city's downtown. Once the officers arrived they also “ordered the male to leave the bus several times. The male refused, at which point he was physically removed by the officers,” police said, according to WHYY.

MLB is talking with the players' union to play 2020 with a radical realignment, replacing the National League and American League, in effect, with the Grapefruit League and the Cactus League. All games would be played in front of empty stadiums in Florida or Arizona. I would be so thrilled if this could be worked out; nothing could help restore the national spirit like bringing baseball back! Yes, it might seem wierd for some people to see empty stadiums, but who hasn't seen a Marlins game? But here's the thing: Once we've temporarily done with the traditional leagues, why go...

This is like a conspiracy blueprint for the current crisis. Video Here.

Sweden is sticking with its unusual coronavirus strategy, relying on people to take responsibility and follow guidelines instead of implementing lockdown measures like most other countries with outbreaks have done.There’s only a handful of restrictions in place, like a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people, while shops, restaurants, bars, and schools remain open.The government has defended its strategy and says people are following its advice, while statistics have suggested that many people are taking social-distancing steps like avoiding public transport.Sweden’s Parliament is also moving to give the government powers to quickly introduce more restrictions if needed, though...

About 95 percent of the US is currently on some form of lockdown after President Donald Trump issued guidelines that called for 30 days of measures to slow the spread of the virus. The government projections, obtained by the New York Times, indicate that lifting the strict social distancing measures now in place will see a second wave surge in infections and deaths in about June and July.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf is issuing an executive order Friday to authorize the early release of up to 1,800 inmates from Pennsylvania state prisons in an effort to minimize the spread of the new coronavirus. The governor’s office said that releases to halfway houses or home confinement could start as early as Tuesday. The plan is similar to what other states and some Pennsylvania counties have undertaken. It allows the release of inmates serving time for nonviolent offenses who are within nine months of scheduled release, or within 12 months for those considered at heightened risk from...