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Surgeon General Demands Data on COVID Misinformation From Major Tech Firms + More
Surgeon General Demands Data on COVID Misinformation From Major Tech Firms
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has reportedly asked Big Tech companies to hand over data regarding COVID-19 misinformation, The New York Times reported on Thursday.
In a formal notice, Murthy requested major tech platforms submit information about the prevalence and scale of COVID-19 misinformation on their sites, from social networks, search engines, crowdsourced platforms, e-commerce platforms and instant messaging systems.
Misinformation about vaccinations took center stage earlier this year when Neil Young said he would pull his music off the music platform Spotify in protest over podcast host Joe Rogan, who had interviewed guests questioning the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
States Launch Probe Into TikTok’s Effect on Kids’ Health
State attorneys general have launched a nationwide investigation into TikTok and its possible harmful effects on young users’ mental health, widening government scrutiny of the wildly popular video platform.
The investigation was announced Wednesday by a number of states led by California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont.
U.S. lawmakers and federal regulators have criticized TikTok, citing practices and computer-driven promotion of content they say can endanger the physical and mental health of young users. The platform has an estimated 1 billion monthly users and is especially popular with teens and younger children.
CA Legislators Propose New Slate of COVID Vaccine Laws
Gov. Gavin Newsom is easing mask restrictions and declaring that the pandemic is moving into a less critical phase. Yet an aggressive slate of COVID-19-related bills — to mandate vaccines for children and workers, to allow 12 to 17 year-olds to get the vaccine without parental consent and more — remain in play under the Capitol dome.
The vaccine working group of Democratic legislators behind the proposals say their aim is to increase vaccination rates across all age groups, improve the state vaccine registration database and crack down on misinformation about the virus and the vaccine.
Taken together, the adoption of these bills would make California an outlier among states — and give it the country’s strictest COVID-19 regulations.
In Symbolic Vote, Senate Rejects Vaccine Mandate for Health Workers
The Senate voted on Wednesday to roll back President Biden’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers at federally funded facilities, in a symbolic move orchestrated by Republicans who are pushing to weaponize pandemic precautions against Democrats in this year’s midterm congressional elections.
In a vote forced by Republicans, the measure passed 49 to 44 along party lines, after 6 Democratic absences left the majority party short of the votes needed to defeat it. The measure is all but certain to die in the Democratic-controlled House; even if it cleared that chamber, the White House said on Wednesday that Mr. Biden would veto it.
“This vaccine mandate is not about public health or science,” Senator Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican who is a physician, said in a speech on the Senate floor, a stethoscope draped around his neck. “The Biden administration’s mandate is about fulfilling their desire to control every aspect of our lives. And it’s a slap in the face to the hard-working men and women who never took a day off in the frontline fight of the COVID-19 battle.”
With Carnival Over, New Orleans Dropping COVID Mandates
New Orleans will drop multiple COVID-19 restrictions as Carnival season, which attracts revelers from around the country, comes to an end.
In a statement on Wednesday, the New Orleans Health Department said the city’s indoor mask mandate will be lifted on Thursday, and it will also lift its vaccine mandate for city venues later this month.
Health Department Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno noted that the city’s proof of vaccination requirement will end on Mar. 21 if the city’s hospitalizations rates remain stable.
‘Freedom Convoy’ Spinoff Headed to DC Region Arrives This Weekend. Here’s What to Know.
The U.S. protesters inspired by the self-styled “Freedom Convoy” that occupied downtown Ottawa for more weeks, headed out from Southern California last week for a cross-country trip to the DC region. They plan to arrive this weekend, and Virginia State Police describes the convoy as a “still-fluid situation.” Here’s what you need to know:
The “People’s Convoy,” a U.S.-based group of activists opposed to vaccine mandates, is on a cross-country trip aiming to arrive in Hagerstown, MD, on Mar. 4 before targeting the DC Beltway area on Mar. 5.
Maine to Rescind School Mask Recommendation on March 9
Maine’s state government said Wednesday it is rescinding a recommendation for universal masking in schools and childcare facilities.
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Department of Education said they are considering mask use optional in those settings starting Mar. 9. The final say will rest at the local level, as local school boards have authority about mask requirements in the state’s school districts.
COVID: Quebec to End Most Mask Requirements in April, Stop Vaccine Passport Sooner
The Quebec government will ease mask requirements starting in April as well as fully eliminate the province’s COVID-19 vaccine passport system a few days earlier than expected.
The province will no longer require masks in the majority of public places — including universities and CEGEPs — starting in mid-April. The government did not give an exact date, but said it will give a notice of 10 days before the measure is lifted.
The move comes as masks will no longer be mandatory in elementary and high school classrooms starting next week.
Health Minister Christian Dubé said the province’s proof-of-vaccination system will also be entirely phased out on Mar. 12, 2 days earlier than previously announced. All public places will be able to operate at 100% capacity on that date. There will be no capacity limits on tables in restaurants, casinos and bars — and they can return to their regular business hours.
COVID in Europe: France to Scrap Face Masks and Vaccine Passes on March 14
French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Thursday that the country would soon remove further COVID-19 restrictions.
From Mar. 14, face masks would only be required on public transport while vaccine health passes would not be needed to enter most venues. Proof of vaccination will still be needed to enter French hospitals, health centers and retirement homes, Castex added.
‘Lots of Happy Tears’: Joy as New Zealand Opens Border After Two Years of Isolation
Tears, hugs, laughter and the shouts of children echoed through the arrivals halls of New Zealand, as the country opened its borders and lifted isolation requirements.
For almost two years, New Zealand’s international airports’ arrival terminals have been shuttered ghost towns. Apart from a short-lived travel bubble with Australia, the country’s borders have been closed, with those lucky enough to secure entry into the country whisked to government-managed isolation and quarantine facilities for a costly 2 weeks secluded in a hotel room.
Australia Fully Open to Travel as Last State Reopens Border
Australia was fully open to vaccinated travelers after Western Australia on Thursday became the last state to lift border restrictions.
The state lifted restrictions on Thursday, 4 months after Sydney began its staged reopening of quarantine-free travel and more than a week after all vaccinated tourists became eligible for visas.
Ukraine Wants to Basically Kick Russia Off the Internet. Terrible Idea.
Many of the world’s most popular platforms and services have sought to stymie Russia’s information operations and propaganda amid its illegal invasion of Ukraine. Meta, Google, Twitter, TikTok, and others have de-platformed, demonetized, and de-amplified Russian state media and official channels, making them official participants in the information war that they largely refused to wade into in the months and years leading up to the war on Ukraine.
But Ukraine wants to go even further by kicking Russia off the internet.
Shutting down some 5 million domains — including those belonging to local news outlets, non-governmental organizations and civic groups — would potentially be kicking much of the country offline.
Disconnecting the Russian internet would make it more difficult for people in the country, some of whom vocally and at great risk oppose the war, to express themselves and provide an alternative narrative to Putin’s propaganda machine.
‘We Were Terrified’: Block Co-Founder Explains How the Fintech Giant Avoided ‘Death by Amazon’
In 2014, Amazon launched a product that sounded strikingly similar to something already on offer from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey’s payments company Square, which is today known as Block.
It was called Amazon Register, and it would let small businesses accept credit card payments using a smartphone or tablet computer, just like Block’s technology. There was one key difference, though: Amazon offered processing fees of as low as 1.75%, compared to the 2.75% rate from Block.
“We were still a startup, and Amazon copied our product and undercut our price,” Jim McKelvey, who co-founded Block with Dorsey in 2009, said during a fireside discussion with CNBC at the Mobile World Congress tech show.
“When Amazon does this to a start-up, the start-up dies,” he added. “When Amazon did that to Square, we were terrified.” Block wasn’t unique in facing possible “death by Amazon.”
Biden Threatens Big Tech Over Its ‘National Experiment’ on Children + More
Biden Threatens Big Tech Over Its ‘National Experiment’ on Children
President Joe Biden believes America, and especially its young people, are experiencing a mental health crisis — and according to his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, social media is one of the root causes.
In his speech, Biden promised to “hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment they’re conducting on our children for profit.” To make his point, he referred to a special guest in the audience, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen, who shared internal company documents with the press and Congress last fall that showed Facebook had publicly downplayed its own research that found a connection between its products and mental health issues in some teenagers.
One of the downplayed studies found that Instagram made body image issues worse in one out of three teenage girls.
COVID Vaccine Requirement to End for 40,000 State of Oregon Employees, Governor’s Office Says
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown will rescind an order that has required nearly 40,000 state employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 since last fall, explaining that “extraordinary emergency” orders are no longer necessary as “we learn to live with this virus.”
That means newly hired executive branch employees won’t need to get vaccinated, existing executive branch employees won’t need to stay up to date on their vaccinations with boosters and the tiny portion of these employees who were fired for non-compliance might be eligible to reapply for their old jobs once again.
The governor will now let her vaccination mandate expire Apr. 1, amid a growing push locally and nationally to return to normalcy and proceed unfettered by COVID-19 precautions, as Omicron cases and hospitalizations plummet.
DC Drops Outdoor Mask Mandate at Schools; Indoor Requirement Remains
The District will no longer require public school students and staff to wear masks while outside on school grounds, the school system’s chancellor informed families in a letter Tuesday. The new rule goes into effect immediately.
Charter schools, which educate nearly 50% of the city’s public school students, will be allowed to choose whether or not to keep the outdoor mask mandate. KIPP, the city’s largest charter network, did not have plans to drop its outdoor mandate, a spokesman said Tuesday.
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) announced that much of the citywide indoor mask mandate would be lifted on Mar. 1, but students and school staff would still be required to wear face coverings in school buildings. The mayor has not indicated when the indoor school mask mandate would be lifted.
Hawaii to Lift COVID Travel Quarantine Rules This Month
Hawaii plans to lift its COVID-19 quarantine requirement for travelers this month, meaning that starting on Mar. 26 those arriving from other places in the U.S. won’t have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to avoid sequestering themselves for 5 days.
Hawaii is the only U.S. state to implement a coronavirus quarantine program of this kind.
The quarantine period for travelers lasted 14 days when Hawaii first imposed it in March 2020. The state later created testing and vaccination exemptions.
Long Island Elementary Students Shed Their Masks for First Time in Years: ‘It’s Very Exciting’
New York’s statewide school mandate is officially over, meaning local school officials will now set masking policies.
CBS2’s Elijah Westbrook caught up with families outside John P. McKenna Elementary School in Massapequa Park, where students were greeted with the option to not wear a face covering. One 6-year-old named Kellan said it was like a breath of fresh air.
Gov. Kathy Hochul decided to lift the mandate after COVID numbers dropped significantly. Over the weekend, she said she’s leaving it up to local municipalities to decide whether or not to keep their mask policies.
Philadelphia Lifts Indoor Mask Mandate for Most Settings
Philadelphia health officials announced Wednesday that the city was lifting its indoor mask mandate, and officials expect to lift the school masking rules on Mar. 9.
The change comes as city health officials moved the city into the “all clear” category of its COVID-19 pandemic response metric. If infections, hospitalizations and the positive test rates continue to drop, Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said the city plans to drop the masking rules for schools on Mar. 9, with the caveat that masks will be mandatory for the week after students return from Spring Break.
New Zealand Police Move in Again on Protest Against COVID Vaccine Mandate
New Zealand police launched a renewed push on Wednesday to end an anti-vaccine mandate protest that has disrupted the country’s capital for the past 3 weeks, dismantling an encampment set up outside Parliament and towing away vehicles.
A fire broke out among some tents, sending smoke billowing over the site before it was doused by police, a Reuters witness said, as officers worked to completely clear the grounds.
Apple Halts Sales of All Products in Russia
Apple is doing more in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine beyond cutting off services. As BuzzFeed News’ John Paczkowski notes, the tech firm has halted “all product sales” in Russia after cutting off exports last week. Visit the company’s Russian online store and every product is listed as unavailable. In a statement, Apple made clear this was in response to the invasion — the iPhone maker “stand[s] with all of the people” hurt by the incursion, and is joining those “calling for peace.”
The company stressed that it had taken multiple actions beyond the sales freeze. It limited Apple Pay, and pulled the apps for the state-backed media outlets RT and Sputnik from the App Store.
Apple also mirrored Google‘s decision to disable traffic data for Maps users in Ukraine (including live incidents) to avoid revealing info that could put Ukraine residents in danger. Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov had called on Apple to stop sales and block the entire App Store.
Snapchat Joins Other Big Tech Companies in Banning Ad Sales to Russia — and Will Donate $15 Million in Humanitarian Aid to Support Ukraine
Snapchat is the latest in a string of tech giants to impose sanctions on Russia by halting ad sales in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
The social networking app announced Tuesday in a blog post that it has stopped all advertising running in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus and that it will “not accept revenue from Russian state-owned entities.”
Nick Clegg Has the Power Now to Right Facebook’s Wrongs. This Is How He Should Do It.
Last month, Facebook — now renamed Meta — CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the promotion of Nick Clegg, the former UK deputy prime minister, to lead Meta on all policy and public relations matters globally.
In 2020, Clegg claimed Facebook merely “holds up a mirror to society,” while ignoring that Meta designs its algorithm to reward the most extreme and polarising content.
My disclosures validated years of alarms raised by advocates — that the Facebook algorithm harms children, stokes division and weakens our democracies. And as we enter the “fog of war” with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we are seeing in real-time how Russia is weaponizing Facebook to spread its outrageous propaganda.
Despite Lifting NYC Restaurant Requirements, Mayor Adams Keeps Vaccination Mandate for Workers + More
Despite Lifting NYC Restaurant Requirements, Mayor Adams Keeps Vaccination Mandate for Workers
You may not need proof of vaccination to eat inside a New York City restaurant, but Mayor Adams said Monday you’ll still need it to work.
During a news conference in the Bronx, Adams vowed to keep in place requirements that public and private employees be vaccinated for COVID — despite his earlier announcement that restaurant and bar patrons will soon no longer have to provide proof of vaccination status.
On Monday, Adams was asked to provide the scientific underpinning behind ending that Key to NYC requirement while keeping in place the vaccine mandates. He responded that he wants to “continue the trend” toward the city’s primary COVID goal: encouraging New Yorkers to get vaccinated.
Big Tech Antitrust Bills Ignore What Makes Silicon Valley Powerful
How far we’ve come. The internet was once the new frontier, the next Wild West where enterprising entrepreneurs could make a name for themselves or strike gold.
Now, Sen. Amy Klobuchar‘s (D-Minn.) American Innovation and Choice Online Act is making its way through the Senate. The bill targets “self-preferencing” — when a tech company like Amazon or Google discriminates in favor of its own products on its e-commerce platform, or its own sites in its search results.
But while these bills might help small business owners, app and website developers, it’s not clear how they will help users.
“Self-preferencing” is nobody’s number-one beef with Big Tech. Of far greater public concern are free speech, fake news, lobbying, data collection, code theft, collaboration with dictators, social media‘s addictive properties and its propensity to target children.
TikTok War: How Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Played to Social Media’s Youngest Audience
When Russia invaded Ukraine last week, some of social media‘s youngest users experienced the conflict from the front lines on TikTok.
Videos of people huddling and crying in windowless bomb shelters, explosions blasting through urban settings and missiles streaking across Ukrainian cities took over the app from its usual offerings of fashion, fitness and dance videos.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which it has called a “special operation,” is the latest example of the central role TikTok has played in bringing news and current events to the app’s large Gen Z audience. Its famed algorithm is known for serving trending content even if users do not follow certain people, allowing topics to quickly go viral among its 1 billion monthly users.
U.S. Trucker Convoy Swells as It Moves Across Country to DC
The largest truck convoy in the United States has grown in size since departing California and is attracting thousands of supporters as it makes its way toward the East Coast.
The “People’s Convoy” started with around 150 vehicles and has grown to more than 250 as it made its way through Texas and Oklahoma over the weekend. More vehicles have joined for stretches of time. That, along with the length of the convoy, makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly how many participants it has.
Convoy organizers say they’re against vaccine mandates, the federal government’s continuation of a national emergency declaration over COVID-19 and other actions by the Biden administration.
Are Americans Ready to Ditch COVID Restrictions? It’s Complicated.
Americans don’t want to continue with masks and social distancing, but are largely fearful of what relaxing COVID-19 mitigation measures could mean for the near future, according to a survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation published Tuesday.
The survey of 1,502 U.S. adults was conducted Feb. 9-21. as a growing number of states and municipalities were announcing plans to lift COVID restrictions.
It was conducted before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that it was easing guidelines for mask mandates, however. That announcement, from Friday, means that 70% of Americans may now go without masks in indoor public settings.
U.S. Parents Still Divided Over School COVID Masking Rules — Survey
As public schools around the United States lift COVID-19 mask mandates, parents are divided over the issue, with nearly 43% saying face-covering requirements should remain in place to prevent virus transmission, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
Most parents who responded also expressed concern about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines for children under age 5, saying they do not have enough information, according to the KFF survey of 1,502 adults conducted between Feb. 9 and 21.
On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drastically eased its guidelines for when people should wear masks indoors, including in schools.
NYC Vaccine Mandate to Still Affect Kyrie Irving; Mayor Wants Him on Court, but ‘I Have to Follow the Rules’
New York City mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday that barring any “surprises,” he plans to lift the city’s public sector vaccine mandates on Mar. 7. That will not, however, clear the way for Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving to play home games at Barclays Center.
As it turns out, New York City also has a separate private-sector vaccine mandate which states, “employers may not allow any unvaccinated employees to report to their physical workplace, unless they have requested and received an accommodation.”
In Adams’ announcement on Sunday, he said that “all other vaccine mandates in New York City will remain in place at this time as they are, and have been, vital to protecting New Yorkers.”
Democrats Turn Against Mask Mandates as COVID Landscape and Voter Attitudes Shift
When President Joe Biden gives his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, the mask mandate will be gone in the Capitol, reflecting a stark nationwide shift for Democrats against the public safety rule that has fueled a red-versus-blue culture war.
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention say 70% of Americans reside in areas with low or medium COVID levels. All 50 states have eased or eliminated mask mandates, and the White House formally ditched its requirement Monday.
“We’ve beaten COVID. Time to take off the masks. Time to get back to life. Let’s open up our businesses. And let’s — everyone go back to having as normal a life as we can,” Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said Friday on HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher.”
After 2 Years of Volatile Debates, COVID School Mask Mandate Ends Without Fanfare in Illinois
A cheerful contingent of kindergartners queued up outside Patton Elementary School in Arlington Heights Monday morning, blissfully unaware that Feb. 28 marked a dramatic milestone in their nearly two-year trek through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite months of fervent parent protests, a flurry of lawsuits, and increasingly polarized communities where grievances have erupted between even the closest of neighbors, the Illinois school mask mandate ended Monday without fanfare.
Masks Optional at United Center, but Full Vaccination or Negative COVID Test Still Needed to Enter
The United Center announced Monday that fans will be able to catch a game or event without a mask starting in March as Chicago dials down its COVID-19 requirements.
The home of the Bulls and Blackhawks will still require either a negative COVID-19 test or proof of full vaccination to enter the arena, but masks will be optional, according to a statement from the United Center.
In some cases, the NBA, the NHL and certain special events may require additional health and safety protocols, the statement said. Fans are encouraged to check the United Center website for the latest details before attending an event.
Britain Revokes Mandatory COVID Shots for Health Workers
Britain on Tuesday confirmed that a requirement for health workers to have a COVID-19 vaccination would no longer be introduced in April and care home workers would no longer be required to have the shots from Mar. 15.
Health minister Sajid Javid in January said that the government intended to revoke the regulations, subject to consultation. On Tuesday the health ministry said that following the consultation, the requirement would be dropped.
COVID: High Court Quashes ‘Unlawful’ Vaccine Mandate for Police and Defense Force Staff
The order required Defense Force personnel, and police constables, recruits and authorized officers to have two doses of the vaccine by Mar. 1, or face termination.
Fewer than 300 of the more than 31,000 staff affected by the mandate across the organizations remain unvaccinated. On Jan. 6, three unvaccinated staff sought a judicial review of the mandate. They were supported by affidavits from 37 of their colleagues in the same situation.
Justice Cooke today released his decision which upheld their claims that the vaccination order breached their rights under the Bill of Rights Act.
Nearly All COVID Public Health Measures Are Now Lifted in Alberta
Nearly all COVID-19 public health measures have now been lifted in Alberta. On Saturday morning, Premier Jason Kenney announced the province would move into Stage 2 of its reopening plan on March 1.
This marks the end to all indoor and outdoor public gathering limits, the lifting of capacity limits at large entertainment venues and the end of the provincial work-from-home order. The provincial mask mandate has also been lifted, with some exceptions.
The province’s mask mandate has been lifted except for in high-risk settings. Masks or face coverings are still mandatory on all forms of public transit, as well as at all Alberta Health Services-operated and contracted facilities. That includes all continuing care settings.
Google Wants Devices to Know When You’re Paying Attention
Google has been working on a “new interaction language” for years, and today it’s sharing a peek at what it’s developed so far. The company is showcasing a set of movements it’s defined in its new interaction language in the first episode of a new series called In the lab with Google ATAP. That acronym stands for Advanced Technology and Projects, and it’s Google’s more-experimental division that the company calls its “hardware invention studio.”
Specifically (so far, anyway), ATAP is analyzing our movements (as opposed to vocal tones or facial expressions) to see if we’re ready to engage, so devices know when to remain in the background instead of bombarding us with information.
But it’s easy to see how this new language can eventually find its way into the many things Google makes. The company’s been talking about its vision for a world of “ambient computing” for years, where it envisions various sensors and devices embedded into the many surfaces around us, ready to anticipate and respond to our every need.
For a world like that to not feel intrusive or invasive, there are many issues to sort out (protecting user privacy chief among them). Having machines that know when to stay away and when to help is part of that challenge.
America’s COVID Stronghold, New York City to Let Go of Vaccine Mandates + More
America’s COVID Stronghold, New York City to Let Go of Vaccine Mandates
New Yorkers will most likely be adjusting to a new normal soon as the city plans to drop mask mandates and proof of vaccination in the next few weeks, according to Mayor Eric Adams. As total cases around the U.S. begin to decrease, Mayor Adams announced his intention to reverse the city’s “Key2NYC” policy, mandating masks and proof of vaccination in most public spaces.
The city was the first in the U.S. to implement vaccination requirements in public places, an effort enforced in August 2021 as the city was seeing a daily average case count of nearly 2,000. New Yorkers have since needed to show proof of vaccination in order to enter restaurants, bars, nightclubs, coffee shops and fitness centers.
“At the end of this week, we will evaluate the numbers and make a final announcement on Friday. If we see no unforeseen spikes and our numbers continue to show a low level of risk, New York City will remove the indoor mask mandate for public school children, effective next Monday, Mar. 7,” the mayor said in a statement.
Montana AG Launches Investigation Into TikTok for Allegedly Serving Harmful Content to Children
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has started a comprehensive investigation into TikTok for allegedly serving harmful content to children and for publicly misrepresenting the “dangers” of its social media platform.
Knudsen launched the investigation to look into whether TikTok has violated Montana’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 by intentionally distributing a dangerous product without adequate warning to consumers and by publicly misrepresenting the dangers its product poses to consumers.
His office sent TikTok, by certified mail, a 44-page document announcing the start of its investigation and listing examples in the public record of “evidence” of violations to Montana’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act, including examples of TikTok users getting dangerous content on sex, drugs and eating disorders and some users getting killed or injured while replicating TikTok challenges.
People’s Convoy Is Gathering Support as It Heads Toward Washington: Poll
A U.S. version of Canada’s so-called Freedom Convoy, the People’s Convoy, is reportedly off to a slow start, but a poll set for release today says that, should a meaningful number of truckers show up near Washington, DC, in the coming days to protest two years of COVID restrictions, they will have the support of the majority of Republicans and independents in the country.
The poll, conducted by Trafalgar Group, indicates that 50.3% of adult Americans are “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to support the U.S. demonstration of truckers, a few of whom departed last week from various parts of the country for an expected 11-day trek to the nation’s capital. The support, however, breaks down largely along party lines.
An estimated two dozen convoys are now, or soon will be, headed for Washington, where they will be greeted by about 700 unarmed troops from the National Guard who are stationed there until Mar. 7. Many truckers, however, have told media outlets that they’ll avoid confrontation by remaining on the outskirts of the city.
Capitol Fencing Reinstalled Ahead of State of the Union, Possible ‘Freedom Convoy’ Spinoffs
Fencing around the U.S. Capitol is being reinstalled in advance of Tuesday’s State of the Union address, authorities announced Sunday in a statement that also referred to potential protests in the city over the next two weeks.
The decision was made “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the Capitol Police, who have long been preparing for the possible arrival of trucks inspired by the “Freedom Convoy” that occupied downtown Ottawa for more than three weeks to protest vaccine mandates.
Capitol Leaders Rescind Mask Mandate Ahead of State of the Union
Hill leaders are retiring their workplace masking policies, making masks optional throughout the Capitol complex ahead of Congress’ return to Washington this week and Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
The Office of the Attending Physician has adopted the CDC’s new model for monitoring community levels and is adapting to the “green” status of the Washington, DC, region, the Capitol’s Attending Physician Dr. Brian P. Monahan said, meaning it’s considered a low transmission area.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi controls masking rules on the House floor, but she has largely deferred to Monahan’s recommendations. The Senate never adopted mask mandates, citing high vaccination rates, though individual offices set their own policies.
According to the Office of the Attending Physician, 89% of coronavirus infections at the Capitol in the last two weeks occurred in vaccinated individuals. About 63% of cases were symptomatic, with 37% detected in asymptomatic employees.
A Case for (Some) Continued Masking
Public health experts are trying to make the case for keeping masks on even though the CDC no longer recommends them in many public places.
The CDC announced Friday it created new metrics for determining when people should use masks and take other COVID precautions. Overall, the CDC now recommends universal masking for less than a third of the U.S. population, although the final call still rests at the local level, Axios’ Caitlin Owens reported.
Masks will even be optional at President Biden‘s State of the Union address tomorrow after Congress lifted its mask mandate following the CDC guidance, the Associated Press reported.
California to Lift School Mask Mandate, Updates Guidance for Others
California announced on Monday that schools and childcare facilities will no longer require children to wear masks, and the state updated COVID-19 guidelines as cases begin to subside.
California officials say children will no longer have to wear masks in classrooms after Mar. 11. New guidelines also say people who are unvaccinated would no longer need to wear masks in most indoor settings starting Tuesday although it is strongly recommended, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Oregon and Washington state joined California Monday in adjusting their COVID-19 guidelines. Both states will be lifting their mask mandates for students in K-12 starting Mar. 12.
Boston Health Officials to Consider Ending Mask Mandates
Public health officials in Boston are weighing lifting the city’s facemask requirement for schools and businesses.
The city’s Public Health Commission will meet Tuesday to discuss the matter. It comes the day after students and staff at Massachusetts public schools are officially not required to wear face coverings indoors. Gov. Charlie Baker announced earlier this month that the statewide mandate for schools would end Feb. 28.
Tuesday’s discussion also comes as the federal Centers for Disease Control eased its coronavirus guidelines on Friday, determining that most Americans live in places where they can safely dispense with wearing masks. The agency is still advising people, including schoolchildren, to wear masks where the risk of COVID-19 is high.
Amazon Makes Masks Optional for U.S. Warehouse Workers
Amazon is rolling back its mask requirement for warehouse workers as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to drop nationwide.
Starting Tuesday, face masks will be optional for workers across all U.S. operations facilities, regardless of their vaccination status, unless mandated by state or local law, according to a notice Amazon sent to workers Sunday that was viewed by CNBC.
Europe’s Travel Rules Are Dropping as Fast as Its COVID Cases
Travel restrictions are quickly disappearing in Europe, with new announcements coming by the week — and, more recently, by the day.
Changes to eliminate COVID-related travel rules gained momentum in January, as a wave of Omicron-related infections engulfed the continent.
On Feb. 22, the Council recommended member nations open more broadly to travelers from outside of the EU as well — with the caveat that they be vaccinated or have recently recovered. The recommendation did not include a provision to allow outsiders in with only negative COVID test results, however.
Vaccine Passports: Ditching It, Keeping It — or Requiring 3 Doses
The Ontario government recently announced businesses will no longer have to seek proof of vaccination from their customers at the door as of Tuesday, Mar. 1, ending a system that’s been in place since last fall.
Businesses are now left to make “a tough call” on whether to keep the practice alive, said Dr. Robert Cushman, the acting medical officer of health in Renfrew County.
Before the Ontario government announced it was phasing out vaccine passports, some questioned the system’s efficacy, given it was predicated on two doses and some double-vaccinated people were still getting infected during the Omicron surge.
The Data Game: What Amazon Knows About You and How to Stop It
From selling books out of Jeff Bezos’s garage to a global conglomerate with a yearly revenue topping $400 billion (£290bn), much of the monstrous growth of Amazon has been fueled by its customers’ data. Continuous analysis of customer data determines, among other things, prices, suggested purchases and what profitable own-label products Amazon chooses to produce. The 200 million users who are Amazon Prime members are not only the corporation’s most valuable customers but also their richest source of user data.
Not everyone is happy about this level of surveillance. Those who have requested their data from Amazon are astonished by the vast amounts of information they are sent, including audio files from each time they speak to the company’s voice assistant, Alexa.
Employees Are Facing More Online Surveillance Than Ever
The rate of employee surveillance is getting out of hand after rising during the pandemic, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has warned.
The organization has published a report in which it claims almost two-thirds (60%) of employees reported being under some form of technological surveillance and monitoring, up from 53% last year. Furthermore, 3 in 10 survey respondents said surveillance increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Technological surveillance and monitoring is described as businesses having access to emails, files, and webcams installed on work computers, as well as being able to record typing patterns and keystrokes, telephone calls, as well as other “traceable movements.”
Google, Facebook Work to Stop Spread of Russian Anti-Ukraine Disinformation With New Changes
U.S. tech companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter have started to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by attempting to stop the spread of misinformation and demonetizing ads that run on Russian state media accounts.
Meta, which owns the global social media giant Facebook, said Monday it removed a network run by people in Russia and Ukraine that “ran a handful of websites masquerading as independent news outlets, publishing claims about the West betraying Ukraine and Ukraine being a failed state.”
Over the weekend, Facebook said it demonetized Russian state media accounts and began to add new safety features to Ukrainian accounts, like the option to lock a user profile or hide a friend’s list.
Google-owned YouTube on Saturday said it would also prevent some Russian companies, including state-run news company RT, from making money on the videos they post to YouTube. It will also restrict access to RT and a number of other channels in Ukraine.