Jul312022 by DmediaNo Comments

‘Warn Everyone’: Spain’s Gay Community Acts as Monkeypox Spreads

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Whether it's abstinence, avoiding nightclubs, limiting sexual partners or pushing for a swift vaccine rollout, Spain's gay community is on the front line of the monkeypox virus and is taking action.  "With this monkey thing, I prefer to be careful. … I don't have sex anymore, I don't go to parties anymore, and that's until I'm vaccinated and have some immunity," said Antonio, a 35-year-old from Madrid who declined to give his last name.  Antonio, who often went to nightclubs and sometimes to sex parties, decided to act as cases continued to increase.  Spain on Saturday reported its second monkeypox-related death.  Outside of Africa, the only other such death has been in Brazil.  More than 18,000 cases have been detected throughout the world outside of Africa since the beginning of…


Jul312022 by DmediaNo Comments

New York City Declares Monkeypox Public Health Emergency

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New York has declared a public health emergency due to a monkeypox outbreak.  Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan made the announcement Saturday. The two officials said in a joint statement that “New York City is currently the epicenter of the outbreak, and we estimate that approximately 150,000 New Yorkers may currently be at risk for monkeypox exposure.” “Over the past few weeks, we have moved as quickly as possible to expand outreach and access to vaccines and treatment to keep people safe,” the officials said.  “We will continue to work with our federal partners to secure more doses as soon as they become available. This outbreak must be met with urgency, action, and resources, both nationally and globally, and this declaration…


Jul312022 by DmediaNo Comments

In US, Abortion Laws Differ Across the Street  

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The bedsheets are big. Some are light pink, others hot pink or purple, connected and stretched taut by people holding wooden poles. Together, the sheets form a barrier across the parking lot. The activists, who are supporting a woman’s right to an abortion, wear bright pink vests with PRO-CHOICE in black emblazoned on the front. This is the front line of protection for pregnant women who drive to this women’s center for an abortion. The sheeting forms a tunnel for them to leave their cars and enter the center, unseen by anti-abortion protesters trying to stop them. ‘There’s very little conversation’ This is the daily scene at the Bristol Regional Women’s Center.   The abortion-rights activists stay inside the center parking lot; the anti-abortion protesters stand on the sidewalk. They…


Jul302022 by DmediaNo Comments

Action on Monkeypox Accelerates in US as Outbreak Expands 

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Two of the hardest-hit U.S. regions have raised the alert level over the monkeypox outbreak. San Francisco declared a public health emergency Thursday. The city accounts for 281 of California's nearly 800 cases. The declaration gives health officials access to additional resources to deal with the outbreak. New York, with nearly 1,400 cases statewide, made a similar declaration Thursday. Worldwide, more than 21,000 cases have been reported in 78 countries, nearly all of them outside West and Central Africa, where the virus is endemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the threat level to its highest ranking last weekend. The U.S. case count is nearing 5,000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The federal government has not declared an emergency but announced plans Thursday to…


Jul302022 by TechmanNo Comments

US, Japan to Set Up Research Center for Next Semiconductors

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The United States and Japan launched a new high-level economic dialogue Friday aimed at pushing back against China and countering the disruption caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The two longtime allies agreed to establish a new joint research center for next-generation semiconductors during the so-called economic "two-plus-two" ministerial meeting in Washington, Japanese Trade Minister Koichi Hagiuda said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Hagiuda also discussed energy and food security, the officials said in a news briefing. "As the world's first- and third-largest economies, it is critical that we work together to defend the rules-based economic order, one in which all countries can participate, compete and prosper," Blinken told the opening session. Hagiuda said "Japan will quickly move…


Jul292022 by DmediaNo Comments

US Rules Out Summer COVID Boosters for Adults Under 50 to Focus on Fall

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U.S. regulators said Friday they are no longer considering authorizing a second COVID-19 booster shot for all adults under 50 this summer, focusing instead on revamped vaccines for the fall that will target the newest viral subvariants. Pfizer and Moderna expect to have updated versions of their shots available as early as September, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement. That would set the stage for a fall booster campaign to strengthen protection against the latest versions of omicron. The announcement means the U.S. won't pursue a summer round of boosters using the current vaccines for adults under 50, as some Biden administration officials and outside experts previously suggested. They had argued that another round of shots now could help head off rising cases and hospitalizations caused by…


Jul292022 by TechmanNo Comments

Congress OKs Bill to Aid Computer Chip Firms, Counter China 

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The House on Thursday passed a $280 billion package to boost the semiconductor industry and scientific research in a bid to create more high-tech jobs in the United States and help it better compete with international rivals, namely China.  The House approved the bill by a solid margin of 243-187, sending the measure to President Joe Biden to be signed into law and providing the White House with a major domestic policy victory. Twenty-four Republicans voted for the legislation. The Senate passed the bill Wednesday, 64-33. "Today, the House passed a bill that will make cars cheaper, appliances cheaper and computers cheaper," Biden said. "It will lower the costs of everyday goods. And it will create high-paying manufacturing jobs across the country and strengthen U.S. leadership in the industries of the…


Jul292022 by DmediaNo Comments

Study: Climate Change Made UK Heat Wave Hotter, More Likely

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Human-caused climate change made last week's deadly heat wave in England and Wales at least 10 times more likely and added a few degrees to how brutally hot it got, a study said. A team of international scientists found that the heat wave that set a new national record high at 40.3 degrees Celsius was made stronger and more likely by the buildup of heat-trapping gases from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. They said Thursday that temperatures were 2 to 4 degrees Celsius warmer in the heat wave than they would have been without climate change, depending on which method scientists used. The study has not been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal yet but follows scientifically accepted techniques, and past such studies have been published months…


Jul292022 by TechmanNo Comments

US Probes Cyber Breach of Federal Court Records System

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The U.S. Justice Department is investigating a cyber breach involving the federal court records management system, the department's top national security attorney told lawmakers Thursday. Matt Olsen, head of the Justice Department's National Security Division, alluded to the threat of cyberattacks by foreign nations as he told the U.S. House of Representative Judiciary Committee that the incident was a "significant concern." Olsen made the remarks in response to questions from Representative Jerrold Nadler, the panel's Democratic chairman, who said that "three hostile foreign actors" had attacked the courts' document filing system. Nadler said the committee learned only in March of the "startling breadth and scope" of the breach. Olsen said the Justice Department was working closely with the federal judiciary around the country to address the issue. “While I can’t…


Jul292022 by DmediaNo Comments

Los Angeles County Avoids New Mask Rule as COVID Stabilizes

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Los Angeles County dropped a plan to impose a universal indoor mask mandate this week as COVID-19 infections and rates of hospitalizations have stabilized, a top health official said Thursday.  Health director Barbara Ferrer said two weeks ago that the nation's most populous county could again require face coverings if trends in hospital admissions continued under criteria set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  On Thursday, she said the county had dodged imposition of the broad mask rule. The county remains at the "high" CDC level of community transmission, but it could drop to "medium" in coming weeks.  Ferrer made the announcement during a briefing at which she displayed flat and declining data graphs. She said transmission had dropped steadily since July 23, "potentially signaling the beginning…


Jul282022 by DmediaNo Comments

After Biden COVID Recovery, White House Launches New Booster Push 

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President Joe Biden's administration is launching a renewed push for COVID-19 booster shots for those eligible, pointing to the enhanced protections they offer against severe illness as the highly transmissible BA.5 variant spreads across the country.  The initiatives include direct outreach to high-risk groups, especially seniors, encouraging them to get "up to date" on their vaccinations, with phone calls, emails and new public service announcements.  Americans ages 5 and older should all get boosters five months after their initial primary series, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also says those age 50 and older, or those who are immunocompromised, should get their second boosters four months after their first. According to the CDC, tens of millions of eligible Americans haven't received their first boosters, and only…


Jul282022 by DmediaNo Comments

WHO: New Vaccines Must be Developed to Keep Pace With COVID Variants

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The World Health Organization is calling for greater investment in the development of new vaccines to keep pace with the rapidly evolving variants of the coronavirus. As world attention is focused on the monkeypox outbreak, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warns the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. He says new tools must be developed to curb this deadly disease while public health measures that are known to work must be maintained and strengthened. He says one of the most effective ways to save lives is to vaccinate the right groups first. By this he means health workers, older people, and other at-risk groups such as those with underlying health conditions. He notes COVID-19 cases and deaths have been increasing for the last five weeks. The latest WHO report puts…


Jul282022 by TechmanNo Comments

Twitter Accepts Oct. 17 Trial but Is Concerned Musk Will Try to Delay

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 Twitter Inc. does not object to Elon Musk's proposal to start a trial on October 17 over Musk's bid to walk away from his $44 billion acquisition deal but the social media company wants a commitment to complete the trial in five days, Twitter said in a court filing on Wednesday.  Musk has said he needs time to complete a thorough investigation of what he says is Twitter's misrepresentation of fake accounts, which he said breached their deal terms.  He originally sought a February trial, but on Tuesday proposed an October 17 trial after a judge ruled the proceeding was to start in three months.  Twitter has called the fake accounts a distraction and pushed for the trial to hold Musk to the deal to start as soon as possible,…


Jul282022 by TechmanNo Comments

Meta Posts First Revenue Drop as Inflation Throttles Ad Sales

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Meta Platforms Inc. issued a gloomy forecast after recording its first ever quarterly drop in revenue Wednesday, with recession fears and competitive pressures weighing on its digital ads sales.  Shares of the Menlo Park, California-based company were down about 4.6% in extended trading.  The company said it expected third-quarter revenue to be in the range of $26 billion to $28.5 billion, which would be a second consecutive year-over-year drop. Analysts were expecting $30.52 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.  Total revenue, which consists almost entirely of ad sales, fell 1% to $28.8 billion in the second quarter ended June 30, from $29.1 billion last year. The figure slightly missed Wall Street's projections of $28.9 billion, according to Refinitiv.  The company, which operates the world's largest social media platform, reported…


Jul272022 by DmediaNo Comments

There’s a Maternal Health Care Crisis in America

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Black women and Native American women are more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications than white women in America, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vice President Kamala Harris has made maternal health a key piece of her domestic policy agenda. For Wanda Irving, whose daughter died after giving birth, a national response can’t come fast enough. VOA’s Laurel Bowman has the story. Camera: Saqib Ul Islam, Adam Greenbaum, Mike Burke ...


Jul272022 by DmediaNo Comments

New Report: Millions of Lives at Risk from Surging HIV/AIDS Epidemic

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The United Nations AIDS program says progress is stalling on ending HIV/AIDS as a public health crisis by 2030 and action is needed to get it back on track. The UNAIDS program issued its assessment in a new report pointing to recent data that showed 1.5 million people were newly infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. That is over a million more new infections than the global estimate set by the United Nations. The report found that in the span of a year, the AIDS pandemic took one life every minute, around 650,000 deaths. Mary Maby, the director for impact with UNAIDS, called those deaths preventable. She notes effective HIV treatment and tools to prevent, detect, and treat opportunistic infections are available but are not provided equitably across…


Jul272022 by DmediaNo Comments

Are Webb Telescope Discoveries a Marvel of Science, God or Both?

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When images beamed back to Earth by NASA’s largest, most powerful space telescope were released earlier this month, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio shared one of them on Twitter accompanied by a Bible verse: “The heavens declare the glory of God.” The Webb telescope is orbiting the sun nearly two million kilometers from Earth. The observatory is on a mission to locate the universe’s first galaxies using extremely sensitive infrared cameras. The initial images released to the public provided the first-ever glimpse of ancient galaxies lighting up the sky. The reaction to Rubio’s post was inundated with remarks like, “You do realize you can only see that due to science?” And, “If only you were scientifically literate enough to understand all of the ways that this image disproves your mythology.” Reason…


Jul272022 by DmediaNo Comments

32 Years After US Disabilities Act, No Plans to Ratify UN Treaty It Inspired

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On the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the U.S. remains one of a handful of countries that have not ratified the 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) — an international treaty the U.S. legislation inspired.   The ADA, signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990, prohibits discrimination based on disability in public accommodations, employment, transportation and community living, and provides recourse for people with disabilities who faced discrimination.     "It's hard for the newer generation to imagine the injustices suffered before the ADA," President Joe Biden said Tuesday in a House Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus event to celebrate the ADA's anniversary. Biden, who is still in isolation from his COVID-19 diagnosis, delivered his remarks virtually.…


Jul262022 by DmediaNo Comments

WHO: People Exposed To or At Risk of Monkeypox Should Be Vaccinated

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The World Health Organization is urging people who may have been exposed to or at risk of monkeypox to get vaccinated against the disease as a preventive measure.  Since it declared monkeypox a global health threat last week, the WHO says the disease has continued to spread around the world, with cases topping 16,000 in at least 75 countries.  The WHO says the outbreak is mainly concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners. It warns against stigmatizing a whole group of people, as this could cause the outbreak to accelerate exponentially by driving the disease underground.  The WHO technical leader on monkeypox, Rosamund Lewis, says the outbreak can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups. She says mass vaccination is…


Jul262022 by TechmanNo Comments

US Senate Votes to Advance Sweeping Semiconductor Industry Bill

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The U.S. Senate voted 64-32 on Tuesday to advance legislation to dramatically boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing in a bid to make the domestic industry more competitive with China. The legislation provides about $52 billion in government subsidies for U.S. semiconductor production as well as an investment tax credit for chip plants estimated to be worth $24 billion. The Senate is expected to vote on final passage in coming days and the U.S. House could follow suit as soon as later this week. President Joe Biden and others have cast the issue in national security terms, saying it is essential to ensure U.S. production of chips that are crucial to a wide range of consumer goods and military equipment. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo called the vote "a symbol of the strong…


Jul262022 by DmediaNo Comments

Russia Pulling Out of International Space Station

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Russia said Tuesday it will pull out of the International Space Station after 2024 to build its own orbiting outpost. The country’s space chief made the announcement during a meeting with President Vladmir Putin. Yuri Borisov, CEO of state space agency Roscosmos, said during the meeting that Russia plans to fulfill a promise to its partners before fully stepping away. “Of course, we will comply with all our commitments to our partners, but the decision to leave this station after 2024 has been made," Borisov said during the meeting. “I think we will have started work on the Russian space station by that time.” Moscow has made it clear that creating a Russian space station is one of its main priorities. The U.S. space agency has not been made specifically…