Bernie Drops Out of 2020 Democratic Presidential Race

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/us/politics/bernie-sanders-drops-out.html

Summary: Bernie Sanders, the Senator of Vermont, former congressman, and now former Democratic candidate (for the 2020 Presidential Election) has dropped out of the race after claiming that it would be "virtually impossible" to beat candidate Joe Biden. This comes after Bernie steadily began to fall behind Biden when other former candidates endorsed Biden just before Super Tuesday. He stated that the choice was one he did not take lightly, calling it a "very difficult and painful decision" in a live stream speech on April 8th. In the speech he discussed the strength of his supporters, and spoke about his hopes in helping to cultivate the momentum and "the fight for justice" his campaign was centered around moving forward. Sanders officially endorsed Biden on April 13th, in an effort to unite for the Democratic Party and defeat opposing Republican candidate Donald Trump. Former President Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden on April 14th as well, praising Sanders and adding that they shared many of the same visions for improving the country in the same speech.

Personal Reaction: I am disappointed that Bernie dropped out of the race because I believe that he is the best candidate for this election policy-wise. Although the goal is ultimately to defeat Trump, I was sad to see the news, as what I knew would eventually happen played out. Moving forward I hope that the Democratic party can pull everyone together, moderate and progressive, to get the current president out of office so we can have one who makes sense. #biden2020iguess

Connection to History: This election is a significant part of US History just as all elections that came before it in our country. Bernie dropping out of the race is a shaping factor in the political future of the US, and will be a small part of an explanation as to who the 46th President is. Just as other Presidents influenced those that followed them, Bernie Sanders dropping out of the race has an impact on the future of our nation.

Questions:

• Do you think this is significant to the Presidential Race?
• Personal Feelings/Reactions
• Comments on what our country needs from the President amidst COVID-19

How Fauci and Birx got Trump to listen to science

Link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/politics/anthony-fauci-deborah-birx-coronavirus-trump/index.html

Summary: Dr. Birx and Fauci are key members of the White House coronavirus task force that are currently coordinating and organizing the Administration's efforts in preventing and mitigating the spread of Covid-19. In a White House briefing, Birx and Fauci used graphs and models to explain why the stay at home orders are necessary to prevent a worse case scenario of death rates. These models were primarily made to target some of Trump's economic advisers and sometimes even Trump himself, whom worries that the quarantine is hurting America's economy. Their evidence was that unemployment rates soared as high as 6.6 million recently. But nonetheless, the graphs were effective in conveying Fauci and Birx's warnings, leading Trump to extend the stay at home and other social distancing orders for one more month. Despite numerous critics and worrying economists Birx and Fauci manage to convince Trump that the danger is real and harsh measures must be taken to save lives, even at the risk of collapse of the economy. 

Reaction: Well, they finally did it. Trump actually listens to them and takes their advice, although he is still far away from spewing complete scientific nonsense to the masses, it's still a good start. We should be seeing a faster and more effective response from the federal government to the under-supply of medical equipment and space, New York is not looking great right now. I find it funny that the disease experts provide legitimate scientific evidence and reasoning to shoot down Trump's preposterous claims every single time. 

Connection to U.S History: The Public Health Service Act of 1944 established the federal government’s authority to impose quarantine for the first time. The act gave the U.S. Public Health Service responsibility to prevent the introduction, transmission, and spread of infectious diseases from foreign countries into the United States.

Questions: What actions do you think the federal government should take to support the fight against the pandemic. If Trump instead decided to open up America's economy again, hypothetically how could things play out from there? How are you spending your time at home?

Decade of Job Growth Comes to an End, Undone by a Pandemic

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/business/economy/coronavirus-jobs-report.html

Summary:

America's longest stretch of job creation ended this March, with the first decline since 2010. After 10 years of employment growth, rates plummeted by 701,000 unemployed in only the first half of the month, jumping from 3.5% to 4.4%. This data was collected just as shelter in place orders began in some states, before it reached the entire US. The hardest hit were the accommodation and food services (meal prep, restaurants, bars, on-premise dining and take-out) and leisure and hospitality (tourism, lodging, transportation) industries. A surge of unemployment claims and benefit applications are crashing government websites and phone lines. Some experts predict up to 13% unemployment levels in April and  16.4% in May, the highest since the Great Depression. Recovery is predicted to begin in June, but returning to normal employment levels will take much longer than the fall. Those laid-off will most likely be unable to find jobs until after the pandemic ends, leaving many with no income for several months, and even then the job market will be extremely competitive. 

Reaction:

For all that we complain about having to stay home, it's a luxury that many cannot afford. Those being laid off first have lower incomes and will struggle most to find another job. It feels like we should help, but there's not much to be done. My family has tried to order from whatever local restaurants are still open, hoping they can stay that way. This new unemployment crisis has already hit so many businesses and families, it's scary to think what might happen to our own. 

Connection:

The Great Recession of 2007-2009 was the US's most severe economic recession since the 1930s Great Depression. The recession was caused by the subprime mortgage crisis and was partly solved by the Federal Reserve's actions reducing target interest rates. Unemployment peaked at 10% in 2009, much below the projection for the coming months. 

Discussion:

Have recent lay-offs affected your family or friends? Do you think unemployment could become a problem in your household? Are you concerned about summer internships/current jobs? How do you think the government will respond?

Captain of the Theodore Roosevelt chooses crew's safety over his career amidst the Coronavirus pandemic

Link : https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/us/politics/coronavirus-brett-crozier-theodore-roosevelt.html

Summary: Captain Brett E. Crozier sent a letter to his superiors demanding for help as the coronavirus spreads across his ship. Top navy officials said that they were protecting their historic practices of complaints and requests to go up a formal chain of command. Captain Crozier sent his concerns to 20-30 people which eventually led to a leak to news organizations. Crozier departure was viewed as an act of bravery and self-sacrifice by his crew. In addition this action also weakens the transparency between people in the organization.

Reaction: I know that the military prides itself in its discipline and integrity. So, the Navy officials definitely had the authority to fire the captain, but I think it was a decision of poor judgement. The times are different and we are going into this blind. We have to have flexibility and Crozier was doing what he thought was best for the safety of his crew. So what if the Navy gets some bad publicity, they have to realize that times are different and the safety of the people comes first.

Historical Significance: This leads back into U.S. war of independence. The colonies were a rag-tag group of people who had little to no chance of winning. Officers with prior war experience disciplined these people and with guerrilla warfare, we miraculously won.

Question: Do you believe Capt. Crozier should have been relieved of his command? Is the reason for firing him a reasonable one?

The US economy lost 701,000 jobs in March - worst report since 2009

Link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/03/economy/march-jobs-report-coronavirus/index.html

Summary: This past month, the US economy experienced the worst month in job losses since the Great Recession in March 2009, and the largest single-month change in unemployment since January 1975. Most of the Americans effected by this were those working in retail, restaurants, and tourism. Although many lost their jobs, 1.8 million are only temporarily laid off. Unfortunately it's only going to get worse, especially since many states only issued their shelter-in-place orders during mid- to late March. The April jobs report could include nearly 10 million Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits. Economists at St. Louis Fed also predict that unemployment could rise to above 30%, worse than the Great Depression and 1933, when unemployment reached 24.3%. As part of the government's stimulus package through the CARES Act, many Americans are able to receive one-off stimulus checks, some up to $1,200.

Reaction: It is saddening to see how many Americans are unemployed and must continue to provide for themselves and their families during this time. Americans should not have to choose between paying rent and buying basic necessities to get through this time. Two days ago I was laid off from my job, but I am fortunate enough to live in a household that doesn't require my financial assistance.

Historical Connection: As stated in the article's headline, this is the worst month for unemployment for Americans since the Great Recession in 2009, when international trade imbalances and other factors led to the stock market plummeting, housing prices increasing, the global GDP falling 5.1%, and banks going into crisis.

Questions: 
- Do you have a job? Were you laid off during this period? If not, do you know anyone that was laid off? How has the unemployment rate affected you during this time?
- How else do you think the government will respond to this? What did you think when you heard about the CARES Act (especially how it's $2 trillion and the biggest stimulus package congress has ever passed)?

Zoom Security Flaws Leave People at Risk

link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/02/everybody-seems-be-using-zoom-its-security-flaws-could-leave-people-risk/

Summary: During this pandemic, many people are using Zoom, a video conferencing app, for working from home, doing schoolwork or socializing. However, their programming method allows people to record conversations without the consent of everyone involved and allows hackers to easily obtain personal information. Zoom also has a feature called "attention tracking", which alerts the host when a user has been on another tab for more than half a minute. In addition to lack of protection, Zoom has also faced problems with what's called "zoom-bombing", where zoom meetings have been taken over by attendees. There have been many incidents where class meetings were invaded by inappropriate pictures or racial slurs. Zoom's chief executive, Eric Yuan, apologized and the company has decided to focus solely on the current privacy issues. Despite this apology, Zoom's stock prices have dropped drastically and several lawsuits were filed against the company.

Reaction: When I first heard about this incident, I thought it was crazy that this company was prioritizing fast installation over user privacy. I am also worried about the growing popularity of this app and how many people do not know that their information could be exposed. This also reminded me of a similar incident regarding Facebook's privacy policy from a few years ago. In both cases, the company was under investigation for not protecting personal information of their users.

Historical Connection: The use of Zoom is similar to the boom in popularity of Graham Bell's telephone during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918. The telephone and Zoom gained popularity in a time of quarantine and were supposed to help life go on as normal as possible, but both were not ready to serve such a high volume of people at the time.

Question: Do you think the "attention tracking" feature of the app is an effective way to keep students engaged or an invasion of privacy? What do you think the app should do to prevent inappropriate comments or pictures from appearing in meetings?

Amazon Fires New York Worker Who Led Strike Over Coronavirus Concerns

Link: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/31/amazon-strike-worker-fired-organizing-walkout-chris-smallls



Summary: On Monday, Chris Smalls, an assistant manager for Amazon was fired for organizing a strike that had dozens of workers pushing for Amazon to shut down a facility on Staten Island for cleaning after multiple cases of the coronavirus were reported there. The workers also pushed for protective gear and hazard pay due to the conditions that they had to work under. Amazon fired Smalls for not obeying quarantine, however, Smalls says that multiple employees did not obey the quarantine and he was the only one fired. Amazon has also underreported the numbers of the strike as well as the number of employees infected.

Reaction: I find it difficult to lay the blame in this scenario. Both parties deserve some blame: Smalls ignored the quarantine rule and therefore may have put many lives at risk, but Amazon also downplayed the whole situation and targeted Smalls for starting a strike. They claim to care about the health of their workers but also won't do anything to make the situation better.

Connection to U.S. History: This connects to the labor strikes such as the Homestead Strike of 1892. Workers wanted better working conditions and protested against large businesses. Many times, these strikes were shut down and the workers fired, parallel to Smalls's situation in New York.

Questions: Who do you think is in the wrong in this situation? Did Amazon handle this situation well? How do you think they should've handled it?

Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic, Abortions are Contested in Court

Link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/30/politics/texas-order-abortion-block-coronavirus/index.html

Summary: As the coronavirus is sweeping the nation, many surgical procedures have been deemed nonessential in hopes of maximizing resources to be used in fighting the virus. In multiple states, abortions have been deemed nonessential, leading to the arrests or fines of doctors who perform them. Ohio, Texas, and Alabama are all states where such a decision has been issued and in these states, abortion rights activists and abortion clinics have contested the decision in court and won. Federal judges in all three states have found that these decisions violate a woman's constitutional right to choose a pre-viability abortion, as well as their Fourteenth Amendment right to privacy. In addition, Texas Judge Lee Yeakel has noted that during this pandemic, the risks of carrying out an unwanted pregnancy, as well as traveling to other states for abortions, outweigh the benefits of blocking abortions in hopes of preserving resources, as rationale for his decision to block the Texas coronavirus-related ban. Such decisions continue to emerge in other states and are likely to be fought as they have been in these three states.

Reaction: I'm happy to see that the coronavirus-related bans on abortions have been blocked on the basis of their constitutionality. In all three states, the governors and other high officials have historically supported anti-abortion legislation and I feel that each state is wrongly using the pandemic to prevent people from getting abortions, simply based on their opposition to abortion as a whole. I find it illogical to deem abortions nonessential, as the means that women may go about to get them in response to these bans could increase the spread of coronavirus and further drag down the health care system. Although we are in desperate times, I don't think it's time to violate women's constitutional rights, particularly when it comes to health.

Connection to US History: In 1973, in the US Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, the court ruled that a woman's right to a pre-viability abortion is protected by the Constitution.

Questions:

1. Do you think banning abortions is an effective way of preserving resources amid the coronavirus pandemic? 
2. Do you think a pandemic is a valid reason to violate constitutional rights?
3. Are there better ways to preserve medical resources? 

9,000 Retired Army Soldiers Volunteering to Fight Against Coronavirus

Link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-response-retired-army-soldiers-volunteer-to-fight-covid-19/

Summary: Out of 800,000 officers and soldiers, a positive amount of 9,000 has expressed interest in volunteering against the fight of the coronavirus. For the ones with medical expertise, they would become critical care medics, anesthesiologists, nurses, and respiratory specialists. Others will deliver food to communities, do public outreach, and assist local clinics.  In this time of high needs for medical personnel, they will be a great help to the COVID-19 response. As a result, they are an inspiration to upcoming military and Public Health forces with their continued determination to combat national disasters.

Reaction: It was surprising to come across this news article because I wouldn't expect soldiers to be able to take an essential part against fighting coronavirus. Then, I was reminded that behind every nation's front line, there is a team of medical soldiers as well, to assist them in times of danger. Most of the 9,000 soldiers that volunteered were retired, so it was astonishing for me to see them still standing up for the country, adding on to the years of service they've already provided to the United States.

Connection to U.S. History: In 1942, Congress passed a law that established WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services. This forged a place for women in the military and deemed them as essential for assistance in the war. This relates to the nationalism former soldiers embody for the country today; at desperate times, volunteers are the one that can step up to help the country recover. 

Question: Is it worth it for the United States to spend time on retraining these soldiers for the crisis? Should their patriotic acts be repaid in anyway, even though it was voluntary? Do you think there are other ways to add more medical personnel to help those tested positive for the virus? 

Fox Business Parts Ways with Trish Regan, Host Who Dismissed Coronavirus as 'Impeachment Scam'

              Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/27/media/trish-regan-fox-news/index.html

Summary: With coronavirus killing more and more people throughout the world, news reporter Trish Regan of Fox claims it is nothing but a scam. She says that coronavirus is a trick to criticize and paint President Trump as a monster. Therefore, she was faced with criticism and backlash, forcing Fox Business to dismiss her. Additionally, Fox News has been under attack because of its top hosts downplaying the epidemic as a way to impeach Trump.

Reaction: I'm so shocked at the fact that so many people are suffering from coronavirus and rely on the news to provide the truth to warn them about the seriousness of this issue, only for news reporters to say it is a farse. What political ploy is this extreme, to affect/kill thousands of people everywhere? 

Connection to US History: This relates to the Monica-Lewinsky affair with Bill Clinton in 1995 where although there was evidence of the affair already released to the public, Clinton denied any sexual interaction with the woman at first. However later he admitted to "inappropriate intimate physical contact". In this case, a person who is seen as a representation of the United States tried to downplay a clearly apparent affair, while today news reporters who are seen as reliant and providing the facts toward the public tried to censor and playoff something deadly like a joke. 

Questions: Why do you think these reporters or anybody would downplay the seriousness of such a severe issue? How can we prevent this type of censorship in further cases? In what cases, if any, is censorship ok?

Coronavirus Testing Kits and Equipment Remain in Short Supply

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/03/27/822939057/u-s-tops-100-000-coronavirus-cases-testing-kits-equipment-still-in-short-supply

Summary: Data from John Hopkins University showed that 101k+ people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 (as of 3/27), and more than 1,560 people have died. This means that the number of confirmed cases doubled from the number of cases three days ago, and the infection toll rose above that of Italy and China. VP Pence announced that 685,000 tests for the virus had been performed, and said that there would be airlifts of testing kits, ventilators and protective gear. FEMA is advising to have a plan to use the National Guard to move such equipment.

Reaction: In math class, I was to calculate the expected date U.S. would hit 100k cases based on available data (I got a later date), and this made me realize how quickly it will continue to accelerate. The idea of healthcare infrastructure being overwhelmed due to the brute amount of cases is very scary. Besides "flattening the curve" to reduce strain on healthcare equipment, I think the production and, importantly, widespread distribution of more equipment would help reduce the number of cases.

Connection: There was no vaccine/antibiotics (to treat secondary infections) available for the 1918 H1N1 virus (the "Spanish Flu" pandemic), so isolation, quarantine, good personal hygiene, use of disinfectants, and limitations of public gatherings was employed, although ineffectively to some degree. As of now, there is no vaccine for COVID-19 either, however, we are able to produce higher quality equipment, and science and technology will allow a vaccination to be produced eventually.

Questions:
1. Considering the amount of public safety measures (such as calls to stay home) put into place, are you shocked at the accelerating rate of infections?
2. What role will technology and production of equipment play into the eradication of COVID-19? Or, because of technological advancement, do you think the course of this pandemic will differ greatly from previous pandemics?

The U.S. Now Leads the World in Confirmed Coronavirus Cases

                   Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/health/usa-coronavirus-cases.html

Summary:   The United States became the country hardest hit by the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Until today, there are more than 81 thousand people who have been infected with the coronavirus and more than 1000 deaths in the US — more than China and other countries had reported. More than 160 million Americans asked to stay home to help to slow down the spread of this virus.

Reaction:  I think the reason why the US became the country hardest hit by the coronavirus is that most of the people aren’t taking coronavirus precautions seriously, especially the young people, because most of them think that they won’t get infected. 

Connection to U.S. history:  The 1918 flu pandemic (also known as the Spanish flu), wiped out more than 600 thousand American’s lives and infected more than 500 million people in the world (one-third of the world’s population). There were no effective drugs or vaccines to treat this flu at that time. 

Question:   The rate of transmission outside of China appears to be faster than China, do you think that the Chinese government hides their true number of confirmed cases (because the coronavirus started from China and China has the largest population in the world)? Explain.

Amazon warehouses are getting hit with corona virus cases

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/tech/amazon-workers-coronavirus/index.html

Summary : Many people that work in Amazon's warehouses have been tested positive with the virus. This has caused some locations to close while the others stay open. The virus has impacted Amazon by making many people rely on their delivery services because Americans are sheltering in place. Because of the sudden demand, Amazon is now hiring 100k new workers as if it were a seasonal period, and are increasing wages.  Many employees have accused the company of "recklessly endangering " employees by not giving them paid time off.  They are now fighting to have leave count separately from sick leave. Many workers have reported that the social distancing policies and the other safety precautions are not ideal in the workplace and that there is a lack of control about the situation. For example, only a few are washing their hands, Amazon didn't notify their workers about a person testing positive, and Amazon hasn't provided their workers with materials like face masks. 

Reaction: I understand that Amazon has to stay open due to the demand of materials like soap and toilet paper because many Americans like us, are sheltering in place. Unfortunately by having them deliver these materials, we are increasing the risk of getting the virus. Amazon employees could potentially have the virus and then pass it on to whoever receives the package. A solution to this that I  have recently been doing is that when we receive the package we leave it in an area that we don't touch for three days. This way we wait for the virus to die before touching anything that could put us at risk. 

Connection to U.S. History: The fact that workers are fighting for paid leave and that leave should be separate from sick leave relates to the National Labor Relations Board which was created from the Wagner Act. The National Labor Relations Board gave rights to bargain for wages, hours, and working conditions. 

Question: Do you think that opening up more jobs and putting more workers at risk of the virus to meet the supply and demand is worth it?  

Yellowstone joins growing list of national park closures

https://www.sfgate.com/news/medical/article/Yellowstone-Grand-Teton-join-national-parks-15153964.php

Summary: On Tuesday, March 24, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Great Smoky Mountains, all popular national parks, have closed temporarily. Parks like Great Smoky Mountains reach an attendance of about 30,000 different people per day, a dangerously high number despite the social distancing efforts across the country in response to the Coronavirus. After push from state officials to close the park, the National Park Service responded with these closures. This comes following the indefinite closures of other national parks such as Alcatraz, the Statue of Liberty, and Yosemite. For the parks that are still open, entrance fees have been waived to encourage people to leave their homes and “implement some social distancing”. This has led to more dangerous circumstances like crowds of people still showing up to popular hiking trails and overcrowding on special tours as people tried to attend them before they were shut down.

Reaction: What the National Park Service is doing makes sense for the most part. The popular parks and locations that attract a lot of people should be closed. What confuses me is their effort to promote social distancing while encouraging people to come to these open parks for free. 

Connection to U.S. History: The closure of these parks relates to certain responses to the 1918 Spanish Flu in America. At the time, it was up to individual cities to decide how to fight the flu. St. Louis, Missouri, for example, called for the closure of schools and other large gatherings, leading to their mortality rate to be a fraction of other cities.

Question: Is the National Park Service encouraging social distancing by letting people enter open parks for free? Is there a better way for them to combat the virus?

Quarantine for New Inmates: Coronavirus in Prisons

Feds to quarantine all new inmates for 14 days to try to guard against COVID-19 in its 122 prisons

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/03/24/coronavirus-bureau-prisons-quarantine-new-inmates-14-days/2908560001/

Summary: The Federal Bureau of Prisons is going to quarantine new inmates for 14 days all across the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus, due to both prisoners and staff beginning to test positive. The bureau has also stopped visitation and many prison transfers. The government is considering the release of nonviolent inmates, especially the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, to reduce the risk of a major outbreak. 

Reaction: With all this panic caused by the coronavirus, I hadn't even thought about what would happen in prisons. Inmates are crowded together in unsanitary spaces, and they don't have enough supplies to protect themselves with. Some facilities don't even have clean water supplies. It seems like once the virus starts spreading in a prison, it will be extremely difficult or even impossible to stop it; there are already staffing shortages and inadequate medical care. Quarantining new prisoners is a good way to keep infected people from bringing the virus into correctional facilities from outside, although I don't know if there will be enough space or resources to maintain that.

Connection to U.S. History: In 1918, the Spanish flu spread all over the world. The pandemic originated through overcrowding and poor conditions in WW1 army camps, where it developed rapidly and infected surrounding communities. This relates to the coronavirus in prisons today; inmates are at high risk of infection because of prison conditions.

Question: Do you think the quarantine of new inmates is a good idea? What, if anything, can be done to prevent the spread of the virus in prisons? Should nonviolent inmates be released to free up space?

Californian Sent to Prison for Being an Agent for China 

https://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/California-man-gets-prison-for-working-as-agent-15138043.php

Caption: U.S. attorney David Anderson announces criminal spy charges

Summary: On March 16, 2020, a former SF tour operator sentenced to four years in prison for working for China as an agent. Peng, the defendant, was approached by an official of the People’s Republic of China while on a business trip in 2015 and was asked to use his citizenship to aid the official. He used "dead drops"--booking hotel rooms, leaving for numerous hours, then retrieving electronic storage devices. Luckily, the dead drops never amounted to anything because the information given was by a double agent working for the US. 

Reaction: I am pleased that we have caught someone who has turned against the United States, and I'm sure there are many more out there that we have yet to catch. Nonetheless, it saddens me that countries like ours must resort to these tactics to get ahead of one another. It also frightens me that tactics used now don't even need the other countries' agents to be in the country to gain data.

Connection to US History: During WWII and the Cold War, there were many spies sent from both the US and the Soviet Union. There was much political and military tension between the two countries, preparing for an all-out nuclear war. Information on how the enemy was advancing was vital. 

Questions: What do you think about the US and other countries sending out spies to other countries? How far is too far when it comes to the strategies we use? How should we treat the spies that we catch in this country? 

Fake animal news abounds on social media as coronavirus upends life

Link: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-fake-animal-viral-social-media-posts/

Summary: Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, rumors on social media- specifically on the twitter platform- muse of animals reclaiming human-occupied locations that have been recently evacuated. These comments have been reported to be a fabrication of "joyous animal footage being an irresistible salve" during these overwhelming and uneasy times. For example, the event of swans returning to Venice's canals were stated as incorrect, as swans have always frequented the canals. Kaveri Ganapathy Ahuja, the person who released the tweet, claims that she simply saw some photos and decided to put them together, unaware of the entirety of the situation. Despite the controversy, Ahuja refuses to take down the post because of the underlying message that decreased human activities would, in fact, replenish the ecosystem and because of the mass amounts of likes and comments being her "personal record."

Reaction: Honestly, I cannot say I wasn't a bit disappointed when I found out that the rumored increasing animal activity were mostly fake. These posts give us much reassurance and hope, and it is nice to think that nature can replenish itself fairly quickly on its own. It's a heavy letdown to see the only "good news" actually turn out to be something completely false. This also applies with the mass hysteria of paper towel hoarding. This only goes to show how quick people- myself included- are to believe in anything when put in such unfamiliar and uncertain circumstances. I hope those who post these kind of comments are checking their credibility and acknowledge/correct themselves when they are wrong. It is in the responsibility of everyone to provide and seek factual statistics especially during dire times like these.

Connection to U.S. History: In 1798, Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Act to ban lies about the federal government, in fear of enemy spies infiltrating American society. However, the Supreme Court later ruled it as a violation of the First Amendment, which guarantees citizens the freedom of religion, expression, the press, and the right of the people to peacefully assemble. Violations of the first amendment include child pornography, obscenity, and threats, and does not explicitly mention defamation.

Question: What were your first impressions on these rumors? Did you believe it or were they mostly too good to be true? What can we do to prevent ourselves from mixing up fake news with real ones? What are some ways we can control the level of panic?

American Astronomy’s Future Goes on Trial in Washington

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/science/telescopes-decadal-survey-hawaii.html



Summary: The continuous funding for ongoing astronomical research has been going on for multiple decades now. The construction of two massive telescopes in Hawaii and in Chile have come to a hasty stop as the committees are being put on trial in Washington for funding reasons. Essentially, the successful construction of these telescopes would lead to pivotal progression in tackling deeper questions about the universe. However, the 20 year construction still requires monumental amounts of funding from the government. If the construction of these massive telescopes fail, Europe would reign dominant over the US in astronomy with their colossal lab in Chile.

Reaction: I am biased towards this matter as I believe that the government should always fund space research without holding back. The US government should continue funding astronomy as it can progress humanity with innovations as we have seen before. I see it only as advancement because learning about the cosmos can help us determine inhabitable planets for the foreseeable future.

Connection to US History: This relates to US History as the when US researchers lost to the Soviet Union during the Cold War in terms of landing on the moon first. Throughout the 20th century, space exploration became an immediate priority for presidents like John F. Kennedy in the post World War Two era as the Cold War gave reason for the US to collect information from soviets in time of nuclear weapon building.

Questions: What do you think about further funding in expensive projects in telescopes? Why? Do you think competition is necessary?

Trump Defends Using ‘Chinese Virus’ Label, Ignoring Growing Criticism

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/us/politics/china-virus.html



Caption: From the Washington Post, this image shows President Trump reading his speech with the last minute edit of replacing the word "Corona" with "Chinese" before the word virus.

Summary: President Trump defended calling the coronavirus the "Chinese Virus" and is ignoring the criticism that stems from the racist and anti-Chinese remark. This term has angered Chinese officials and increased tensions between the two countries. Trump told reports that attaching "China" to the name of the virus is an act to "combat a disinformation campaign promoted by Beijing officials that the American military was the source of the outbreak. He also defends the use of this word by pointing to the fact that the virus was first detected in China and that other illnesses such as the Ebola Virus and the West Nile Virus have also been named after places. Trump even agreed with the use of the phrase "Kung Flu" in the replacement of the coronavirus. Although many top officials and medical experts urge him not to use these words, he continues

Reaction: Given Trump's record of spinning important news into constant racial and ethnic remarks, I am not suprised. I also believe that this isn't the first racist comment he has made. As seen in the picture above, it seems that he personally adjusted the speech to replace the word "Corona" with "Chinese" in a last-minute edit. Coming from the president, these comments ignite racism in the already chaotic situation with the increase of violence against Asian and Asian Americans. China and the US are not exactly friends but more competitors especially when it comes to the economy so his finger-pointing strategy is not new but, in my opinion, very immature. And that's coming from a 16-year-old. 

Connection to U.S. History: The Chinese exclusion act was passed in 1882 under the Arthur Administration. President Arthur was the son of a Baptist preacher who had emigrated from northern Ireland. Because of the influx of immigrants from both China and Ireland, the Irish very much disliked the Chinese immigrants that threatened their already low-paying jobs. Arthur made many attempts to limit Chinese influence and wanted to bring an end to the Chinese Question. He did this by implementing the first general Federal immigration law completing excluding a race. Although Trump has not made any legislation like this, thank goodness, he has made many racist remarks against people of Chinese ancestry just as President Arthur did.

Questions: 

1.) Why do you think Trump continues the use the phrase "Chinese Virus" instead of "Corona Virus"?

2.) If Trump hadn't used this phrase, do you think the increased violence against Asian Americans would be at this degree? Why/Why not?

3.) As president, how would you defend yourself for using the phrase "Chinese Virus"? If you can't, why?

Public Transport Systems struggle during the Coronavirus Outbreak

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/us/coronavirus-buses-trains-detroit-boston.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage

Summary: Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, there is a drastic decrease in ridership across the country. This leads to concerns regarding the financial situation of public transport services since revenue is decreasing while the cost is increasing to sanitize trains, buses, and stations more often.

Bus drivers in Detroit refused to work because they think the city government has not done enough to ensure their safety. Meanwhile, in Boston where bus and train services are suddenly decreased overnight, riders were forced to take packed trains and reflected their frustrations by posting photographs on the internet. It has become a hard problem for city governments to keep the services running and find the appropriate frequency of buses/trains to ensure riders' safety but not lose too much money.

Reaction: I was shocked when bus services are completely shut down in cities like Detroit. Although many are encouraged or even required to stay home during this period. a lot of people still need to take public transit to work. The safety of riders and drivers is also really important and I sincerely hope city governments can do more to ensure everyone's safety and working conditions. 

Connection to US History: The work conditions for the bus drivers in Detroit are similar to the industrial workers during the Gilded Age. The bus drivers protested for a safer work environment and demand more actions from the government to ensure their safety. Similar actions also took place during the Gilded Age when workers often participate in strikes to look for better wages and safer work environments from monopolies or big businesses.

Question: How else can governments or public authorities ensure the safety of the ones who are still required to work outside during the outbreak?