As South African schools get ready to reopen – or not, depending on the outcome of the latest shenanigans involving teachers’ unions and others – parents are on the horns of a dilemma.
Do they send their children back to the classroom (presuming the reopening happens reasonably soon) and risk them being infected? Or do they keep them at home and opt for distance learning or home schooling instead?
And if the decision is to keep the kids at home for at least the remainder of this year, are parents going to do justice to them academically? Â
A quick digression here. Distance learning and home schooling are not the same thing. The Australians, who know a thing or two about distance learning having founded the famous Alice Springs-based School of the Air for outback children in the early 1950s, define it thus: home schooling is when you make, or buy, your own curriculum, says Rebecca English, a professor at Queensland University of Technology. Distance learning is when parents facilitate a curriculum of study that is already in place and applied uniformly across a specified area.
Many learners perform better away from class
But back to the point of whether parents can do justice to children academically by keeping them at home. According to preliminary studies coming out of the Australian state of Victoria, many learners have actually performed better in the distance education environment than in the traditional classroom.
Victoria’s education minister, Gayle Tierney, said last week that there were many instances during lockdown of students who were ‘disengaged’ during traditional schooling suddenly becoming ‘reengaged’ during distance learning.
Students who had previously been underperforming in the classroom environment had unexpectedly taken to the new approach imposed upon them by the shutdown of the school system and were now returning better-than-expected results, the minister noted during a briefing.
“Every principal I have spoken to, every teacher, talks about students who have reengaged,†she said. “Students who disengaged at school seven weeks ago (prior to the start of lockdown) are now embracing their learning.â€
She will now be ordering an independent inquiry into what distance education concepts can be incorporated into the usual school programme, and a summit of education leaders will be held next month to discuss the issue. Â
WEF also finds distance learning is effective
Meanwhile, information published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) indicates there is evidence that learning online can be more effective in a number of ways.
Some research shows that, on average, students retain 25-60% more material when learning online compared to only 8-10% in a classroom.
This is mostly due to the students being able to learn faster online. E-learning requires 40-60% less time to learn than in a traditional classroom setting because students can learn at their own pace, going back and re-reading, skipping, or accelerating through concepts as they choose.
Effectiveness varies by age group
“Nevertheless, the effectiveness of online learning varies amongst age groups. The general consensus on children, especially younger ones, is that a structured environment is required, because kids are more easily distracted,†the WEF says.
“To get the full benefit of online learning, there needs to be a concerted effort to provide this structure and go beyond replicating a physical class/lecture through video capabilities, instead, using a range of collaboration tools and engagement methods that promote inclusion, personalisation and intelligence.â€
Since studies have shown that children extensively use their senses to learn, making learning fun and effective through use of technology is crucial, says Mrinal Mohit of BYJU, an Indian educational technology and online tutoring firm which is now the world’s most highly valued education tech company.
“Over a period, we have observed that clever integration of games has demonstrated higher engagement and increased motivation towards learning, especially among younger students, making them truly fall in love with learningâ€, he says.
When Kentez Craig was a teenager, he was riding in the car with his father one day when they came upon a vehicle on fire along the side of the road. Craig’s dad, a paramedic, pulled the car to a stop and rushed out to help.
It was the kind of act that didn’t surprise Craig. He grew up listening to his parents, both paramedics, tell stories of responding to burning buildings and crushed cars. They instilled in him the importance of serving one’s community and never panicking in a crisis.
Seven years later, Craig’s dad, Kenneth, is working as an emergency room paramedic, now on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis in Georgia. Craig is a graduate student at Georgia Tech’s school of mechanical engineering.
Watching the pandemic ravage Atlanta, Craig said his parents’ devotion to public service inspired him to take action. Together with a small team of Georgia Tech faculty and students, he has spent the past two months working to design and build critical protective gear and medical equipment to help first responders battle COVID-19.
“I saw nothing better I could do to give back to people like my mom, my dad — who have been working in emergency services — and first responders on the real front lines of this,†Craig told NBC News.
Kentez Craig.Kentez Craig
Over the past few weeks, Craig’s team has provided thousands of face shields to medical facilities across the country, as well as roughly 200 intubation boxes, a protective barrier that shields health care workers from respiratory droplets when intubating patients, to Atlanta-area hospitals. And the face shield design they created has been used to produce nearly 2 million of them.
“If I had fireworks, I would have set them off,†said Kari Love, program director for infection prevention at Emory Healthcare, recalling its first delivery of face shields created at Georgia Tech. “It was an amazing feeling to see the smiles on the faces of the Emory staff who were receiving them.â€
Stepping up
The project began in mid-March as Atlanta was becoming a COVID-19 hot spot. An email circulated around Georgia Tech faculty members: What could they do to help?
Chris Saldana, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech, connected with an Emory Healthcare staff member through a mutual colleague, and they discussed what personal protective equipment the hospital needed. The most pressing need: face shields, plastic coverings that protect health care workers from respiratory droplets and extend the life of N95 masks.
“When we were talking with health care workers, we realized that the need was in the order of millions, and the need was in the order of weeks, if not days,†Saldana said.
After talking with Love and other health care professionals, Saldana gathered a team of Georgia Tech faculty members and student volunteers to get to work on a design for a face shield that could be built quickly but also easily mass produced to help with the national supply.
“Being a university, we’re very nimble. We can jump on the machines fairly quickly and actually produce components,†Saldana said.
Georgia Tech is home to one of the most robust student-run engineering makerspaces in the country, the Flowers Invention Studio, which Craig helps run during the school year. When Craig heard Saldana was looking to open the studio to build face shields, he immediately emailed Saldana that he wanted to be involved.
Together, over the course of three days, the team worked around the clock to produce a face shield using a laser cutter and water jet cutter. Craig said the days were long but the team’s camaraderie powered them through.
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“It was wild,†Craig said. “We would get there at 7 or 8 in the morning, then look up and it was 5 p.m. You would lose track of time.â€
Craig and Saldana (far right) pose with Georgia Tech’s president and faculty in front of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering after receiving a donation from Coca-Cola for 6,000 pounds of plastic to produce face shields.Chris Saldana
Craig, who specializes in water jet machining, said the process is much faster than 3D printing, which some other universities had been using to create face shields.
“Because of the capability we have, we were able to crank out a lot more early on and get them into the hands of health care providers to make sure we got their feedback,†Craig said.
They worked closely with local health care workers at Emory University Hospital and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to create a design that was comfortable, easy to clean and fully protective. A nonprofit affiliated with Georgia Tech, the Global Center for Medical Innovation, also provided input to ensure the design was scalable to mass manufacture.
Within one week, the team had built more than 5,000 face shields and personally delivered them to hospitals across Atlanta.
Dr. Jeremy Collins, executive vice chair of anesthesiology at Emory, said the face shields have been “huge†in protecting his colleagues as they treat people with the coronavirus.
“At the start of the pandemic, there was quite a lot of fear and concern that, as anesthesiologists, we were putting our heads into the lion’s mouth because we were the closest to the danger,†Collins said. “We quickly realized we needed to have more coverage on our faces.â€
Collins said the unique face shield design is not only fully protective, but also comfortable to wear and durable enough to sustain several weeks of use and rounds of disinfectant.
Dr. Devin Weinberg (left) and Dr. Sean Kelly (right), assistant professors of anesthesia at Emory University Hospital, pose with their first delivery of face shields from Georgia Tech.Jeremy Collins
National impact
Since the first deliveries to Atlanta-area hospitals, Georgia Tech’s unique design has taken off.
In April, after the Food and Drug Administration released an emergency use authorization for the mass production of face shields, the school partnered with manufacturer Siemens to begin mass producing its design. To date, Siemens has supplied the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency with 100,000 face shields to distribute across the state.
GCMI passed the design on to other manufacturers — including Delta, ExxonMobil and Kia Motors — that are now helping produce the shields and distribute them across the country. Large corporations, including Coca-Cola, have donated supplies to manufacture the shields.
Georgia Tech has also posted the design on its rapid response website for open use. Since April 13, the designs have been downloaded roughly 1,400 times, the school said. Saldana estimates there have now been almost 1.8 million face shields delivered to health care workers in the past few weeks.
Proud parents
Craig’s work hasn’t stopped with the face shield. Over the past two months, he’s been involved with multiple COVID-19 projects at Georgia Tech, including an intubation box and ventilator.
Working again with Saldana, Craig helped create a foldable intubation chamber, a clear barrier device that protects health care workers from respiratory droplets while intubating critically ill people who have the coronavirus. More than 100 of the devices have been shipped to Emory University Hospital. Other Atlanta-area hospitals say they are also considering using the boxes, which received FDA emergency use authorization at the end of April.
Collaborating with another Georgia Tech faculty member, Shannon Yee, Craig also created a low-cost, portable emergency ventilator that the team hopes will be a solution for developing countries that are responding to COVID-19.
Prototype of the ventilator Craig helped build with Shannon Yee.Georgia Institute of Technology
“Kentez has been a huge asset for all our efforts,†Saldana said. “He’s one of the most capable in this space. He’s someone you can rely on and has threaded every project that has come out of the Flowers Studio.â€
Craig said seeing his work make an impact for health care providers has been “an honor.â€
“They’re the silent heroes. They’re looked up to, but I feel like they don’t often get the support they deserve,†Craig said. “If I can make their day a little bit better and a little bit safer, I’m grateful for the opportunity to do such a thing.â€
Craig’s parents, Jackie and Kenneth, say they couldn’t be prouder of their son.
“It brings me to tears, joyful tears,†said Jackie, who worked as a paramedic for 27 years. “Whatever joy he’s brought us is far greater than we could have ever given him.â€
Kenneth, who currently works as a paramedic at Eastside Medical Center, said he’s “ecstatic†to see his son giving back to the community.
“Words can’t express how proud I am,†Kenneth said. “It makes me feel wonderful because he’s saving my colleagues in the field.â€
Craig, who will be pursuing a doctorate in mechanical engineering next year, said the experience of using his passion for engineering to honor his parents was incredibly rewarding.
“It makes you feel honored and like I’m doing something important and worthwhile,†Craig said. “I look forward to any work we get to do in the future, getting back to my email and figuring out what’s next.â€
Dominic Raab has said he had no idea Dominic Cummings was self-isolating with coronavirus outside London, even though this coincided with Raab being the stand-in prime minister during Boris Johnson’s illness.
The foreign secretary, who is also Johnson’s effective deputy, said it was possible he only knew about Cummings’ trip with his family to Durham when he first read about it in the media.
“I’m not sure,†Raab said when asked on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday show when he first knew about the 260-mile journey. “But to be honest with you, when the story broke was when I first became aware of the detail of it.â€
Raab took over from Johnson when the prime minister was moved into intensive care with serious coronavirus symptoms on 6 April, when Cummings and his family were still in Durham.
Asked what he knew, Raab said: “I just knew he was out of action because he had come down with coronavirus and given the scenario we were in, with the prime minister taken ill, and very seriously ill as it later emerged, I was just focused with the government and with a great cabinet team on making sure we continued to focus relentlessly on dealing with the virus.
“I mean I knew Dom was unwell and he was out of action, and obviously I wanted him and the prime minister to get well soon, but I wasn’t focused on his movements at all and I wasn’t aware of them.â€
Asked if that meant he first learned of the trip when the Guardian and Daily Mirror broke the story, Raab said: “I wouldn’t be able to say with any precision, I want to be able to give you a really accurate, reliable answers, but at the time, I wasn’t aware of it except to know that he was unwell, out of action.
“To be honest with you, I didn’t enquire as to his own personal circumstances. I was just getting on with the job.â€
The Guardian is investigating how the UK government prepared for – and is responding to – the coronavirus pandemic. We want to learn more about recent decisions taken at the heart of government. If you’re a whistleblower or source and with new information, you can email investigations@theguardian.com or (using a non-work phone) send us a Signal or WhatsApp to this number (UK) +44 7584 640566. (The number does not take calls.) For the most secure communications, use SecureDrop and for general advice on confidentially contacting the Guardian see our guide.
His comments came as fresh questions emerged about one aspect of Cummings’ time in Durham, with witnesses saying they saw Johnson’s chief adviser walking around Barnard Castle on 12 April, Easter Sunday.
Cummings’ 60-mile round trip from his father’s estate in Durham to the town, with his wife and son, is already central to claims he broke lockdown rules, which have brought widespread calls for him to resign.
In his highly unusual Downing Street press conference last Monday, Cummings said he took the trip to see if his eyes had properly recovered from Covid-19 so he could drive back to London, and that he and his family only stopped briefly.
However, the Sunday Times said two more witnesses say they spotted Cummings, his wife and young son. One said she saw them walking around the town, something Cummings said they did not do. Another said they saw him walking on a river path.
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Notwithstanding the initial price tags, the stunning Samsung Galaxy S20 range of phones continues to set a high standard. The Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, and Galaxy S20 Ultra all showcase powerful cameras. The S20 and the S20 Plus have almost the same camera configurations, including a 12MP main camera, a 64MP telephoto camera, a 12MP wide-angle camera, and a 10MP selfie camera.
The other specs of the Galaxy S20 are equally impressive. The smaller S20 model features a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, 12GB of RAM, and a 4,000mAh battery. The ample 128GB storage is also expandable to up to 1TB — large enough for an insane number of selfies.
To learn more about the Galaxy S20, check out our related coverage below.
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Depending on where you live, you might be still dealing with a COVID-19 lockdown. Not being able to go out to restaurants, hit the beach, or even go to a concert can be frustrating. There is a silver lining though: you have tons of time to watch some lockdown movies! As such, we thought we’d put together a list of the best movies to watch during the lockdown as chosen by us, the staff here at Android Authority.
We did have two criteria for our picks, though: the movie needed to be currently streaming on a popular platform and it needed to be something pretty much anyone would enjoy. As such, you won’t find any arthouse fare or grim horror films here — these are the best streaming movies only the biggest curmudgeon would have a problem with.
If you have a suggestion you’d like to add to this list of the best lockdown movies, hit up the comments!
The 2007 comedy film Hot Fuzz is the second feature in the loosely connected Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (the first being Shaun of the Dead and the third being The World’s End). One of the best movies to watch online right now on any platform, it centers on an ambitious and fussy city police officer (Simon Pegg). He gets reassigned by jealous colleagues to a small English village. There, he and his bumbling partner (Nick Frost) begin investigating a series of strange deaths.
The movie acts as a parody of action film tropes with multiple references to the biggest action flicks of all time, especially Point Break and Bad Boys.
Here’s what Chris had to say about his favorite lockdown movie:
It’s my go-to sick movie. The perfect satire of the grimdark cop film.
Since Monty Python’s Life of Brian is heralded as such a classic now, it’s easy to forget that the film was incredibly controversial when it came out. In fact, multiple countries outright banned the film for decades. It may have lost its dangerous bite over the years since, but it certainly hasn’t become any less funny, and it is easily one of the best movies to watch on Netflix at the moment.
If you haven’t seen this film somehow, it centers on the titular character Brian who is a Jewish man born on the same day and in the same general vicinity as Jesus Christ. What follows is the usual absurdity you would expect from the Monty Python troupe as Brian makes his way through history.
Here’s what Oliver had to say about his favorite lockdown movie:
What better way to cheer yourself up during lockdown than watching the funniest film ever made? Holy Grail is there if you want something a little more irreverent, but Brian is Python at its best. “Always look on the bright side of life,†has never felt more appropriate.
Even if you somehow aren’t a fan of The Matrix, there’s no denying its massive influence on not only film but the cultural zeitgeist. Bullet-time, “hacking The Matrix,†cool-ass sunglasses, and even “Whoa†are all forever tied to this movie.
If you haven’t ever seen this, one of the best movies to watch on Netflix, you are truly missing out. It’s as action-packed as it gets while still taking time to build characters you truly care about — as well as some villains you’ll never forget. Oh, and don’t forget the soundtrack, which is pure 90s hard rock electronica bliss.
Here’s what John had to say about it:
It still holds up over 20 years after its release, with great characters, action, visuals, and quotable lines. It may be close to a perfect movie.
Jimmy is easily the biggest Star Wars geek on staff here, so it’s unsurprising he picked Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi as his favorite lockdown movie. The second film in the sequel trilogy, it finds our hero Rey training with the legendary Luke Skywalker. Meanwhile, antagonist Kylo Ren starts to have doubts about his role as a Sith leader.
If you’re not already a Star Wars fan or feel like you don’t know enough about the series to understand the eighth film in the saga, don’t worry: as long as you understand the basic gist of the fantasy universe, you’ll be able to follow along just fine. Remember that Disney owns Star Wars now, so this is actually one of the best Disney movies to watch, as well as one of the best lockdown films.
Here’s what Jimmy had to say about his favorite lockdown movie:
The Last Jedi is one of my favorite movies of all time. Between Luke Skywalker’s character development, all of the Rey/Kylo dialogue, and Leia being a badass leader, The Last Jedi is exactly what I wanted out of a Star Wars movie. It challenges the characters in ways I didn’t know I needed!
Before director James Cameron took us out to sea with Titanic, he made a much different film about the ocean. ;The Abyss is probably his least-successful film ever and is often overshadowed by the unbridled successes of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Aliens, and of course Avatar. However, it deserves much more attention!
After a US submarine carrying nuclear weaponry goes down in the deep, a ragtag group of oil drillers is called upon by their country to assist the military operation to recover the weapons and help any possible survivors. While the mission progresses, the team realizes it isn’t the only group down there. What follows is not only a terrific action/sci-fi film but also a brilliant treatise on humanity and our connection to our planet. It’s truly one of the best movies to watch anywhere!
Here’s what C. Scott Brown (wait, that’s me!) had to say about his favorite lockdown movie:
Everything about this movie is top-notch. The direction, acting, screenplay, and even the decades-old effects are best-in-class. Michael Biehn, in particular, plays one of the best villains of cinema here, as far as I’m concerned. Don’t miss this one! Also, be sure to read all about the making of the film, which is almost as thrilling as the movie itself.
As long as there have been humans, there’s been the desire to climb mountains. The Australian documentary film Mountain, which Adam has chosen as his favorite lockdown movie, uses stunning visuals and poetry readings to tell the story between man and mountains.
With beautiful orchestral music played by the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Willem Dafoe as narrator, Mountain lets you escape the confines of lockdown and see the beauty of nature as if you were there first-hand. It’s one of the best movies to watch on Netflix right now.
Here’s what Adam had to say about his favorite lockdown movie:
This is a documentary about mountains that is way more of an artistic film than it is a political statement. It’s beautifully shot, beautifully scored, and even has Willem Dafoe narrating it with poetry. What more could you want? It has become the background scenery to my quarantine.
Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
Chosen by: Matt Horne, Deals Editor
The 2017 Fyre Festival was supposed to be the ultra-elite music festival that put other events to shame. Marketed as a festival just for the wealthy and promoted by influencers, musicians, and celebrities, it turned out that it was actually a fraudulent enterprise created by a conniving “entrepreneur.†Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened is a documentary telling the insane story behind the notorious festival.
The documentary gives you a full behind-the-scenes look at how the festival came to be through interviews with the people involved. It also gives direct accounts of the derelict “festival†that people found when they arrived at the quickly canceled event. It’s all quite shocking but acts as a perfect send-up of the wealth disparity and obsession with elitism we have as a society.
Here’s what Matt had to say about his favorite lockdown movie:
It’s joyous to watch because it’s such an audacious f*** up. I’m pretty sure the reason it’s so enjoyable is that there are almost no characters in it you feel sorry for — the organizers, all the influencers, etc. Only the island residents get screwed.
Sometimes, an acting performance is so good that it elevates a film to dizzying heights. The performance of J.K. Simmons in Whiplash is one such example of this. Even though the film itself is a pretty straightforward story, Simmons’ role as an absolutely brutal music teacher is something acting classes will be talking about for decades. Without him, this film very likely wouldn’t be on this list of the best lockdown movies we here at Android Authority love.
All that shouldn’t detract from the film itself, though. The writing and direction are top-notch and Miles Teller’s turn as the jazz drummer who faces the bulk of Simmons’ brutality is also incredible.
Check out what David had to say about his favorite lockdown movie:
I’m a big fan of music films and I used to play drums in a lot of jazz bands. It’s a really intense movie with a lot of twists. The director wanted the film to feel like a boxing movie, and the editing reflects that perfectly.
When director David Fincher announced that he would be making a film telling the story of Facebook with Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails in charge of the score, people were dumbfounded. Fincher is known for his meticulously dark style and Reznor is equally famous for his brutal intensity. What were these two artists doing making a Facebook movie?
Once The Social Network came out, though, all was made clear. Not only was it some of the best work from literally everyone involved in its creation, but it succeeded in pulling back the veil on Facebook and social media in general, exposing the dirty truths behind our global obsession.
This isn’t just one of the best streaming movies on this list, but one of the best films ever made.
Here’s what Ryan-Thomas had to say about his favorite lockdown movie:
My favorite film of all time. The story, the shots, the acting. Love it.
One of the most annoying tropes in the movie industry is “the sports film.†You know the one: a young sports player who has the odds stacked against them tries their hardest to make the team/win the championship, and that they do. Rocky, The Karate Kid, Rudy — the list goes on forever.
Thankfully, Moneyball is the rare sports film that gives you all the feel-good emotions you expect from the tired formula while also delivering a great film that even people who hate sports will love. Even if you ignore the incredible (true!) story, the acting here is absolutely stellar. The fact that Jonah Hill didn’t win an Oscar for his performance here is a true crime as his subdued acting pretty much single-handedly elevates this film.
Here’s what Joe had to say about his favorite lockdown movie:
One of the worst parts of the pandemic for a lot of folks is a lack of sports, especially baseball because not a single game has been played in 2020 so far. Moneyball is a movie about the 2002 Oakland Athletics, a team with no budget that decided to hire players based on stats instead of star power.
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Chosen by: Adamya Sharma, Editor
At this point, the terms “feel-good film†and “dog movie†are essentially synonymous. The Art of Racing in the Rain knows how to tug on your heartstrings like any good dog movie does, but it thankfully doesn’t descend into campiness or saccharine overload.
Our own Adamya Sharma is a big fan of dog films. Here’s what she had to say about her favorite lockdown movie:
If you’re a dog person, this movie is for you. It spans the life and times of a golden retriever named Enzo — dog and friend to a professional race car driver. The entire narrative is viewed from the four-legged creature’s perspective as he grows older and sees his master transition from a single guy to a married man, and subsequently, a father. It’s one of those feel good, heart-warming stories that you’ve come to expect from great canine movies like Hachi and Marley & Me. A fun watch for the entire family, with a great ending.
When you have a film series with more than 20 movies, dozens of television episodes, and decades of comic book lore behind it, how do you close it out? That was the predicament the creators of Avengers: Endgame faced, and they surprisingly pulled it off.
Granted, if you haven’t been following along with the Avengers and their world-saving saga, you might be a bit lost here. However, if you just want tons of action and awesome special effects, you can’t go wrong with this one. If you’re feeling ambitious, though, you could just run the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe series and then cap it off with this. If you’re in lockdown, you’ve certainly got the time!
Here’s how Eric very succinctly sums up his favorite lockdown movie:
It’s epic!
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story
Chosen by: David Nguyen, Affiliate lead
Remember “the sports film†trope mentioned in the Moneyball section? It can be fun when movies satirize the predictability of those films, and that’s exactly what DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story does.
Granted, the humor in DodgeBall is over-the-top and might not be for everyone. However, if you’re a fan of Vince Vaughan, Ben Stiller, and the irreverent comedy of films like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Wedding Crashers, and Balls of Fury, you’ll absolutely love this one.
Here’s what David had to say about his favorite lockdown movie:
One of my all-time favorite comedy movies. Ben Stiller and his casts are all an absolute joy to watch in this film. There are so many relatable and quotable moments that I still refer to this day.
Clue
Chosen by: Sam Moore, Editor
You probably have a favorite film with some great lines. You know the one: that film where there are certain bits of dialog that are ingrained in your brain. Well, for a lot of people, the full 96 minutes of Clue are exactly that.
Based on the board game of the same name, Clue is a murder mystery farce that is so well-written, so well-acted, and so drop-dead funny that it needs to be seen to be believed. You need to pay attention though since the jokes come fast and they are dry as a bone. If you don’t listen and watch intently, you could miss them.
Here’s what Sam had to say about his favorite lockdown movie:
Murder mysteries offer a setup where everything is complicated, rife with intrigue, and ultimately neatly solvable in a way that still treats the audience intelligently. That’s pretty appealing to me these days (go figure). Clue happens to be basically the best one ever made. Plus, it’s hilarious.
Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics
Chosen by: Sarah Clary, Campaign Media Operations
Despite the lack of legal status for psychedelic drugs, more and more research suggests there could be incredibly beneficial qualities to things like “magic†mushrooms and LSD. In the documentary Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics, host Nick Offerman talks with dozens of celebrities about their first trips.
With the help of animation, some of the trip stories are visualized on screen as they’re described. It’s not only an interesting look at psychedelics but also a cool behind-the-scenes look at the personal lives of some mega-famous people.
Here’s what Sarah had to say about her favorite lockdown movie
Nick Offerman hosts this anecdotal anthology featuring tales by the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Sting, Carrie Fisher, and Sarah Silverman. The documentary is charming and a bit meandering but also thoughtful. And you can see Haley Joel Osment dressed as a character from Pretty in Pink.
Looking for other suggestions? Check out some of our more conventional best streaming movies lists below!
For a four-day workweek, this past one sure felt long. Catch up on what you missed in the business and tech worlds, and get some rest this weekend.
What’s Up? (May 24-30)
Trump Takes On Twitter
President Trump’s feud with his favorite communication platform is getting ugly. This past week, he signed an executive order to slash legal protections for social media companies, claiming that Twitter has “unchecked power†after it flagged two of his tweets with fact-check labels. Twitter’s spokesman said that the tweets, in which Mr. Trump made false claims about mail-in voting, “contain potentially misleading information about the voting process and have been labeled to provide additional context.†It was the first time the company put warnings on Mr. Trump’s posts, but it wasn’t the last. Early on Friday, the president tweeted that demonstrators in Minneapolis were “THUGS†after protests had escalated there over the death of a black man, George Floyd, while in police custody. Mr. Trump then threatened that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.†Twitter said his post violated its rules about glorifying violence. But rather than take it down (the normal protocol for such violations), the company put up a “public interest notice†that cautions users about the post’s content before they read it.
Speaking of Social Media …
… and partisanship, and discord: For the past two years, Facebook has been studying whether its algorithms make people more polarized. The researchers concluded that it does, and recommended changes to the company’s systems to steer people away from echo chambers that promote an “us versus them†mentality. But the company’s top executives decided not to adopt most of the proposed changes. After all, when people get riled up, they tend to rant and comment on their feeds — which ultimately boosts Facebook’s business, even if it narrows people’s worldviews.
Not So Special Anymore
For the past few months, tensions between China and the United States have revolved around the coronavirus. Now that bad blood is drifting back to trade, by way of Hong Kong. China has been tightening its grip on Hong Kong for years, and on Thursday, it passed a new law to allow its strict security agencies to operate more widely and openly in the city, quashing the liberties of its residents. In response, Mr. Trump announced on Friday that the United States would no longer consider Hong Kong to be significantly autonomous from China. That’s a big deal for Hong Kong’s economy, which has previously been exempt from the Trump administration’s tariffs on Chinese goods. It may not get those special privileges anymore.
What’s Next? (May 31-June 6)
A Long Way to Go
Even as more states allow businesses to reopen, the economy remains crippled. An additional 2.1 million people filed unemployment claims last week, bringing the jobless count above 40 million — the equivalent of one out of every four workers. And the real number may be even higher, as many unemployment offices are severely backlogged. To make matters even more precarious, many of the aid programs that Congress passed in March are winding down. As a stopgap, the House passed a bipartisan bill on Thursday that would give small businesses more time and flexibility to use their aid money. But the legislation faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
The New Office
Just as you’ve finally gotten used to working from home (don’t forget to add that new printer to your tax write-offs), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its recommended protocols for the safest way for employers to reopen their offices. If companies follow them, then workers would be checked for coronavirus symptoms whenever they come in, sit six feet away from colleagues and possibly have plastic shields between desks.
What Else?
In this weird new reality, it’s almost comforting to know that some things haven’t changed — like the standoff over Brexit. Negotiations resume this week, but the process remains deadlocked. Meanwhile, Instagram announced updates that will help creators profit from their audiences. And HBO released its new streaming service, HBO Max, to better compete with its rival Netflix.
Despite President Donald Trump’s supporters being more excited to vote than Joe Biden’s, the presumptive Democratic nominee holds a polling lead over him ahead of the November election.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll saw 53 percent of those surveyed say they would back Biden versus Trump, while 40 percent said they would vote the other way if the election were between the two. Those numbers show Biden up from 50 percent and Trump down from 44 compared to a previous poll.
The latest research was conducted by telephone between May 25 and 28, among a random national sample of 1,001 adults. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent. The prior poll referenced was conducted in March.
Among registered voters, Biden’s lead was slimmer at 10 points, with 53 percent compared to Trump’s 43.
Respondents were asked: If the 2020 presidential election were being held today and the candidates were (Donald Trump, the Republican) and (Joe Biden, the Democrat), for whom would you vote? Would you lean toward (Trump) or (Biden)?
Democratic presidential hopeful former US vice president Joe Biden in the 11th Democratic Party 2020 presidential debate in a CNN Washington Bureau studio in Washington, DC on March 15, 2020. Recent polling has given him a lead over President Donald Trump. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Supporters of each candidate were also asked how enthusiastic they were to vote, with Trump’s backers more excited than Biden’s, according to the Washington Post-ABC poll.
Of those who said they would go for Trump, 87 percent said they were enthusiastic to do so, with 64 percent saying very and 23 somewhat.
While for Biden 74 percent said they were enthusiastic, 31 very and 43 somewhat.
President Donald Trump speaks to SpaceX employees after viewing the successful launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the manned Crew Dragon spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center on May 30, 2020. His approval rating has dipped amid the COVID-19 crisis, according to a recent poll. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
In polling conducted by Massachusetts Emerson College for 7News from May 5 to 6, 48 percent of those intending to vote Trump said they were “extremely excited” to support him, while 24 percent of those planning to back Biden felt that way. The poll was conducted among 740 people in Massachusetts.
The gap between Biden and Trump comes amid declining approval of the president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Washington Post-ABC poll showed 53 percent asked disapprove of how the president is handling the outbreak, 43 strongly and 10 somewhat, with 46 approving.
This coincided with Trump’s overall approval rating also sliding, with 53 percent asked stating they disapproved of how he is handing his job as president, 42 strongly and 11 somewhat. In contrast, 45 percent said they approved, 32 strongly and 12 somewhat.
That is up from 46 percent disapproving in a previous poll in March, while his approval was down from 48.
The FiveThirtyEight Trump rating tracker puts his average disapproval at 53.3 percent as of Sunday, with his approval at 43.1 percent.
Newsweek has contacted the White House and the Biden campaign for comment on the latest polling.
With the coronavirus crisis and the economy, which has been hit massively due to COVID-19, both key concerns for American voters, those topics look set to define the upcoming election.
However, Ken Farnaso, deputy press secretary for Trump’s re-election campaign, dismissed that polling.
In an emailed statement to Newsweek, he said: “Polling has consistently proved that the mainstream media, Democrats, and so-called political consultants will always underestimate President Trump’s ability to connect with the American people.”
SYDNEY — Australia has stuck its neck out just as China is in a head-chopping mood. So where’s the EU when Canberra needs it?
With the world teetering on the edge of a pandemic-induced economic meltdown, Australia, the world’s 13th-largest economy already on the ropes after years of drought and a horrific fire season, now finds itself squaring off against the world’s No. 2 super-power.
As China threatens to attack Taiwan and pledges retaliation against any country that questions its coronavirus response, Australia this week, along with the U.S., U.K. and Canada, called out the Chinese government over a new national security law in Hong Kong they say is in direct conflict with Beijing’s international obligations.
Australia was also the first country to call for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic amid concerns about transparency from Beijing, leading to economic retribution as China slapped trade tariffs on Canberra.
But the EU seems in no hurry to rush in behind its ally in engaging with Beijing. There could even be an upside for the bloc if Australia remains weakened, as Brussels and Canberra look to conclude a free-trade deal later this year.
Money talks
European foreign ministers met Friday to reach a common position on China, issuing a statement expressing “grave concern†at its crackdown on Hong Kong. At a press conference afterward, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, acknowledged that “the autonomy of Hong Kong has been really weakened.â€
But asked whether China’s moves against Hong Kong put at risk the EU’s investment deals with Beijing, Borrell was unequivocal in his answer: “No.â€
Will there be sanctions? “Only one country made reference to the question of sanctions,†Borrell said, referring to Sweden. (The EU’s decision not to use its leverage as the world’s biggest trade bloc comes in stark contrast to the U.S., which is threatening trade measures if Beijing proceeds with imposing national security laws.)
And Brussels is moving forward with plans for an EU-China summit in Leipzig in September. “As long as the pandemic allows for it to take place, it will take place,†Borrell said.
“We will continue trying to put pressure on the Chinese authorities in order to make them aware that this issue will affect the way we deal with some of the issues of mutual interest. But there is nothing more on the agenda,†he said.
Translation: If the EU ever gets off the fence, it’ll have an ass full of splinters.
Tensions between Beijing and Australia’s conservative government, meanwhile, have been simmering since 2016, when Canberra blocked bids by two Chinese companies for electricity distributor Ausgrid over national security concerns, before later banning telecoms firm Huawei from its 5G network in 2018.
In April, things reached boiling point when Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne called for an urgent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus outbreak, to be run independently of the World Health Organization.
The EU, for its part, effectively hung Australia out to dry at the WHO’s World Health Assembly in May, derailing Canberra’s call (with the U.S.) for an independent probe into the coronavirus outbreak by negotiating a compromise counter-proposal with Beijing.
In an editorial published Wednesday, the Global Times, a mouthpiece of the Chinese government, warned ominously: “If Australia keeps angering China, China should give it a lesson much heavier than tariffs on barley.â€
“Europe might be the last global power to help Australia out on beef.†— Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, head of the Brussels-based ECIPE think tank.
Asked to comment on Beijing’s pressure on Australia, Virginie Battu-Henriksson, the EU’s spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy said: “The European Union is a staunch supporter of open and fair trade within a rules-based, multilateral trading system. We encourage all countries to avoid barriers to free and open trade and escalating tensions, in particular at a time when our efforts should be concentrated on fighting the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences.â€
David, meet Goliath
A trade war with China is no fun for anyone, but it’s especially problematic for Australia. Unlike the EU and the U.S., which both run large deficits, Australia has a significant trade surplus with the country.
China is the destination for over a third of Australia’s exports. It buys over 80 percent of iron ore exports; a third of its liquefied natural gas (LNG); three-quarters of its wool; over a third of its alcoholic beverages; and until very recently, 57 percent of its barley and a quarter of its beef. Chinese citizens account for about a third of Australia’s overseas students and tourists.
China’s Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye gave an indication of the stakes when he told the Australian Financial Review in April that, in the long term, people in China may start to ask, “‘Why we should go to such a country while it’s not so friendly to China?’
“The tourists may have second thoughts. Maybe the parents of the students would also think whether this place, which they find is not so friendly, even hostile, is the best place to send their kids to … And also, maybe the ordinary people will think ‘why they should drink Australian wine or eat Australian beef?â€
Canberra doesn’t need to look far for examples of what happens when Beijing’s feelings get hurt.
China froze relations with Oslo for six years after a committee appointed by the Norwegian parliament awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. Beijing took a year for it to get over South Korea’s decision to host a U.S. missile shield. And Canada is still feeling the heat over the arrest of senior Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018.
The Chinese embassy in Australia did not respond to a request for an interview for this article.
Trade ain’t free
If China stops buying Australia’s beef, barley and wine, perhaps the EU, a fellow champion of the “rules-based global order,†will step in to lend a hand?
“Europe might be the last global power to help Australia out on beef,†said economist Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, the head of the Brussels-based ECIPE think tank.
Australia’s hormone-free beef imports into the EU are subject to a quota, which the EU has been cutting in favor of the U.S. since last year. The 2020 limit is now almost fully used up, according to people briefed on the matter, and Brussels hasn’t discussed expanding it.
EU high representative Josep Borrell | Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images
Negotiators recently completed their (virtual) seventh round of negotiations on an EU-Australia trade deal. While the Aussies insist the current trade spat with China has no direct impact on talks with Brussels, it’s hard to imagine the pressure to find new buyers for its farmers isn’t weighing on minds.
“Australia obviously wants access to those [EU] markets as a major agricultural exporter, and it will be more interested in that given what’s going on with China,†said Roland Rajah, the lead international economist at the Lowy Institute think tank. “We’ll be hoping for some level of solidarity” from the EU, Rajah said.
“Desperation would be overstating it, but [the trade spat with China] weakens our bargaining position,” said Saul Eslake, an independent economist and vice chancellor’s fellow at the University of Tasmania.
Mutually assured destruction
Still, there’s reason to hope Beijing may back off from a full-scale trade war with Canberra.
China is already engaged in battle with U.S. President Donald Trump in response to its moves on Hong Kong and handling of the coronavirus crisis. It’s still reeling from the economic toll of the pandemic. And while China is Australia’s largest trading partner and its biggest export market, the relationship is co-dependent.
When it comes to Australia’s top three exports to China — iron ore, coal and natural gas — Beijing doesn’t have good alternatives.
“They take 40 percent of our exports, but we provide the majority of their iron ore imports, we provide almost half of their coal imports, many of their gas imports,†said Lowy’s Rajah.
“If they wanted to damage us in a major way, they could. But to hit us where it really hurts they would have to hit themselves where it really hurts too.â€
Jakob Hanke Vela contributed reporting.
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MILAN — Ferruccio Ferragamo, chairman of Salvatore Ferragamo SpA, and Guido Damiani, president of the namesake jewelry company, were named Cavaliere del Lavoro, or Knight of Labour, on Saturday. This is one of the highest recognitions bestowed by the president of the Italian Republic, currently Sergio Mattarella.
Along with Ferragamo and Damiani, 23 other Italian entrepreneurs were honored with the title, including Silvia Stein, president of Italian knitwear company Maglificio Miles SpA, which manufactures for high-end fashion brand including Valentino, Bottega Veneta and Lanvin; and Giuseppe Maiello, founder and executive vice president of Gargiulo & Maiello SpA, a Napoli-based company distributing personal care and beauty products founded in 1968, which now counts 120 directly operated stores, 80 of which under the Idea Bellezza banner.
Ferragamo made headlines earlier this week, after the family company recruited seasoned executive Michele Norsa, who returned to the company he left in 2016 as executive deputy chairman, assuming the executive powers previously exercised by Ferruccio Ferragamo.
Established in 1901 by King Vittorio Emanuele III, the Cavaliere del Lavoro title recognizes Italian entrepreneurs who have distinguished themselves in different sectors of the economy and contributed to social development, employment, technology and the growth of Made in Italy. The number of Cavalieri del Lavoro, including the new honorees, amount to 626.
Political opponents have already sounded a warning to government and citizens alike on Sunday, after reports of an ANC ploy to strategically target public pensions went public this weekend.
Will pension funds be targeted for economic recovery?
The document, which was allegedly leaked to Business Live, proposes amending regulation 28 of the Pension Funds Act “to increase access [to] the savings of South Africans to fund long-term infrastructure capital projectsâ€. That would target the collective pension funds of workers across the country.
This is by no means the first time the ANC has flirted with the idea of ‘raiding the pension pot‘, and they were rumoured to be eyeing up a similar bailout for Eskom. The shadow minister of finance, Geordin Hill-Lewis, has advised the PIC to come clean about any proposed move to essentially ‘pick the pockets’ of pensioners:
“If the PIC has indeed prepared an internal document, which also proposes a R90 billion Eskom debt-for-equity swap plan, then this document should be publicly released immediately. Even the rumour of this proposal has caused distress among other Eskom debt holders, the debt market, and our pensioners.â€
“The PIC has a duty to play open cards with the public and the millions of pensioners it serves and should release this document. They must not hide anything from the people of this country.â€
Geordin Hill-Lewis
Not everyone is on board…
However, it’s believed that the trillions of rand in the pension reserve would rather be strategically invested by the PIC into a number of rebuilding projects, aimed at greasing the wheels of business and economic progress post-lockdown. But shadow trade minister Dean Macpherson has little faith in the alleged plans:
“They are not content with mismanaging the economy, education and health care, the ANC Government and Cyril Ramaphosa now want to use your pension to fix what they broke. Every pension fund manager and contributor needs to fight this to the bitter end.â€
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