Observer Insights (2024)

14/07/2020

The gap between soaring cases and falling deaths is being weaponized by the right to claim a hollow victory in the face of shameless failure. What’s really going on? For the past few weeks, I have been obsessed with a mystery emerging in the national COVID-19 data. Cases have soared to terrifying levels since June. Yesterday, the U.S. had 62,000 confirmed cases, an all-time high — and about five times more than the entire continent of Europe. [ 205 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/14/covid-19-cases-are-rising-so-why-are-deaths-flatlining/

The gap between soaring cases and falling deaths is being weaponized by the right to claim a hollow victory in the face of shameless failure. What’s really going on? For the past few weeks, I have …

14/07/2020

You May Not Want to Know. But the Answer is So, So Much Worse Than You Probably Think. I have to warn you, don’t read this if you’re already panicked, stressed out, or anxious. It’s one of the most depressing things I think I’ve ever written, and I’m not exactly known for writing cheery missives. Here’s a bitter truth: Covid is exploding out of control in America. [ 152 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/14/how-many-are-going-to-die-because-trump-surrendered-to-coronavirus/

You May Not Want to Know. But the Answer is So, So Much Worse Than You Probably Think. I have to warn you, don’t read this if you’re already panicked, stressed out, or anxious. It’s one of the most…

13/07/2020

Experts say a handful of variables explain the apparent disconnect between cases and deaths After slowly gathering momentum during the first quarter of the year, the number of U.S. Covid-19 cases and deaths surged in early April. By the middle of that month, more than 30,000 Americans were testing positive for the novel coronavirus every day, and roughly 2,500 were dying, according… [ 264 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/13/covid-19-case-counts-have-been-spiking-for-weeks-why-arent-deaths/

Experts say a handful of variables explain the apparent disconnect between cases and deaths

13/07/2020

Forewarned is forearmed. Grab your binoculars. AsDemocratic demographics go, Black folks can be pretty conservative. We can be counted on to vote Democratic 90% of the time at any level of government, but for most of us it’s simply a matter of pragmatism. We are literally just trying to stay alive, so we vote for politicians whose platforms don’t seem to want us dead. [ 260 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/13/a-definitive-guide-to-black-trump-supporters/

Forewarned is forearmed. Grab your binoculars.

12/07/2020

Leaders of any political party could do this job if they had competency and empathy President Donald Trump wants Americans to risk their health and get back to work to save the economy and his reelection. My response: “You first.” Trump’s new “plan” has moved from “it’s a hoax” to “we have to live with it.” Yes, he quit. Reducing case count—which virtually every other country has done—was just too hard. [ 181 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/12/trump-has-quit-on-the-coronavirus/

Leaders of any political party could do this job if they had competency and empathy

11/07/2020

Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Tuesday that Americans shouldn't take comfort in the dropping death rate among coronavirus patients in the US even as President Donald Trump touts the trend as evidence of a successful response to the virus. "It's a false narrative to take comfort in a lower rate of death," Fauci said during a live stream press conference with Sen. [ 129 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/11/fauci-warns-against-false-complacency-as-trump-touts-falling-coronavirus-death-rate/

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10/07/2020

Report warns that the social media company may be “driving people toward self-reinforcing echo chambers of extremism.” It’s time for Mark Zuckerberg to really start listening. Civil rights and good government groups and users have been shouting from the rooftops for years for real change at the world’s most powerful social media company. Facebook, they say, has helped enable misinformation about the coronavirus, elections, political repression — as well as [ 187 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/10/facebook-flunks-new-audit-on-civil-rights-hate-speech-and-voter-suppression/

Report warns that the social media company may be “driving people toward self-reinforcing echo chambers of extremism.”

09/07/2020

WHO bows to pressure from scientists about risk from aerosol transmission; Brazil’s Bolsonaro tests positive; Israel health chief resigns The World Health Organization has acknowledged new evidence that the coronavirus spreads more widely in the air than it had previously suggested, as the Trump administration gave official notification of its withdrawal from the group. A day after a group of scientists said the global body… [ 198 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/09/global-report-who-says-evidence-emerging-of-airborne-coronavirus-spread/

WHO bows to pressure from scientists about risk from aerosol transmission; Brazil’s Bolsonaro tests positive; Israel health chief resigns

09/07/2020

UK neurologists publish details of mildly affected or recovering patients with serious or potentially fatal brain conditions Doctors may be missing signs of serious and potentially fatal brain disorders triggered by coronavirus, as they emerge in mildly affected or recovering patients, scientists have warned. Neurologists are on Wednesday publishing details of more than 40 UK Covid-19 patients whose complications ranged from brain inflammation and delirium to nerve damage and stroke. [ 133 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/09/warning-of-serious-brain-disorders-in-people-with-mild-covid-symptoms/

UK neurologists publish details of mildly affected or recovering patients with serious or potentially fatal brain conditions

08/07/2020

New increases in cases seem to contradict previous knowledge Alot of the early research on kids and the coronavirus was optimistic. While it suggested that kids could spread the virus, it also showed that they didn’t get infected too often, and when they did, their symptoms were mild. For a time, it seemed that parents could breathe a little easier. [ 276 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/08/how-to-make-sense-of-cases-spiking-among-young-kids/

New increases in cases seem to contradict previous knowledge

08/07/2020

Just because something doesn’t use an offensive mascot doesn’t mean it can’t reinforce a broken system Washington D.C.’s pro football team. Aunt Jemima pancake products. Eskimo Pies. They’re all examples of the everyday racism that bombards people of color from the supermarket to the playing field. They’re also all iconic American products that both corporations and consumers finally agree are ready for a rebrand. [ 269 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/08/the-unintentional-racism-found-in-traffic-signals/

Just because something doesn’t use an offensive mascot doesn’t mean it can’t reinforce a broken system

07/07/2020

The second decade of the 21st century brought about new revelations about health and wellbeing, especially when it comes to boosting your immunity and keeping well. Even with the amount of synthetically produced medicinal aids available to people, not less than 80% of people worldwide rely on natural remedies for their primary healthcare. Introducing H**p! And owing to this switch to all-natural products, one superfood that has emerged is h**p! [ 248 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/07/feeling-healthy-and-happy-in-2020-with-cbd-and-h**p/

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06/07/2020

It means you have 90 days (at the most) to prepare, according to financial expert The Barefoot Investor. I’m not one for panic. Having said that, it’s obvious we have been living in ignorant bliss. The real economic disaster hasn’t begun yet. In America the $600 extra a week that those who are unemployed receive is about to end. Those who have mortgages on their home backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae can… [ 191 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/06/the-economic-season-is-about-to-drastically-change/

It means you have 90 days (at the most) to prepare, according to financial expert The Barefoot Investor.

06/07/2020

Some experts say that reports linking certain blood types to lower infection risks are ‘flawed’ Recently, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study that found links between Covid-19 and certain genetic and blood-type variables. While the authors emphasized the potential usefulness of their gene-related findings, which implicated clusters of genes on a specific chromosome in severe Covid-19 cases, most of the media attention centered on the blood-type findings. [ 191 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/06/the-truth-about-blood-types-and-the-coronavirus/

Some experts say that reports linking certain blood types to lower infection risks are ‘flawed’

05/07/2020

More than 140 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine Researchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 140 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Vaccines normally require years of testing and additional time to produce at scale, but scientists are hoping to develop a coronavirus vaccine within 12 to 18 months. [ 156 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/05/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker-how-close-are-we-to-a-vaccine/

More than 140 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine

04/07/2020

US surpasses 40,000 daily cases four times in a week; Brazil nears 1.5 million infections; UN warns on mass bankruptcies in Latin America The past week has seen the United States break its own one-day case record four times, according data compiled by researchers at Johns Hopkins university. In the seven days up to and including 1 July, the country, which has the highest number of cases and deaths worldwide, confirmed over 40,000 cases on four separate days. [ 90 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/04/global-report-horror-week-for-us-as-coronavirus-records-tumble/

US surpasses 40,000 daily cases four times in a week; Brazil nears 1.5 million infections; UN warns on mass bankruptcies in Latin America

03/07/2020

Team is using new approach that could be cheap and scalable and become the norm within five years Prof Robin Shattock would have liked slightly longer to develop the revolutionary approach to vaccines that he is pretty sure will not only save lives in the Covid-19 pandemic but become the norm for vaccine development within five years. His team at Imperial College were working on Ebola and Lassa fever vaccines using new technology but had not got as far as human trials when a novel coronavirus started to kill thousands of people in Wuhan, China. [ 213 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/03/im-cautiously-optimistic-imperials-robin-shattock-on-his-coronavirus-vaccine/

Team is using new approach that could be cheap and scalable and become the norm within five years

02/07/2020

New research on asymptomatic people reveals underlying effects Since the early days of the novel coronavirus outbreak, infectious disease experts have recognized that some people who contract the virus do not develop a fever, cough, or any of the infection’s other hallmark symptoms. These apparently “asymptomatic” cases may make up a large portion of all Covid-19 infections. Estimates vary widely, but many — including… [ 174 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/02/even-if-youre-asymptomatic-the-coronavirus-can-do-damage/

New research on asymptomatic people reveals underlying effects

01/07/2020

Scientists aren’t exactly sure why, but the consequences could be significant While new U.S. cases of Covid-19 spike to record highs, a worrying trend is emerging: Diagnosed infections are soaring among younger people, with the majority of new cases in several regions now being seen among people under age 50, with significant increases among teens and young adults. Without new or renewed efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus, the skew to younger carriers will likely initially cause the death rate to fall, since the virus is deadlier for older people, explains Thomas Tsai, MD, a surgeon and health policy researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. [ 130 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/01/surge-in-younger-covid-19-infections-could-worsen-the-pandemic/

Scientists aren’t exactly sure why, but the consequences could be significant

01/07/2020

Coronavirus infections across the United States have passed 2.5 million, with record numbers of cases reported in the states of Florida and Texas. The surge in cases in southern states comes after businesses were allowed to re-open in recent weeks. On Saturday, Florida reported more than 9,500 new cases, up from almost 9,000 on Friday, the previous record. The spike has led state officials to tighten restrictions on business again - as Texas also did on Friday. [ 82 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/07/01/coronavirus-florida-and-texas-reverse-reopening-as-us-cases-pass-2-5m/

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30/06/2020

The battle against Alzheimer's has never been easy. This devastating disease has been wreaking havoc on families across the globe for far too long. More than 5 million Americans are already living with Alzheimer's. By 2050, this number is projected to nearly triple to 14 million. Researchers, lawmakers and the Alzheimer's Association have been working aggressively to combat this global killer, but a new challenge is threatening those we are working to support. [ 203 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/30/why-covid-19-took-a-devastating-toll-on-people-in-nursing-homes/

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30/06/2020

After months of shutdown, Athens International Airport is gearing up to "welcome the world" once again as Greece moves ahead with plans to gradually lift coronavirus restrictions in a bid to revive its key tourism industry. But while authorities hope the phased return of international travel from June 15 will eventually bring the arrival halls of the Eleftherios Venizelos hub roaring back to life, a few kilometers to the west, another airport will remain eerily quiet -- as it has for much of the last 20 years. [ 89 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/30/the-greek-airport-that-was-left-to-fall-apart/

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29/06/2020

Justin Bieber has filed a $20 million defamation lawsuit against two women who accused him earlier this week of s*xual assault. The two women posted the allegations on their respective Twitter accounts. Bieber's lawsuit, which was filed Thursday, calls the allegations "fabricated." CNN has obtained a copy of the lawsuit. One of the women, who is listed in the suit as Jane Doe-2 and identified as "Kadi" on Twitter, claims Bieber assaulted her early on the morning of May 5, 2015 at a hotel in New York City. [ 106 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/29/justin-bieber-files-20-million-defamation-lawsuit-against-women-who-accused-him-of-assault/

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29/06/2020

Microsoft is getting out of the brick-and-mortar retail business. The company announced Friday it will close down all of its 83 physical stores and switch to online only. It will keep its London; New York City; Sydney, Australia and Redmond, Washington locations, but they will be reimagined as "experience centers," the company stated. They will showcase Microsoft's technology, such as Surface PCs, Xbox, "Minecraft," Windows and Office, but they won't necessarily sell anything. [ 81 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/29/microsoft-is-closing-all-of-its-stores/

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28/06/2020

Princeton University will remove the name of President Woodrow Wilson from its school of public policy and a residential college, the school said in a statement Saturday. The Princeton University Board of Trustees voted Friday to rename the policy school the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, the statement says. The college formerly named for him will be known as "First College" in recognition of its "status as the first of the residential colleges that now play an essential role in the residential life of all Princeton undergraduates," [ 150 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/28/princeton-university-to-remove-woodrow-wilsons-name-from-public-policy-school-and-residential-college/

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27/06/2020

Much has been made of the spectacular flop that was President Trump's planned campaign re-launch in Tulsa over the weekend. But one of the most revealing moments got too little attention. It was almost an afterthought in the middle of a nearly two-hour speech and improv when Trump rolled out his principal attack on Joe Biden. And in doing so, Trump also tipped his hand as to why he feared Biden so much that he bought himself an impeachment trying to dirty up the former Vice President. [ 108 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/27/joe-biden-frightens-donald-trump/

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26/06/2020

Hundreds of thousands of people trapped near fierce fightingin Myanmar's far west may know nothing of Covid-19 thanks to a yearlong internet shutdown, according to rights groups. Last June, the Myanmar government, led by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, cut internet access to nine townships in the area due to concerns that it was being used to inflameclashes between the Myanmar military and insurgents. [ 114 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/26/the-country-where-hundreds-of-thousands-of-people-havent-heard-of-covid-19/

Hundreds of thousands of people trapped near fierce fightingin Myanmar’s far west may know nothing of Covid-19 thanks to a yearlong internet shutdown, according to rights groups. Last June, t…

26/06/2020

Patients are looking for cure as healthcare system is on brink of collapse, say doctors As coronavirus chaos has enveloped Pakistan, with hospitals overflowing, doctors dying and infections escalating at an unmanageable rate, a dangerous black market in blood plasma has emerged. The blood plasma of recovered coronavirus patients is now being sold for upwards of £3,000 to those who are desperately looking for a cure, at a time when doctors say Pakistan’s healthcare system is on the brink of collapse. [ 158 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/26/pakistan-covid-19-doctors-witness-black-market-deals-in-blood-plasma/

Patients are looking for cure as healthcare system is on brink of collapse, say doctors As coronavirus chaos has enveloped Pakistan, with hospitals overflowing, doctors dying and infections escalat…

25/06/2020

As the unlocking of India is now in motion, it’s getting more important to support small businesses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech on May 13th rightly asked the nation to be . As the lockdown slowly lifts, several small businesses may not open and the ones that do, will need help to make up for the lost income. Here’s how you can help...

Article by: Junisha Dama

https://observerinsights.com/2020/06/25/how-you-can-support-vocalforlocal/

As the unlocking of India is now in motion, it’s getting more important to support small businesses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech on May 13th rightly asked the nation to be …

25/06/2020

Did you lie to a friend about taking a nap while they called? Did you bake banana bread? Or had at least one Zoom call party? Across the globe, governments imposed restrictions requiring people to stay at home. So, the world obviously turned to the internet to show off activities that kept them entertained. If you partook in some, keep a count of how many. But in case you missed out, here’s what happened..

Article by: Junisha Dama

https://observerinsights.com/2020/06/25/quarantine-trends-that-you-missed/

Did you lie to a friend about taking a nap while they called? Did you bake banana bread? Or had at least one Zoom call party? Across the globe, governments imposed restrictions requiring people to …

$As India’s Unlock 1.0 sets in, a fraction of the country’s formal industries are set to go back to work-from-office. And...$

25/06/2020

As India’s Unlock 1.0 sets in, a fraction of the country’s formal industries are set to go back to work-from-office. And, adjusting to the new-normal has several people worrying again.

Article by: Junisha Dama

https://observerinsights.com/2020/06/25/how-to-transition-to-work-from-office/

As India’s Unlock 1.0 sets in, a fraction of the country’s formal industries are set to go back to work-from-office. And, adjusting to the new-normal has several people worrying again. “We are fac…

25/06/2020

Started June 8, with India’s Unlock 1.0 began. People in non-containment zones across different states are now allowed to shift to life as we knew it before, somewhat. With private offices allowed to operate with some percentage of staff, and restaurants and malls opening, there’s no doubt that you’re still going to have to be more careful.

Article by: Junisha Dama

https://observerinsights.com/2020/06/25/the-new-normal-as-malls-restaurants-open-again-hows-life-going-to-look/

Started June 8, with India’s Unlock 1.0 began. People in non-containment zones across different states are now allowed to shift to life as we knew it before, somewhat. With private offices allowed …

25/06/2020

Microsoft is shutting down its video game streaming platform, Mixer, after its growth failed to meet the company's expectations. The company said Monday it is partnering with Facebook (FB) to transition the Mixer streaming community to Facebook Gaming. The deal brings together two big names in the gaming world in a partnership that could challenge industry leader, Amazon's ( [ 173 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/25/microsoft-is-shutting-down-streaming-platform-mixer-to-partner-with-facebook-gaming/

Microsoft is shutting down its video game streaming platform, Mixer, after its growth failed to meet the company’s expectations. The company said Monday it is partnering with Facebook (FB) to…

24/06/2020

More options to pick your default iPhone apps. New bets on augmented reality. And improvedbattery life for Mac computers. These are just some of the updates that could be announced at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, a multi-day event that kicks off next week. The event is always closely watched by customers and developers looking fora peek at new software coming to iPhones, iPads, Macs and the Apple Watch. [ 156 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/24/what-to-expect-from-apples-wwdc-this-year/

More options to pick your default iPhone apps. New bets on augmented reality. And improvedbattery life for Mac computers. These are just some of the updates that could be announced at Apple’s…

24/06/2020

After years of systemic racism, cultural appropriation and insensitive creative decision-making, many Black people saw straight through social media posts made by the fashion industry in recent weeks. Since May 26, headlines have been dominated by the killing of George Floyd and the international protests it has ignited. Thousands have taken to the streets around the world to denounce police brutality and anti-blackness, while online, thousands more have posted en masse in support of (BLM) and called for an end to systemic racism. [ 239 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/24/the-fashion-industry-says-it-stands-against-racism-critics-arent-buying-it/

After years of systemic racism, cultural appropriation and insensitive creative decision-making, many Black people saw straight through social media posts made by the fashion industry in recent wee…

23/06/2020

The pop star says he will be taking legal action, after a woman tweeted an allegation from March 2014 Justin Bieber has denied allegations that he s*xually assaulted a woman in March 2014, sharing a series of tweets he believes prove that “this story is factually impossible”, and saying that he will be “working with Twitter and authorities to take legal action”. [ 181 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/23/factually-impossible-justin-bieber-denies-s*xual-assault-allegation/

The pop star says he will be taking legal action, after a woman tweeted an allegation from March 2014 Justin Bieber has denied allegations that he s*xually assaulted a woman in March 2014, sharing …

23/06/2020

During the final Democratic primary debate in March, Joe Biden pledged that if he were to win the party's presidential nomination, he would choose a woman as his vice-presidential candidate. A lot has happened since then, not the least of which is Biden securing the required Democratic Convention delegates to become his party's presumptive nominee. Even before that point, however, speculation swirled around a dozen or so contenders to be Biden's running mate. [ 239 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/23/who-could-be-joe-bidens-vice-presidential-candidate/

During the final Democratic primary debate in March, Joe Biden pledged that if he were to win the party’s presidential nomination, he would choose a woman as his vice-presidential candidate. …

22/06/2020

More men are dying from Covid-19 than women around the world, data shows. In Italy, China and US, for example, more men have been infected, and a higher proportion of men have died. Sabra Klein, a scientist who studies s*x differences in viral infections at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says "being male is as much a risk factor for the coronavirus as being old… [ 133 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/22/are-more-women-dying-of-covid-19-in-india/

More men are dying from Covid-19 than women around the world, data shows. In Italy, China and US, for example, more men have been infected, and a higher proportion of men have died. Sabra Klein, a …

22/06/2020

Health officials in South Korea believe the country is going through a second wave of coronavirus, despite recording relatively low numbers. The country had been a success story in dealing with Covid-19, but now expects the pandemic to continue for months. Head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control (KCDC), Jung Eun-kyeong, said the first wave lasted up until April. [ 154 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/22/coronavirus-south-korea-confirms-second-wave-of-infections/

Health officials in South Korea believe the country is going through a second wave of coronavirus, despite recording relatively low numbers. The country had been a success story in dealing with Cov…

21/06/2020

Experts are optimistic, but new vaccine ‘platforms’ are relatively untested Since the earliest days of America’s Covid-19 crisis, Anthony Fauci, the White House’s top coronavirus expert and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said that — best case scenario — a vaccine could be ready within a year to 18 months. In an interview published on June 8 in the… [ 209 more words ]
http://observerinsights.com/2020/06/21/is-a-covid-19-vaccine-actually-possible/

Experts are optimistic, but new vaccine ‘platforms’ are relatively untested Since the earliest days of America’s Covid-19 crisis, Anthony Fauci, the White House’s top coronavirus expert and directo…

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