Betsy DeVos’ Terrible CNN Interview On Reopening Schools

Reflect

Premiered 2 hours ago

Betsy Devos went on CNN to talk about reopening schools, but the Education Secretary failed to offer any concrete plan or guidelines to put parents’ minds at ease.

Severe Storms and Record Heat are Sweeping the U.S. | NowThis

NowThis News

Published on Jul 13, 2020

At least 327 reports of severe weather across the U.S. were made within 24 hours of July 12, 2020, including tornadoes, flash floods, and thunderstorms

Full Table: Food security after COVID

CGTN

Published on Jul 13, 2020

For many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our relationship with food, including the way we eat, and what we eat. Now, the United Nations is warning that the world stands on the brink of a food crisis, worse than any in the last 50 years. How worried should we be? What will the post-pandemic food supply system look like? And how have our eating habits changed?

We Must Think Strategically

Bernie Sanders

Published on Jul 13, 2020

The change we need will not happen tomorrow. But it is important that we maintain our vision and continue to fight.

PBS NewsHour full episode, July 13, 2020

PBS NewsHour

Published on Jul 13, 2020

Monday on the NewsHour, the coronavirus continues to spread across much of the U.S., forcing some states to implement new restrictions. Plus: The debate over reopening schools this fall, a Virginia mayor on managing the pandemic, what the murder of Vanessa Guillén says about the U.S. military, Trump commutes the jail sentence of Roger Stone and political analysis with Amy Walter and Tamara Keith.

Trump contradicts, criticizes COVID-19 science as U.S. cases continue to increase

CBC News: The National

Published on Jul 13, 2020

As COVID-19 cases continue to increase across the U.S., President Donald Trump continues to contradict and criticize the scientific community about the spread of coronavirus.

Coronavirus Outbreak (COVID – 19): WHO Update (13 July 2020)

United Nations

Published on Jul 13, 2020

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “too many countries are headed in the wrong direction” in the fight against COVID-19 and stressed that “mixed messages from leaders are undermining the most critical ingredient of any response: trust.”

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva today (13 Jul) Tedros said the virus remains “public enemy number one, but the actions of many governments and people do not reflect this.” He said the only aim of the virus is to find people to infect.

SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO): “If the basics aren’t followed, there is only one way this pandemic is going to go. It’s going to get worse and worse and worse. But it does not have to be this way. Every single leader, every single government and every single person can do their bit to break off chains of transmission and end the collective suffering.”

Tedros noted that there are no shortcuts out of the COVID-19 pandemic. He added, “We all hope there will be an effective vaccine, but we need to focus on using the tools we have now to suppress transmission and save lives. We need to reach a sustainable situation where we have adequate control of this virus without shutting down our lives entirely.”

The Director- General also highlighted the latest edition of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World which was published today. The report estimated that almost 690 million people went hungry in 2019. Tedros said, “While it’s too soon to assess the full impact of COVID-19, the report estimates that 130 million more people may face chronic hunger by the end of this year.”

The Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, Michael Ryan , said if people continue to frequent crowded places without taking the necessary precautions, don’t practice physical distancing, don’t practice proper hygiene, and don’t wear masks in the proper settings, “then the disease will continue to transmit.”

SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Michael Ryan Executive Director, Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization (WHO): “We need to learn to live with this virus. Expecting that we will eradicate or eliminate this virus in the coming months is not realistic. And also, believing that magically we will get a perfect vaccine that everyone will have access to is also not realistic.”

Asking about a WHO mission to China, Ryan said the preliminary mission consists of two of WHO’s “best scientists” joining the country team and Chinese scientists and would not be carrying out direct field investigations. He said the mission’s objective is to “understand what has been discovered already, what has been studied already, what the data that’s available; and then, from that to lay out what further studies need to be carried out and what international experts will be useful in engaging with and partnering with Chinese colleagues in order to do that.”

The Executive Director said there are “real issues around how schools can be reopened safely, but the best and safest way to reopen schools is in the context of low community transmission that has been effectively suppressed by a broad-based comprehensive strategy.” He added, “We can’t move from ‘let’s deal with the schools’ and then we all deal with that for a week or two, and then ‘let’s deal with the workplace’, or then ‘let’s deal with infection in hospitals or long-term care facilities.’ This is playing Whack-a-mole. We have got focus on a comprehensive long-term strategy that focuses on everything at one time.”

‘Teachers are scared’ to be in school, says Florida educator

PBS NewsHour

Published on Jul 13, 2020

Although President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos are urging schools to reopen in person this fall, other officials fear the health risks are too high, especially as the virus surges in many states. Florida is one of them — but its education commissioner is calling for schools to be physically open nonetheless. Amna Nawaz talks to Fedrick Ingram of the Florida Education Association.

COVID outbreaks threaten plans to reopen colleges

Associated Press

Published on Jul 13, 2020

COVID-19 outbreaks linked to student parties are threatening plans to reopen colleges and universities. A spike in infections linked to fraternity parties are complicating efforts to bring students and faculty back to the UC Berkeley campus. (July 13)

China, UAE & US head to Mars this month

RT America

Published on Jul 13, 2020

Space agencies from China, the United Arab Emirates and the United States are launching Mars missions within days of each other. If they miss their launch window, however, they could have to wait until 2022 to try again. RT America’s Trinity Chavez has the details.