people – Page 6

People Haven’t Gotten Information They Need When They Needed It And Have Had A Hard Time Weighing Pandemic Risks

30Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19

People Haven’t Gotten Information They Need When They Needed It And Have Had A Hard Time Weighing Pandemic Risks

The decision to pause and then restart the Johnson & Johnson vaccine underscores how hard it is even for experts to gauge health risks. It’s been still harder for everyday people, most of whom have no medical background and little experience analyzing risks and benefits. People have experienced confusion about mask-wearing, physical distancing, travel, remote work, financial assistance measures and more. Now people are weighing uncertainty about vaccines. Further, some members of historically marginalized groups are skeptical of vaccine safety, as retired NFL star Marshawn Lynch detailed in a recent interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden. We are informatics and regulation researchers who study intersections among information, policy and human behav...

Pandemic Makes Separation Even Scarier For People With A Family Member In Prison – No Visits And Barely Any Calls

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Journalism

Pandemic Makes Separation Even Scarier For People With A Family Member In Prison – No Visits And Barely Any Calls

Jails and prisons in the United States had a coronavirus infection rate three times greater than the general population, with an average of 1,400 new COVID-19 infections and seven deaths every day over the past year. America’s correctional facilities are notoriously bad for spreading infectious diseases. Millions of people constantly cycle in and out of them every year and they have limited medical staff and supplies. People in prison also spend extended periods in crowded indoor spaces, with poor air circulation and ventilation. For many people who are incarcerated, either awaiting trial in jail or imprisoned after conviction, being locked in a pandemic hot spot has been terrifying. And for the 6.5 million Americans who have a family member incarcerated, COVID-19 has made an already hig...

Not Humiliating Poor People – An Advantage Of The Government’s New Payments For Families

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

BUSINESS, POLITICS

Not Humiliating Poor People – An Advantage Of The Government’s New Payments For Families

The US$1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package President Joe Biden signed in March 2021 will expand the child tax credit for one year. Instead of providing families with up to $2,000 per child under 17, the government will distribute a total of $3,600 for each child under 6 and $3,000 for kids under 18. Some economists predict that these payments, which will go to all but the wealthiest parents in two ways – monthly starting in July 2021 and as a lump sum when parents file their taxes in 2022 – could cut U.S. child poverty by nearly 50%. Today, about 1 in 7 U.S. children live below the official poverty line. I’m a law professor who researches the often-humiliating and punitive hurdles that poor families face when they apply for some government benefits. From my perspective, this new appr...

Obits Rarely Cross That Taboo “Write Ill Of The Dead” As They Look For The Positive In People’s Lives

12Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

IN OTHER NEWS

Obits Rarely Cross That Taboo “Write Ill Of The Dead” As They Look For The Positive In People’s Lives

Capturing a life accurately and sympathetically is a challenge, more so if it is one that lasts nearly a century. So when a notable person like the Duke of Edinburgh dies, obituary writers face a quandary: What should be highlighted, softened or even ignored? News organizations were quick to remember Prince Philip’s long marriage to Queen Elizabeth II and decades of public service. But any character flaws or mistakes, including past public racist comments, were diminished. CNN’s coverage on April 9 provides a good example of this softened approach. “The duke,” it noted, “was known for off-the-cuff remarks that often displayed a quick wit but occasionally missed the mark, sometimes in spectacular fashion.” The Associated Press made more direct mention of Philip’s racist comments – but fo...

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Journalism

Obits Rarely Cross That Taboo “Write Ill Of The Dead” As They Look For The Positive In People’s Lives

Capturing a life accurately and sympathetically is a challenge, more so if it is one that lasts nearly a century. So when a notable person like the Duke of Edinburgh dies, obituary writers face a quandary: What should be highlighted, softened or even ignored? News organizations were quick to remember Prince Philip’s long marriage to Queen Elizabeth II and decades of public service. But any character flaws or mistakes, including past public racist comments, were diminished. CNN’s coverage on April 9 provides a good example of this softened approach. “The duke,” it noted, “was known for off-the-cuff remarks that often displayed a quick wit but occasionally missed the mark, sometimes in spectacular fashion.” The Associated Press made more direct mention of Philip’s racist comments – but fo...

Changing How People See The World – Netflix’s Big Bet On Foreign Content And International Viewers Could Upend The Global Mediascape

7Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

CULTURE, VIDEO REELS

Changing How People See The World – Netflix’s Big Bet On Foreign Content And International Viewers Could Upend The Global Mediascape

As a kid growing up in Italy, I remember watching the American TV series “Happy Days,” which chronicled the 1950s-era Midwestern adventures of the Fonz, Richie Cunningham and other local teenagers. The show, combined with other American entertainment widely available in Italy in the 1970s and 1980s, shaped my perception of the United States long before I ever set foot in the country. Today, I call the U.S. home, and I have developed my own understanding of its complexities. I am able to see “Happy Days” as a nostalgic revival of an ideal, conflict-free American small town. “Happy Days” was a product of Hollywood, which is arguably still the epicenter of the global entertainment industry. So recent news that the streaming service Netflix is opening an Italian office and will begin massive...

African Americans And People With Vascular Dementia Are At Greater Risk For COVID-19

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, VIDEO REELS

African Americans And People With Vascular Dementia Are At Greater Risk For COVID-19

New research is shedding light on how dementia can increase people’s risk for developing COVID-19, particularly among two groups: African Americans and people with vascular dementia. The headline findings of a recent study revealed that dementia patients overall face twice the risk for developing COVID-19 as adults without dementia. But two other results from that study deserve more attention than they have received so far. One is that African Americans with dementia had three times the risk of developing COVID-19, and when they did, it was more likely to be life-threatening. African Americans with both dementia and COVID-19 had a higher hospitalization rate than white patients with dementia – 73% compared with 54% – and a higher death rate – 23% compared with 19% for whites. In view of ...

But Will They? States Drop COVID-19 Mask Mandates But Still Expect People To Mask Up

10Mar

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19

But Will They? States Drop COVID-19 Mask Mandates But Still Expect People To Mask Up

The governors of Texas and Mississippi announced that they were rescinding their statewide mask mandates and allowing restaurants and other businesses to return to 100% capacity in early March. The moves come while new infection numbers in the U.S. are still higher than they were in September and just ahead of school spring breaks, known for large gatherings and crowded bars where the coronavirus can quickly spread. Along with Iowa, Montana and North Dakota, which recently lifted their mask orders, these states are part of an emerging trend of some states bucking national and international public health recommendations. Alabama and Utah plan to end their mask requirements in April. Wyoming’s governor announced on March 8 that he would drop his mask order, too. Residents and visitors in ...

In The 19th Century Black People Used Photography As A Tool For Social Change

1Mar

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

SOCIAL JUSTICE

In The 19th Century Black People Used Photography As A Tool For Social Change

Frederick Douglass is perhaps best known as an abolitionist and intellectual. But he was also the most photographed American of the 19th century. And he encouraged the use of photography to promote social change for Black equality. In that spirit, this article – using images from the David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography at the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan – examines different ways Black Americans from the 19th century used photography as a tool for self-empowerment and social change. Black studio portraits Speaking about how accessible photography had become during his time, Douglass once stated: “What was once the special and exclusive luxury of the rich and great is now the privilege of all. The humblest servant girl may now possess a picture o...

The Headlines Ignores Millions Of Unemployed People – Here’s A Better Way To Tell How Many Need A Job

5Feb

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

BUSINESS

The Headlines Ignores Millions Of Unemployed People – Here’s A Better Way To Tell How Many Need A Job

Many economists would agree that the official U.S. unemployment rate is an inadequate measure of actual labor market conditions. Although this is one of the most cited pieces of data on the economy as a whole, not many people understand how this indicator is calculated and who is and – more importantly – who isn’t included in it. CC BY-NC-ND As a labor economist, I believe it’s important for more Americans to take a closer look under the hood to get a more accurate view of U.S. unemployment. What’s the unemployment rate? Unemployment is usually described in newspaper or television reports as a percentage or a rate. An article might declare, for example, that the U.S. unemployment rate fell from 6.7% in December to 6.3% in January, according to the latest jobs report released Feb....