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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Should Gig Work Be Government-Run?</strong> - The labor reformer Wingham Rowan wants to reimagine labor markets for the digital age. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/should-gig-work-be-government-run">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Humanitarian Challenge of Unaccompanied Children at the Border</strong> - A lawyer who met with children held in Border Patrol custody describes the urgency of expediting their release. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-humanitarian-challenge-of-unaccompanied-children-at-the-border">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>On the Overnight Shift with the Amazon Union Organizers</strong> - At around 4 A.M., two veteran union reps whipped votes outside the Amazon facility in Bessemer, Alabama, and swapped stories of past organizing efforts at Piggly Wigglys and a condom factory in Eufaula. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/29/on-the-overnight-shift-with-the-amazon-union-organizers">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Amazon Union Drive and the Changing Politics of Labor</strong> - For the moment, Marco Rubio and Stacey Abrams are on the same side. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-populism/the-amazon-union-drive-and-the-changing-politics-of-labor">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Do We Actually Need More Gas Stations?</strong> - Resistance rises to Costcos plans for mega stations. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/do-we-actually-need-more-gas-stations">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Can food carts survive the pandemic?</strong> -
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<img alt="A bacon, egg, and cheese bagel on a wooden table." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JtDaDS992jo0y2GZDcVMmE3nTZg=/0x0:7216x5412/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69023416/GettyImages_531930358.0.jpg"/>
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Street vendors have lost their regular customers. Can they stay afloat despite the pandemic? | Getty Images
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The streets are empty, but Joanna Despas is still cooking. Heres what its like to run a food cart during a pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VKwZvj">
When I walk up to Mama Jos Breakfast Cart, which is located two blocks away from the MetLife Building in Midtown, Manhattan, shes already packing up the kitchen. Its 10:15 am on a Tuesday. She typically doesnt close until 11 am. These used to be her prime hours, but the pandemic has altered things dramatically for the food cart business. The banks are closed, the tourists are gone, and everyone is working from home. The Mama Jo of the carts namesake, real name Joanna Despas, tells me that shes been lucky to get more than 20 customers per day.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NefSde">
Despas is 70 years old, originally from rural northern Greece, and started up her breakfast cart 48 years ago. She cooks a blend of New York classics (bacon, egg, and cheese) and Mediterranean staples (spanakopita, olive bread) for the passing stream of professionals on their way to the office. Before Covid-19, Despas says, she routinely had lines around the block. These days, she mostly wheels her cart into town to feed the homeless for free, and to fire up the griddle for the handful of construction workers erecting a skyscraper across the street. Despas says shes made a negligible amount of money all year, and only shows up because it feels better to cook than to sit around at home all day.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ldxzeA">
Despas holds out hope that eventually, when Broadway is open and the streets are full of tourists again, the street vending industry will bounce back. But shes pessimistic about the prospects of a total New York City recovery. Can Mama Jo, or any street vendor for that matter, count on an endless flow of hungry yuppies after theyve spent a year clocking in remotely? Is there going to be a sizable chunk of her clientele who simply wont go into the office as much? Is the Zoom revolution going to last past the vaccine? Nobody knows for sure.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="c2mAhH">
We talked about how much she misses her regulars, and why, even after the seismic repercussions of the pandemic, shes still not planning on retiring anytime soon.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="L4IcvC">
<strong>Who are your usual clients right now?</strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iO5lJz">
Right now, nobody. Everyone works from home. We have construction workers around here, because they are essential workers. But we dont have business, and I dont think well have business until the vaccines take hold. And even then, I dont know how much business will come back. A lot of businesses are closed, and when you look around the city, its dead. Vendors are gone. They pop up here and there, but they cant make any money out here. At this point, Im coming only for the homeless. There are so many of them, and where else are they going to get food?
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDmGFwdAmds/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Mama Jos Breakfast Cart (<span class="citation" data-cites="mama_jos_breakfast_cart">@mama_jos_breakfast_cart</span>)</a>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RxTmCO">
<strong>So youre only out here to feed the homeless?</strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ev6wX5">
Yes, and I have a bunch of people who help me with that. The construction workers buy food for them. Theyre very nice. I have people who give me clothing and shoes that I hand out to them. Ive noticed a lot more homeless people out here lately. They were always there, but its never been like this. Theyre all over, and theres no food. All the vendors have been helping out. Some of them come up to me and say, “Theres a couple people down on Eighth Avenue that need this or that,” and I get it for them. You feel a little better. Youre doing something instead of staying home. Its good to be occupied.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hyMYQK">
<strong>Why do you think your business wont bounce back? </strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NVccKZ">
I talk to people who work in banks and they like what theyre doing. I think theyre going to come in for a couple days a week and work from home at other times. The residential people here have moved. I think thats how the city is going to work. Its not going to be easy for us. If you dont have a crowd for a year, youre not going to build it all back the next day. Its like starting back over from the beginning. Thats not restricted to vendors, the same goes for restaurants and delis.
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<strong>How are you holding up financially?</strong>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EJvLVS">
No money. Were not making any money. Im doing okay. Im 70 years old and I get my Social Security. My grandmother taught me to always put away money for a rainy day. So Im okay, and my kids are okay and working from home. The big institutions are making money. The banks, the supermarkets, the franchises, theyre all doing okay. The people who are getting hurt are restaurants and vendors. Its different out in Brooklyn and Queens, you can see some more life out there. But certainly not out here.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0XfQoW">
<strong>How many customers are you seeing a day?</strong>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6J5DQk">
No more than 20.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tHCWUU">
<strong>And you used to have lines around the block, right?</strong>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yC6Qpj">
Oh yeah, and I dont know if thats ever going to happen again. But Im an optimistic person. Maybe if they open up the Broadway shows, well see what happens. But a lot of people have given up in this business. The garage used to have 200 pushcarts. Now weve got like, 100? Maybe less? And it gets less and less, because it gets more difficult.
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLyv5jRDH-U/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Mama Jos Breakfast Cart (<span class="citation" data-cites="mama_jos_breakfast_cart">@mama_jos_breakfast_cart</span>)</a>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KbsGTn">
<strong>Do you miss your regulars?</strong>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="623tki">
Of course. Ive got a lot of text messages from them. They leave messages on my social media. Ive got people from all over the world that know me, and they all ask how Im doing. They say, “I miss your food, I miss you.” They want to go back to normal. I see a lot of fear in people, and I dont want people to fear. Fear, worry, and stress kills you, completely.
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<strong>Have you thought about moving the cart elsewhere?</strong>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JlIpzn">
At my age, Im not going to do that. Im feeding the homeless, and if Im not here I dont know where theyre going to eat. Im doing it for myself more than anything.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ppHUod">
<strong>Has anything about this year made you want to retire?</strong>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RDUJEQ">
Im not going to retire. Im not that kind of person. Im never going to stay home, because I love what I do. I was only introduced to the idea of retirement in the United States. Its not as much of a thing in Greece. You see 80-year-olds working the fields out there. I put in 18 hours a day, and sleep like four hours at night. Im healthy. I cook everything myself. My diet is like the ancient Greeks — Ive been on this corner for 48 years, and I havent taken one sick day.
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<ul>
<li><strong>Facebook wants Washingtons help running Facebook</strong> -
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<img alt="A screenshot of Mark Zuckerberg talking into a microphone via videochat." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_jZIOj8p6PfbgS65HjveHgD4h8c=/286x0:4289x3002/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69021407/1229654018.0.jpg"/>
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Mark Zuckerberg testifies remotely at a Congressional hearing in November 2020; he is scheduled to appear at another remote hearing on March 25, 2021. | Hannah McKay/Getty Images
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
But not too much help: Mark Zuckerberg has a proposal.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NKhVcV">
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a message for Washington: Were happy to change the way we run Facebook. Just tell us how.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ORm4o8">
Thats the main takeaway from a <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF16/20210325/111407/HHRG-117-IF16-Wstate-ZuckerbergM-20210325-U1.pdf">statement he will provide to Congress on Thursday</a>, in a hearing about social medias role in spreading misinformation. But its also the mantra Zuckerberg and Facebook have been repeating for years, in targeted messaging like <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/3/31/18289375/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-regulation-washington-post-op-ed">Washington Post op-eds</a> and paid ads aimed at the Beltway crowd.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="R67rBx">
And its also, more or less, the Facebook default position when it comes to making all kinds of decisions about running the enormous and enormously profitable company: “Yes, we run a company that generated $84 billion in revenue last year and is currently worth more than $800 billion. But wed like someone else to take responsibility for …” and here you can fill in the blank, because it can range from anything from whether a <a href="https://www.vox.com/2016/9/9/12861634/facebook-photograph-vietnam-censorship">Pulitzer Prize-winning photo can run on the site</a> to whether <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22242627/trump-facebook-oversight-board">Donald Trump can post on Facebook</a>.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xRcv0S">
Now Facebook is in a position where everyone in Washington wants to do … something about Facebook, though exactly what depends on what part of the political spectrum they sit on. Republicans want Facebook to promise to stop censoring Republicans, though there isnt any evidence thats actually happening; Democrats want Facebook to promise not to destabilize democracy.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vqt8HH">
So now Zuckerberg is adding a twist to his standard request for regulation: He is telling Congress it should force Facebook — and everyone else who runs an internet platform — “to demonstrate that they have systems in place for identifying unlawful content and removing it.”
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Facebook wouldnt have to necessarily find all of that stuff and take down every last piece of it — Facebook is really big! But it would have to prove that it has spent a lot of time and money to <em>try</em> to do that.
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In return, Zuckerberg says, Facebook and everyone else who complies would get to keep the protections offered by <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/5/28/21273241/section-230-explained-trump-social-media-twitter-facebook">Section 230, a foundational piece of legislation</a> that lets online platforms host content uploaded by users without taking responsibility for that content.
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On the one hand, this seems like a fairly straightforward proposition. After all, Facebook and other big platforms like YouTube and Twitter already have systems that allow them to police copyright violations on their property. Why shouldnt they have systems that do the same for “unlawful content”?
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(Here its worth noting that in the early days of the platforms, their primary legal concern was avoiding the copyright claims that brought down Napster; the notion that the platforms might host content that could incite genocide or destabilize democracy wouldnt get much traction until a decade later.)
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KXMWO9">
On the other hand, this isnt straightforward at all. Its more or less clear when something violates copyright. But it wont be at all clear what kind of content is “unlawful” — and waiting on Congress, which cant find any kind of bipartisan agreement on anything at all, to decide exactly what Facebook should allow on its properties means Facebook will be waiting a very long time to hear what those guidelines are.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="g4bjNP">
Which, you might argue, is fine with Facebook, if you believe that Facebook merely wants to appear as though it wants to work with Congress and hope all of the momentum to regulate tech goes away someday.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cfu3mj">
A different but equally realpolitik take: Facebook figures theres going to be some kind of Section 230 reform, and by laying out a path it finds acceptable, it will have better odds of getting that result when it comes to negotiating with lawmakers and their staff. (Of note: Neither Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai nor Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who are also virtually testifying at Thursdays hearing, asked Congress to modify Section 230 at all.)
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UNsrLz">
Critics will also point out that creating these kinds of rules and systems isnt nearly as big a problem for Facebook as it will be for smaller internet platform companies. (Remember that <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/7/24/20708359/facebook-ftc-settlement-criticism-5-billion-privacy-review-antitrust-mark-zuckerberg">Washington levied a $5 billion fine</a> and a new set of privacy guidelines on Facebook two years ago, and Facebook moved on without missing a beat because $5 billion isnt a lot of money to Facebook.) But since this isnt a new criticism, the company has a ready retort: Someone — not Facebook, certainly — should figure out the “definitions of an adequate system,” which “could be proportionate to platform size.”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="D5Fg0M">
Lets be clear: Facebook doesnt really want the government telling it what to do. It was happy(ish) to cut deals to <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/10/24/20929919/facebook-zuckerberg-murdoch-news-publishers-pay-content">pay Rupert Murdochs News Corp</a> for use of its content in America. In Australia, <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2021/2/20/22291425/facebook-australia-murdoch-law">Facebook threw a fit</a> when it was compelled to do the same thing by regulators there.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4pDcmP">
But what Facebook does want are legal guardrails and a promise that if it adheres to them, it can go about its very profitable business. Asking Congress to set those up — even if, or especially if, it takes a very long time — is a very small price to pay.
</p></li>
<li><strong>Dr. Rachel Levines historic confirmation to the Biden administration, explained</strong> -
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nqXOpCkmgrunXN0QRa9X572jDXE=/122x0:2878x2067/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68705014/537503904.0.jpg"/>
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Rachel Levine, then physician general for the state of Pennsylvania, dines with her mother Lillian Levine in 2016, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. | Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post/Getty Images
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In a pivotal moment for trans health care, Levine has been confirmed as assistant secretary of health.
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On Wednesday, the Senate voted to confirm former Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine as the new assistant secretary of health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Levines confirmation is historic: She is now the highest-ranking openly transgender government official in US history.
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In her new role, Levine will run the <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/ash/about-ash/organizational-chart/index.html">Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH)</a>, which oversees the nations public health policy. She will be a key administration figure as the White House tackles the deepening Covid-19 <a href="https://www.vox.com/coronavirus-covid19/">pandemic</a> that has claimed the lives of <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">more than 500,000 Americans</a>. But she will also play an important role in rolling back a host of Trump-era policies on reproductive, adolescent, and LGBTQ health. As a trained pediatrician with a history of supporting evidence-based adolescent health, and who has spoken about her own closeted trans youth, her confirmation marks a sea change from the right-wing <a href="https://equityfwd.org/rewire-abstinence-advocate-previously-cited-neglect-duty-tapped-create-hhs-strategies">political activists appointed to OASH</a> under former President Donald Trump.
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Because of the historic nature of Levines appointment, there has been much talk about her trans identity. Meanwhile, her qualifications, which should not be overshadowed, have taken a back seat. For the last three years, shes been the secretary of health for Pennsylvania, where she has taken the lead on the states handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Her clear-eyed press conferences instructing Pennsylvanians on how to survive the pandemic have earned praise from Democrats inside the state. Before she became the secretary of health, she was the states physician general.
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Levine frequently takes a holistic approach to policy, <a href="https://www.phillymag.com/news/2020/07/16/rachel-levine-pennsylvania-health/">telling Philadelphia magazine</a> last July how she conceptualizes public health. “Economic opportunity is health. A living wage with an increase in the minimum wage is actually health,” she said. “Improving educational opportunities, improving nutrition, improving the environment, improving transportation for people is health. Getting rid of racism is health.”
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Following President Joe Bidens nomination, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf called Levine “a highly skilled and valued member of my administration.”
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“She has been a wise and dedicated partner during this pandemic and throughout her career with the commonwealth,” <a href="https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/gov-wolf-congratulates-thanks-dr-levine-following-nomination-by-president-elect-biden/">Wolf said in a statement</a>. “I couldnt be prouder of the tireless work shes done to serve Pennsylvanians and protect the public health.”
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Levines confirmation would be important, if only because she would instantly become a recognizable and authoritative trans voice on public health at a moment when access to trans health care is increasingly threatened worldwide. With Biden taking an explicitly pro-trans stance, Levine steps into a visible role in charge of federal youth health policy.
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“This marks a real turning point that honors and includes trans people,” Molly Bangs, director of Equity Forward, an HHS watchdog group, told Vox about Levines nomination in January. “Shes given every indication that she will continue to center equity from all perspectives when ascending to federal office. Transgender youth need real quality health care and access to information more so than ever. Shes demonstrated that that is very much a cornerstone of really what drives her career.”
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Levine takes over a key federal public health office in a pivotal moment
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Her most immediate demand as assistant secretary of health is likely to be helping manage the federal governments handling of the pandemic.
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But beyond the pandemic, she will take over a department that underwent some radical changes under Trump. The Office for Womens Health and the Office of Population Affairs oversee most of the governments reproductive health initiatives. The transition from Obama to Trump saw progressive initiatives tossed out in favor of anti-reproductive health policies, including rolling back the <a href="https://www.vox.com/21421292/trump-free-birth-control-iud-health-care">Obamacare birth control mandate</a>.
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Meanwhile, the Office of Adolescent Health, which administered the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, was <a href="https://rewirenewsgroup.com/article/2019/04/04/the-trump-administration-wants-to-give-anti-choice-official-more-power-over-reproductive-health-programs/">shunted to a different offices oversight</a> and essentially shuttered under Trump. One of Levines first accomplishments in Pennsylvania was establishing the states Office of Adolescent Health, and shell now be tasked with restoring that office at the federal level
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“This position of assistant secretary of health has a massive portfolio of issues,” said Bangs. “Dr. Levine and her colleagues will have their work cut out for them, and they will need a really proactive agenda in order to not just reverse the damage thats been done but also protect and expand LGBTQ rights [and] sexual and reproductive health [access].”
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That work will get underway almost immediately. Even before Levines confirmation hearing was scheduled, the Biden administration took initial steps to overturn Trump policy at OASH. The White House has already launched a review of the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/2/22/18236227/abortion-planned-parenthood-gag-rule-title-x">Title X domestic gag rule</a> — which banned federal funding to health clinics that perform or refer patients for abortions.
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Levines office will oversee the review, putting her at the center of US reproductive health policy for the next several years.
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Levine will not be the first openly trans government official
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Though she is deeply qualified for the position, Levines trans identity has grabbed the lions share of media attention.
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Newspapers and websites have trumpeted her identity, almost to the exclusion of any other facts about her. “Biden picks 1st transgender person for Senate-confirmed post,” read an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rachel-levine-health-secretary-4eee53439e9c2b4c27fcf4e7f572cb0e">Associated Press headline</a> in January. Even the LGBTQ Nations <a href="https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/01/joe-biden-picks-transgender-woman-assistant-health-secretary/">headline</a> — “Joe Biden picks transgender woman for assistant health secretary” — did not mention Levine by name.
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While Levine is now the highest-ranking transgender official in the federal government, a welcome step forward for a community that has historically had very little institutional power, she is not the first openly trans government official appointed by a president; she is just the first to be confirmed by the Senate. President Barack Obama named trans woman <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/amanda-simpson-transgender-presidential-appointee-begins-work-commerce/story?id=9477161">Amanda Simpson</a> senior technical adviser in the Commerce Departments Bureau of Industry and Security in 2010, though it was not a Senate-confirmed appointment.
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Levines trans identity will inform her new role as one of the nations top public health officials.<strong> </strong>“At a time when access to health care is a growing crisis for transgender people made worse by anti-LGBTQ legislation and legislators across the nation, Dr. Levine has the empathy to understand the health needs of our diverse country and the skillset to improve them,” Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, has <a href="https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/human-rights-campaign-on-the-historic-nomination-of-dr-dr-rachel-levine-to-be-assistant-health-secretary">said in a statement</a>.
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Levine has spoken previously about her experiences as a closeted trans child. At a conference in 2015, just after shed been appointed Pennsylvanias acting physician general, she described growing up playing football and hockey near Boston in the 60s, but also carrying with her a deep secret. ”All I knew is I wanted to be a girl, or I was a girl, or female,” <a href="https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/2015/03/transgender_conference_rachel.html">she told a crowd</a> in Swatara Township, Pennsylvania.
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During that conference, Levine spoke directly to the states trans youth. “What I want to tell those kids is I am there for you. We are here for you,” she said. “Please dont harm yourself and please dont despair, because we are there for you.”
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Its a message shes continued to stand by throughout her public health career, even as critics and random internet trolls relentlessly attacked her gender identity and appearance. And shes making history in a time and place when trans “firsts” are becoming rarer — an appointment that is as much a win for trans people as it is for a well-qualified doctor with a lifetime of public health experience.
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</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>National Para Athletics hits a new low as night events held under mobile phone torch lights</strong> - A few events at night conducted with just mobile phone torch lights</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Torch relay for Tokyo Olympics kicks off its 121-day journey</strong> - The ceremony was closed to the public because of the fear of spreading COVID-19 but was streamed live.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Norway players make Qatar protest in World Cup qualifier</strong> - Norway have one of their best chances in recent memory to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>India seeks to play fearless football</strong> - Takes on Oman in first international after COVID-19 lockdown</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bhavani set to resume training at Livorno</strong> - Indias star fencer Bhavani Devi is all set to resume training at Livorno (Italy) with coach Nicola Zanotti for the Tokyo Olympics.“I will be leaving</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Farrago of venomous claims on love jihad: Shashi Tharoor on BJPs Kerala manifesto</strong> - “The only consolation is that they will never be in a position to implement any of it,” the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Campaign ends for first phase of poll in West Bengal</strong> - Curtains came down at 5 pm on Thursday on the high decibel campaign in 30 assembly seats in West Bengal where polls are scheduled in the first phase</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Hate crime proceedings against Patricia Mukhim quashed</strong> - SC agrees with Editor of Shillong Times that her social media post was only an expression of truth</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bengal tops in Facebook political ad spend among poll-bound states</strong> - Political parties of West Bengal spent about ₹ 3.74 crore on poll-related campaigns which fall under Facebooks advertisement category.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Parliament passes Bill to set up National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development</strong> - Parliament on Thursday passed a Bill to set up the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) to fund infrastructure project</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Covid-19: Merkel defends rollout as vaccine pressure grows</strong> - German Chancellor Angela Merkel defends the EUs decision to procure coronavirus vaccines jointly.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Daniel Guerini: Lazio youth-team midfielder dies aged 19</strong> - Lazio say they are “shocked by pain” following the death of 19-year-old youth-team midfielder Daniel Guerini.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Nagorno-Karabakh: The mystery of the missing church</strong> - The BBC investigates the disappearance of an Armenian church that changed hands in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh war.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Nice catch: Fisherman rescues boy stranded on ice</strong> - A fisherman in Ukraine reels in a boy who was stranded on a block of ice in a river.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Julie Pomagalski, French former snowboard world champion, dies in Swiss avalanche</strong> - Julie Pomagalski, 40, was swept away while skiing off-piste on a mountain in Switzerland.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>After dramatic rebuke, AstraZeneca lowers vaccine efficacy estimate—a little</strong> - Independent experts called the earlier analysis “outdated and potentially misleading.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1752082">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Its been 20 years since the launch of Mac OS X</strong> - Its macOS 11 now, but the DNA is the same. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1751974">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Facebook shuts down hackers who infected iOS and Android devices</strong> - Social media platform used to spread malware that spied on Uyghurs. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1752030">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Former Trump vaccine czar fired over substantiated sexual harassment claim</strong> - GSK hired a law firm for an investigation, which substantiated the claims. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1752031">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Having it all: Protecting biodiversity, carbon capture, and fish stocks</strong> - Researchers scan the worlds oceans to find ideal locations for protection. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1751997">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
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<li><strong>A man takes a pleasant stroll on a Friday evening… suddenly, the Devil himself pops up in front of him</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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and whispers, “Take all the money in your wallet, go to this casino, and put them on the number 27!”
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The man is first shocked, then becomes curious, and quickly yields, goes to the casino, puts all the money on 27 and wins!
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Excited he exists the casino and meets the Devil again. The latter is silent for a moment and then says again, “Take all your money - all that youve won - go inside and put them on 27!” - “Again?!” - “Yes! Do it!” - The man quickly yields, goes in again, puts all the money on 27 and … wins!
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Now everyone in the casino is amazed, they check the wheel, nope no tilt or bias (and it was outputting numbers randomly before), seems like genuine luck, reluctantly hes given almost two hundred thousand dollars and leaves elated. Outside he meets the Devil again who again tells him to go put everything on 27, the man is shocked but does so, and wins again!
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And now hes given most of the casinos bank, millions of dollars, walks out shining like a star, and says to the Devil, “I dont know why people say youre the most sinister being there is, youve been awesome to me today!!”
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The Devil looks at him strangely, pauses, and replies, “Well that may be true or not but you are definitely the luckiest motherfucking son of a bitch that Ive ever fucking seen!!”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Laroel"> /u/Laroel </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mcmofw/a_man_takes_a_pleasant_stroll_on_a_friday_evening/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mcmofw/a_man_takes_a_pleasant_stroll_on_a_friday_evening/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>The other day my wife told me some woman at work called her fat</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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I told her “Honey, dont fight with her about it. Just be the bigger person.”
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So anyway now Im divorced
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/WannaHearALimerick"> /u/WannaHearALimerick </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mclfyh/the_other_day_my_wife_told_me_some_woman_at_work/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mclfyh/the_other_day_my_wife_told_me_some_woman_at_work/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>My uncle bought a piano from Nigeria.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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So he brings it home and hires a guy to come tune it. The piano tuner struggles with it and after five minutes says, “Lemme guess… West African piano?”
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“Yeah, how did you know?” my uncle responds.
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“Well, West African pianos are notoriously hard to tune,” he says, “not like North African pianos, they Tunisia “
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/soft-scrambled"> /u/soft-scrambled </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mc6ywp/my_uncle_bought_a_piano_from_nigeria/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mc6ywp/my_uncle_bought_a_piano_from_nigeria/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Two fish are in a tank. One turns to the other and says</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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“Okay, you man the guns. Ill drive.”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/summerofevidence"> /u/summerofevidence </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mcfu2i/two_fish_are_in_a_tank_one_turns_to_the_other_and/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mcfu2i/two_fish_are_in_a_tank_one_turns_to_the_other_and/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Jersey must be a real shithole</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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If New Jersey was meant to be an improvement.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/edfitz83"> /u/edfitz83 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mck1dw/jersey_must_be_a_real_shithole/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mck1dw/jersey_must_be_a_real_shithole/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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