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Coronavirus Live Updates: South Korean Cases Spike, and Fear Builds https://nyti.ms/38NmL2w

Coronavirus Live Updates: South Korean Cases Spike, and Fear Builds

A major city is locked down and 28 countries outside of China have reported a total of 1,500 cases.

RIGHT NOW

Iran reports a sixth death, and Israel is barring travelers from South Korea.

Here’s what you need to know:

READ UPDATES IN CHINESE: 新冠病毒疫情最新消息汇总

THE COUNT: 28 COUNTRIES AND A SPIKE IN SOUTH KOREA.

South Korea reported 229 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, doubling its total in a single day and adding to concerns that another Asian country is losing control of the spread and that the window to avert a pandemic was closing.

As of Saturday, the virus had spread to 28 countries. Some 1,500 cases have been confirmed outside China; multiple infections in the United States, Italy, Iran and the United Arab Emirates; and one in Egypt, the first to be confirmed on the African continent. The highest death toll outside of China is in Iran, with six as of Saturday.

Panic is spreading in Israel, where a woman, who was aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan tested positive after returning home, health officials said.

Many African countries are bracing for the disease. The World Health Organization has identified 13 as priorities because of their direct links to China or their high volume of travel to it.

SOUTH KOREA’S FOURTH-LARGEST CITY IS ON LOCKDOWN.

South Korea added 229 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, driving its total to 433. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun called the situation “grave.”

“We will deal sternly with any acts that interfere with the government’s quarantine efforts and add to anxiety among the people,” Mr. Chung said in a nationally televised statement. He urged citizens not to hoard facial masks or other hygiene products.

More than half of the cases are among members of a secretive religious sect, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, and their relatives or contacts. Between Daegu, the country’s fourth largest city, and a nearby province where the sect’s members often do volunteer work, 352 people have tested positive.

More than 1,250 members of the sect have reported potential symptoms, and officials are still trying to locate 700 members so they can be screened.

The neighborhood around the sect’s church in Daegu has turned into a ghost town. Banks, coffee shops, restaurants and convenience stores have all shut down.

Across the city of 2.4 million, department stores, shopping alleys and outdoor marketplaces are drained of shoppers.

The only places more crowded than usual are government-run health centers, where citizens lined up to find out whether they were infected.

In Busan, South Korea’s second largest city, public libraries, a horse racetrack and facilities for senior citizens closed when the city reported its first coronavirus case on Friday.

Many churches have shuttered, instead offering prayer services online. Others stayed open, but skipped hymns or “Amens” to limit congregants’ exposure.

The national news agency Yonhap reported people emptying shelves of rice, instant noodle, eggs and other essential food items in some supermarkets in Chuncheon and Ulsan, as both cities reported their first cases on Saturday.

Samsung, the world’s smartphone maker, shut down a factory about an hour north of Cheongdo after a worker tested positive. The factory is expected to resume operations on Monday morning, Samsung said. But the floor of the factory where the patient has worked will be closed until Tuesday morning, it said.

PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS FURIOUS OVER THE REPATRIATION OF INFECTED AMERICANS.

The news that 14 American citizens from the Diamond Princess who had tested positive for the coronavirus were being flown to the United States this week surprised and infuriated President Trump, two senior American officials said.

The Washington Post first reported Mr. Trump’s anger on Friday. The president is a self-declared “germophobe.”

Mr. Trump conveyed his anger to Alex M. Azar II, the health and human services secretary overseeing the White House interagency task force on the coronavirus, and other top officials. The task force’s top State Department official is Stephen E. Biegun, the deputy secretary of state.

One official said that Mr. Trump views keeping infected people from entering the country as critical to keeping the country safe and that the president wants to be seen as managing a proper response.

The decision to fly back the infected passengers was made over the objections of officials at the Centers for Disease Control.

On Monday, after two planes carrying more than 300 evacuated passengers had landed at military bases in Texas and California, William Walters, a top medical official at the State Department, told reporters that the decision to keep the 14 infected Americans in the group had been made by the State Department in consultation with Robert Kadlec, an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Walters said that the evacuation had already begun when Japanese officials informed their American counterparts of the laboratory test results. Dr. Walters said that he had spoken with Dr. Kadlec to go over the options after learning of the test results.

Since the passengers returned, Japanese officials have informed American officials that several more of them had also tested positive for coronavirus.

On Friday, American officials said at least 34 people inside the United States have the virus — 18 of them from the Diamond Princess. All of the 34 cases have been linked to overseas travel. There has been no sign yet of the virus spreading among communities in the United States.

[ U.S. MOBILIZATION: Local health departments around the country are scrambling to monitor the thousands of people returning from travel in China and elsewhere. READ BELOW]

THE W.H.O. HEADS TO WUHAN, AND SAYS IT FEARS FOR AFRICA.

A team of experts from the World Health Organization were traveling on Saturday to the Chinese city of Wuhan, the center of the coronavirus epidemic, the agency’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said.

Health professionals from the U.N. agency have worked on the outbreak in three Chinese provinces — Beijing, Sichuan and Guangdong — but had not yet been to the city at its heart.

Dr. Tedros confirmed the trip during an address on Saturday morning to African officials from Geneva, where he spoke of the virus’s increasing global spread and urged them to prepare for possible cases on their continent.

“We have to take advantage of the window of opportunity we have, to attack the virus outbreak with a sense of urgency,” Dr. Tedros told the leaders, who had gathered for an emergency meeting on the response to the coronavirus in the continent.

With only one confirmed case on the continent, Africa has so far been mostly spared, but health officials have warned that the spread could be deadly in countries with already-strained health systems. The W.H.O. has provided online training on the coronavirus to 11,000 African health workers.

China and Africa have become intertwined in the last two decades as China has expanded its political, economic, and military ties to Africa, funding large infrastructure projects and pledging tens of billions of dollars in investments and loans.

Now, Africa has large numbers of Chinese workers and more than 81,000 Africans were studying in mainland China in 2018. About 4,600 African citizens and students were living in Wuhan.

While some African countries, including Morocco, Mauritius and Egypt, have evacuated their citizens from China, Kenya has not. On Friday, the Kenyan government explained its rationale on Twitter, saying “the safest place for the students to be is Wuhan.”

[CORONAVIRUS IN AFRICA: Experts worry that the steady traffic between China and Africa could spread the epidemic and overrun the continent’s already-strained health systems

ISRAEL BARS SOUTH KOREAN TOURISTS.

Nine South Korean tourists who spent a week visiting some of Israel’s most popular religious sites have tested positive for the coronavirus after returning home. Within hours, Israel began closing the country to South Korean travelers altogether.

Korean passengers flying on a Korean Air flight scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport at 7:30 p.m. Saturday would be barred entry into the country, Ynet reported late Saturday afternoon. Kan radio said that, on Sunday, the government would discuss whether to allow the other South-Korea-to-Tel Aviv flights to continue.

Israel’s health ministry ordered the immediate suspension of all tours by South Korean tourists who are currently in Israel, according to Kan radio. Health officials were working with the tourism ministry and travel agencies to book flights back to South Korea for the 1,700 South Korea tourists in Israel.

Israel suspended all flights from China on Jan. 30 in response to the outbreak of coronavirus.

The nine South Korean tourists were among a Roman Catholic tour group of 77 people, Haaretz reported. The health ministry said the pilgrims visited Israel from Feb. 8 to Feb. 15, touring Christian sites and other attractions in Netanya, Caesaria, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, Beersheva, Hebron and Jerusalem.

Among the often-crowded sites the group visited were the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

The health ministry said it was conducting an epidemiological investigation to identify anyone who came in contact with the group.

Twenty Israel Nature and Parks Authority employees and two Dead Sea hotel housekeeping employees who were in contact with the South Korea tourists have already been placed in quarantine, according to local reports.

RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION BLAMES U.S. FOR CORONAVIRUS.

State Department officials say that thousands of Russia-linked social media accounts are spreading disinformation about the coronavirus, including a conspiracy theory that the United States is behind the Covid-19 outbreak.

American monitors identified the campaign in mid-January. Agence-France Presse first reported on the assessment on Saturday.

“Russia’s intent is to sow discord and undermine U.S. institutions and alliances from within, including through covert and coercive malign influence campaigns,” said Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia.

“By spreading disinformation about coronavirus, Russian malign actors are once again choosing to threaten public safety by distracting from the global health response.”

The effort was described as being carried out by several thousand Russia-linked accounts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, which post similar messages at similar times in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Fringe theories of uncertain origin have accused China of engineering the virus, including suggesting that it is an escaped bioweapon.

Misinformation about the virus — whether shared purposefully or unwittingly — is so rife that the World Health Organization has called it an “infodemic.” The W.H.O. has been working with big tech companies to try to quell the flood of rumors and falsehoods.

IRAN’S DEATH TOLL FROM THE VIRUS REACHES SIX, THE HIGHEST OUTSIDE CHINA.

Iran, which insisted as recently as Tuesday that it had no coronavirus cases, confirmed 28 cases and six deaths on Saturday, according to Iranian state media, making it the country with the highest death toll outside of China, where the number climbed to 2,345 on Saturday.

On Saturday, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization’s director, said the organization was “especially concerned about the increase in cases in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Iran was the first country in the Middle East to declare deaths related to the virus. The head of public relations at the country’s health ministry, Kianush Jahanpur, wrote in a tweet that most of the infections came from Qom, 80 miles south of the capital, Tehran. Officials also confirmed cases in Tehran, and in the northern city of Rasht.

The number of deaths suggest the virus is being transmitted far more widely than Iranian officials have acknowledged. Infectious health experts note that, if, as Chinese doctors have reported, the virus kills about 2 percent of known victims, multiplying the number of deaths by 50 offers a rough case estimate. On that logic, Iran could have 300 cases.

Already, cases of travelers from Iran testing positive for the virus have turned up in Canada and Lebanon, and on Saturday, the United Arab Emirates said two Iranian travelers had the virus, raising that country’s total cases to 13.

State media in Iran reported that universities and institutions of higher education were closed for a week in 10 provinces and schools were closed for three days in Tehran because of the virus. Seminaries in Qom were also closed.

Concerts, movies and other cultural events were canceled across the country for a week, state media said. And spectators were barred from soccer games countrywide.

Kuwait Airways announced Saturday that it would evacuate more than 700 Kuwaiti nationals from Mashhad, Iran.

As Iran holds parliamentary elections this weekend, many voters in Qom lined up in front of voting stations wearing masks, according to videos from Iranian news agencies.

Conflicting news reports emerged on Saturday about the mayor of a district of Tehran, who was said to have been hospitalized with coronavirus symptoms on Friday. But the semiofficial news agency Fars later denied that the mayor, Morteza Rahmanzadeh, had been hospitalized, saying he was in good health.

[ FEARS OF A PANDEMIC RISE: Health officials warn that the number of cases outside of China may be greater than previously acknowledged. READ BELOW]

THE C.D.C. LIFTS RESTRICTIONS ON WESTERDAM CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised American passengers of the Westerdam cruise ship that they do not need to self-quarantine and are no longer subject to travel restrictions after their lives were upended when a fellow passenger was found to have the coronavirus.

No other infections have been found among passengers on the Westerdam, a C.D.C. spokesman said on Saturday, adding that the organization had sent an advisory to state and local health departments this past week.

An American woman, 83, who had disembarked from the Westerdam in Cambodia along with more than 2,000 other passengers and crew members, had tested positive for the coronavirus after arriving at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on a subsequent layover, Malaysian officials said on Feb. 15. Only a small number of passengers had been tested before they were allowed to disembark.

The American passenger’s diagnosis, which Malaysian officials said was confirmed in a second test, had raised fears that another vector of transmission was going global. Cambodia has called the Malaysian diagnosis flawed.

That no other Westerdam passengers have become ill is not proof in itself that the American woman’s diagnosis was flawed, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

But Dr. Schaffner said the C.D.C. has been “very meticulous about implementing a containment policy in the U.S. and has been assiduous about finding and monitoring people who’ve had contact or previous exposure.”

On Saturday, the Malaysian health director general, Noor Hisham Abdullah, said that the American passenger was now clear of the coronavirus and was being monitored in the hospital with a “slight cough,” after an antiretroviral treatment.

People who have recovered from the infection will test negative as their bodies clear the virus.

Cambodia’s prime minister, Hun Sen, who had personally welcomed the ship’s passengers after they had been turned away from several other ports, called Malaysia’s diagnosis into question again on Saturday. The woman never had coronavirus at all, he said.

Mr. Hun Sen is a close ally of China and his claims have cast doubts on the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak.

JAPAN ADMITS RELEASING SOME UNTESTED CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS BY MISTAKE.

Just days after releasing nearly 1,000 passengers from the cruise ship quarantined for two weeks in the port of Yokohama that has been a coronavirus hot spot, Japan’s health minister admitted that 23 passengers had been mistakenly cleared to leave without taking a valid recent test.

In a news briefing on Saturday night, the health minister, Katsunobu Kato, apologized for the error that allowed the passengers, who had not been tested since before the ship went into lockdown on Feb. 5, to leave the Diamond Princess.

The Japanese Health Ministry said it had tested them and checked for symptoms, and certified that they posed “no risk of infection.”

Mr. Kato said that all 23 mistakenly cleared passengers had boarded some form of public transportation after disembarking. He said none of them had reported any symptoms so far and 20 had already agreed to be retested, with three negative tests so far.

Although several governments that evacuated citizens from the ship — including those in the United States, Australia, Hong Kong and South Korea — confined them for an additional 14 days at home, Japan said that passengers who had tested negative for coronavirus and showed no symptoms could leave starting this week.

On the subject of the passengers released untested, Mr. Kato said that public health officers who had been conducting the tests missed the 23 passengers as they went door to door.

“While they made their multiple rounds to take samples, some passengers left their rooms to go outside and do exercise or something,” he said, “so they were unavailable.”

A total of 634 people tested positive on board the cruise ship, and two passengers infected with the coronavirus have died.

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Reporting and research were contributed by Hannah Beech, Liz Alderman, Vivian Wang, Choe Sang-Hun, Elian Peltier, Donald G. McNeil Jr., Farnaz Fassihi, Amy Harmon, Steven Lee Myers, Elaine Yu, Marc Santora, Matt Philips, Niraj Chokshi, Amie Tsang, Keith Bradsher, Amber Wang, Yiwei Wang, Ed Wong, David Halbfinger and Derrick Bryson Taylor.

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‘All Hands on Deck’: Health Workers Race to Track Thousands of Americans Amid Coronavirus

Local health departments around the United States are scrambling to monitor thousands of people returning from travel in China and elsewhere. Among the tasks: daily calls, emails, texts.

By Amy Harmon and Farah Stockman | Published Feb. 22, 2020 Updated 11:13 a.m. ET | New York Times | Posted February 22, 2020 |

After a long journey at sea on the Westerdam cruise ship, which was denied entry at ports across Asia over fears of the coronavirus, Holley Rauen finally returned home to Florida on Wednesday night. Moments later, she discovered that she had joined a cast of thousands who are being meticulously tracked by local health officials across the United States.

As Ms. Rauen’s plane from overseas touched down, one message was already waiting on her phone, from a nurse at the local public health department in her Florida county. Should she develop a fever or cough over the next 14 days, she should report it immediately, the nurse explained when Ms. Rauen called back.

“I was so impressed,” said Ms. Rauen, who is herself a retired public health nurse from the same health department in Lee County. “We are really truly in uncharted waters.”

Preventing the spread of infectious disease is the essence of public health work, but the scale of efforts by state and local health departments across the country to contain the virus known as COVID-19, experts said, has rarely been seen. Since early February, thousands of people returning to the United States from mainland China, the center of the outbreak, have been asked to isolate themselves at home for 14 days.

Local health officials check in daily by email, phone or text. They arrange tests for people who come down with symptoms, and in some cases, groceries and isolated housing. There is no centralized tally in the United States of people being monitored or asked to remain in isolation, and they are scattered across the nation’s nearly 3,000 local health jurisdictions.

People arriving from mainland China are added each day, while those who have completed 14-day “self-quarantine” periods are released from oversight. In California alone, the department of public health has been monitoring more than 6,700 returning travelers from China, while health officials in Washington State have tracked about 800, and officials in Illinois more than 200.

The nationwide mobilization is taking a financial toll, health officials say. The cost to local health departments is unknown, but some experts say it has reached into the tens of millions. Even as the first of 34 confirmed coronavirus patients in the United States have recovered in recent days, health officials say they are preparing for what some fear could still be a much wider outbreak. Worldwide, the virus, which is known to be highly contagious, has infected 75,000 people and killed more than 2,000.

“All hands on deck are being pulled into this,’’ said Dr. Marcus Plescia, the chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, a nonprofit organization that represents public health agencies across the country. “If it really blows up, at some point, it could overwhelm state and local health departments.”

So far, officials say, the containment effort in this country has been largely orderly. The only known transmission of the virus in the United States has involved people in the same household. But no matter how effective health workers are in monitoring their charges, “there will always be some leakage,’’ said Dr. John Wiesman, the Secretary of Health in Washington State.

In Washington, where the first coronavirus patient in the United States was confirmed on Jan. 21, health officials tracked down and monitored 69 individuals with whom the man had come in contact, including work colleagues, health workers and other patients present in a clinic he visited when he first felt sick. Still, there have been issues. One person the man had been in contact with and who had developed symptoms of illness flew on a plane to Wisconsin during the 14-day period when she was supposed to be isolated at home.

“There is no way, with something this large, that you can make it seal-proof,’’ said Dr. Wiesman, who has started twice-weekly conference calls with the chief health officers in every state and territory to share tips and seek advice on how to manage the shifting challenges of the coronavirus response. While enforcing total compliance with isolation orders may not be possible, Dr. Wiesman said, “We have to try for 80 to 85 percent, and hopefully that will work.’’

Federal authorities are in charge of setting guidelines to manage the danger, such as deciding how much risk a returning traveler poses and who should be tested for the coronavirus. But the day-to-day work putting those policies in place and tracking thousands of people falls to the vast, decentralized network of local health departments across the country. Travelers’ data, culled from federal customs officials, is passed on to state health agencies, who farm out lists of people returning from China to local health departments.

In the Chicago area, public health officials are using an electronic monitoring system originally developed to track the measles to monitor more than 200 travelers. Each day, they receive a link asking their temperature and symptoms.

The costs associated with containing the virus have reached more than $150,000 a week for the Chicago public health department alone, according to its commissioner, Dr. Allison Arwady. Among the costs: $17,000 for a quarantine facility at an undisclosed location for people who can’t isolate themselves at home. So far, fewer than five people have used it, she said.

“If you are quarantining them under a legal order, you have to think about food, their medications, their communication needs and their mental health,” she said.

Some jurisdictions have negotiated with hotels to host people who may harbor the virus. Washington State has RV’s.

Ruth Jones, public health commissioner in Quincy, Mass., a town of about 100,000 people south of Boston, says that her department has been receiving lists of between three and 10 people each day who are returning from China and are being asked to stay isolated from other people. Quincy’s two public health nurses and two translators have been working long hours to call them and make sure they understand how to monitor and report any symptoms.

“It’s overtime for our nurses,’’ Ms. Jones said. “It’s been extremely busy,”

Local officials in places that have had confirmed cases have been under particular strain. In Madison and Dane County, Wis., a local health staff of 160 has been forced to rearrange its operation to focus on monitoring anyone who may have been exposed to a resident who tested positive for the virus after falling ill and remains in self-isolation.

“We’re in this new normal, but it’s not normal,” said Janel Heinrich, the county’s director of public health.

Along with monitoring individuals who are seen as at risk of having been exposed to the virus, state and local health officials have been scrambling to prepare for worst case scenarios in the months ahead. State officials in Washington said they will hold a webinar next week to brief school superintendents on best practices for cleaning and planning for home schooling should schools need to shut down.

“People are doing contingency planning,’’ said Julie Sullivan-Springhetti, spokeswoman for the Multnomah County Health Department in Oregon, which has devoted resources to preparing a regional hospital system for a potential case. “Just like we plan for the Cascadia earthquake, which may or may not happen in our lifetime.”

As for the returning passengers from the Westerdam, the cruise ship, passengers at first thought they had no reason to worry about the coronavirus because no one on the ship had traveled through mainland China during the outbreak. But after passengers began leaving the ship to head home, an 83-year-old woman was reported to have tested positive on a layover in Malaysia, creating confusion and chaos.

Erin Carney, 70, a retired nurse and midwife from Mendocino County, Calif., flew out on the same flight as the woman who was reported to have tested positive, though questions have been raised about that finding and the C.D.C. has since said that other passengers do not need to isolate themselves.

Given the initial reports of a positive test, Ms. Carney called hospitals to figure out what she and her partner should do.

“The person that we spoke to read the C.D.C. guidelines and thought that everything seemed fine and we didn’t have to self-quarantine,” Ms. Carney said. “They said, ‘If you have symptoms, go see your doctor.’”

But then a nurse from the Mendocino County Health and Human Services Department called Ms. Carney. She recommended that they quarantine themselves at home, and offered to supply groceries.

“We had kind of talked about doing that anyway,” Ms. Carney said. “They’ve called every day since.”

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Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs contributed reporting.

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With 4 Deaths in Iran and More Cases on 3 Continents, Fears of Coronavirus Pandemic Rise

Health officials called the surge in reported infections “very worrisome,” as cases soared in South Korea. Europe and North America reported a big uptick in infections.

By Vivian Wang, Donald G. McNeil Jr., Farnaz Fassihi and Steven Lee Myers| Published Feb. 21, 2020 Updated Feb. 22, 2020, 12:52 a.m. ET | New York Times |

HONG KONG — An alarming surge of new coronavirus cases outside China, with fears of a major outbreak in Iran, is threatening to transform the contagion into a global pandemic, as countries around the Middle East scrambled to close their borders and continents so far largely spared reported big upticks in the illness.

In Iran, which had insisted as recently as Tuesday that it had no cases, the virus may now have reached most major cities, including Tehran, and has killed at least four people, according to health officials. Already, cases of travelers from Iran testing positive for the virus have turned up in Canada and Lebanon.

The number of cases also soared in South Korea, with the sudden spread tied to a secretive church where hundreds of congregants attended services with numerous people infected with the virus.

The United States now has 34 cases, with more expected, and Italy experienced a spike from three cases to 17 and ordered mandatory quarantine measures.

“The cases that we see in the rest of the world, although the numbers are small, but not linked to Wuhan or China, it’s very worrisome,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said Friday at a news conference at the agency’s headquarters in Geneva. “These dots are actually very concerning.”

As uneasiness about the breadth and duration of the outbreak grew, stocks fell for the second straight day on Friday amid worries the virus would drag down global demand and hurt the world economy.

The disturbing reports out of Tehran suggested the virus was being transmitted far more widely there than officials had previously acknowledged. While the country’s health officials confirmed only 18 cases by Friday, the number of deaths indicates the total is likely to be far higher.

Four reported deaths probably mean at least 200 cases, said Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. If the virus kills about 2 percent of known victims, as Chinese doctors have reported, then the number of deaths can be multiplied by 50 to get a rough case estimate, he explained.

“People don’t die right away of this virus — it usually takes two or three weeks after cases start to spread for the first death,” Mr. Osterholm said. “So there may be a lot more cases, and a lot more deaths on the way. And we didn’t even know there was a problem in Iran before yesterday.”

Minou Mohrez, who is on the infectious disease committee of the Iranian Health Ministry, told the official IRNA news agency on Friday that it was clear the virus was spreading across Iran’s cities.

“A coronavirus epidemic has started in the country,” she said. “It’s possible that it exists in all cities in Iran.”

A spokesman for the Health Ministry, Kianush Jahanpur, said on Friday there were more than 735 people hospitalized with flulike symptoms who were being tested for the virus.

Kuwait’s civil aviation authority on Friday stopped all flights to and from Iran, which shares a long border with both Afghanistan and Iraq, where health officials have a limited capacity to stop the spread of the virus should it find its way to those countries.

Dr. Sylvie Briand, the director of infectious hazards management for the W.H.O., said the rapid increase in cases in Iran was disquieting.

“We are wondering what the extent of the outbreak in Iran is,” she told reporters on Friday. “We are wondering about the potential for more cases to be exported in the coming days. We want all countries to be aware of this and to put in place detailed measures to pick up these cases as early as possible.”

As concern grew that Iran was emerging as an important new vector of transmission, the country where the coronavirus originated was also responding to significant negative developments.

Officials in China, already straining to deal with an outbreak that has infected more than 76,000 people and resulted in 2,300 deaths, announced a new front in its war on the virus on Friday as officials reported clusters of infections in at least four prisons in three provinces.

The outbreaks, affecting at least 512 prisoners and guards, raised the specter of the disease spreading through the country’s extensive prison system.

More than 200 of the infections occurred in one prison in the city of Jining, 450 miles east of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province and the center of the outbreak; officials there suggested that the cluster may have been tied to a prison guard.

In South Korea, the total number of cases surpassed 340 on Saturday morning, and the authorities were racing to trace all the people who had come in contact with members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus. Members of that church, along with their relatives and others who got the virus from them, account for more than half of the country’s confirmed infections.

More than 1,250 other church members have reported potential symptoms, health officials said, raising the possibility that the nation’s caseload could skyrocket.

As of Saturday, more than 700 members of Shincheonji, which mainstream South Korean churches consider a cult, still could not be reached, according to health officials, who were hoping to screen them for signs of infection.

In response, the government is shutting thousands of day-care facilities and community centers, even banning the outdoor political rallies that are a feature of life in downtown Seoul.

All four virus-related deaths in Iran occurred in Qom, a holy city popular with Shiite pilgrims across the Middle East.

People have already tested positive in Qom, Tehran and Gilan, near the Caspian Sea, said Mr. Jahanpur, the Health Ministry spokesman.

“Most of these people were residents of Qom or they had traveled to Qom in the past days or weeks,” he said.

In Qom, schools and religious seminaries were shut down on Thursday as officials urged people to avoid gathering in large groups. But on Friday, as Iranians went to vote in parliamentary elections, polling stations were open and the communal pools of ink for people to dip their fingers proving they voted were in wide use.

With rumors spreading across the country on instant messaging services like Telegram, a confused and increasingly worried public watched as Tehran’s largest metro station was suddenly closed. Workers wearing protective gear descended on the station, apparently responding to reports of sick commuters. It remained closed Friday night.

There was growing skepticism over the government’s handling of the outbreak. Mahmoud Sadeghi, an outspoken member of Parliament from Tehran, accused the government of “covering up the spread of an epidemic.”

While the source of the outbreak in Iran could not be pinned down, officials speculated that it began in the large population of Chinese workers in the country.

Critics accused the government of playing down the disease, and failing to take strict precautions to prevent its arrival in the country, in order to avoid provoking China, a key trading partner and a lifeline for Iran’s economy in the face of U.S. sanctions.

The sanctions against Iran could hamper its ability to contain the spread of the virus and diminish the country’s ability to mobilize international support.

“Iran does have problems accessing specialized medication for rare and special diseases because of sanctions — either private companies or banks refuse to work with Iran in fear of U.S. secondary sanctions,” said Tara Sepehri Far, an Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The new global clusters showed, again, the difficulty in judging the true number of infections, amid concerns about underreporting and rapidly shifting definitions of confirmed cases.

Further bolstering the idea that the virus is spreading widely, an epidemiological modeling team from Imperial College in London estimated Friday that two-thirds of the people infected with coronavirus who left mainland China before restrictions were imposed had traveled throughout the world without being detected.

The team, one of several modeling groups regularly consulted by the W.H.O., calculated how many cases were detected in different countries and how many should have been detected based on flights that left Wuhan just before most air travel out of China ended.

Detection failures “potentially resulted in multiple chains of as-yet-undetected human-to-human transmission,” the modeling team’s study concluded.

The virus is spreading even in places that might be expected to have the closest monitoring and prevention. In Beijing, a spike in cases at two hospitals raised fears that the epidemic could be growing in a city so far largely exempt from extensive infections.

The infections — and in some cases, deaths — of medical workers have become a potent symbol of the epidemic’s toll for many Chinese. On Thursday, another doctor in Wuhan died. The doctor, Peng Yinhua, 29, had postponed his wedding to continue treating patients, according to local news reports.

Earlier this week, a high-profile doctor, Liu Zhiming, the director of the Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died.

The almost random nature of new reports and new deaths is an indication the virus is moving much faster than countries are reporting to the W.H.O., Dr. Osterholm said.

“How many of these clusters and travel cases and prison outbreaks do we have to see before we realize that we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg?” he said. “Testing is just getting set up around the world. There’s barely any in Africa right now. Even in the U.S., we’re testing travel cases — but we’re not testing in any meaningful way that will pick up cases that we didn’t suspect were there.”

_____

Vivian Wang reported from Hong Kong, Donald G. McNeil Jr. and Farnaz Fassihi from New York, and Steven Lee Myers from Beijing. Marc Santora contributed reporting from London and Choe Sang-Hun from Seoul, South Korea.

*********

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tracykestler · 5 years ago

Text

36 and what a world I have seen

Honestly I’ve been terrible at journalling lately. Love handwriting in quill and ink style, but my current life leaves me exhausted after work and most of my time spent in education. But currently the Covid-19 pandemic made me consider the important world events I have witnessed.

Born in 1984 I lived in a world of rapidly changing technology but still being forced outside to play. We always had an Apple computer in our house for as long as I can remember. Played the Oregon Trail in black and white, then in color. That was the standard computer game of my childhood. Mom got us Mario Teaches Typing, probably the only “video game” I ever played at that point. AOL was a thing. All those CDs in the mail with updates. I never really got into it, but my twin sister did.

Also a child of the Disney Golden Age of animation. Dramatically influenced my life to the point I went to work for Walt Disney World after college. Still a Disney fanatic to this day.

Apparently my family visited Yellowstone National park (age 4? too young to remember anyway) then not too long after the park had the fire.

Was alive though not conscious of world events when the Berlin Wall fell. Watch the birth of CNN during the first Desert Storm when my dad was there overseeing some of the first drone flights. The military required a pilot on hand for those flights. He told us later how some Iraqis would surrender to the drone plane, not that it was ever one of the ones he supervised. And according to my mom I frequently asked to NOT watch the 24 hour stream of news because it was too depressing and I knew that’s where dad was.

Really started to pay attention to news (not that l enjoyed it but that’s the timeline for how chidden develop) during the O.J. Simpson trial.

By that point I had lived on both coasts of the USA, crossed country twice, lived in many different environments from Washington’s cold wet seasons to California’s deserts California’s coast to landlocked suburbia of Georgia.

Where I learned to drive, had a single Nokia phone for me and my twin in our tiny Cabrio convertible (I hate convertibles). Got a personal computer for the first time, where before it was a single family computer. The iMacs were coming out right when we were heading to college. My sister got the desktop, I got the laptop and have never looked back. Still have my gumstick shuffle iPod floating around and it still works.

Got to watch the insanity of Indecision 2000 and appreciate political humor for the first time.

I’ve been to 9 different schools for 12 years of school, not including college. That would make it ten. Was a freshman in high school when the Columbine shootings happened. Some weeks later we had a pipe bomb threat at our school which forced all the students out to the football field. From the top of the bleachers we could see the bomb squad and their dogs entering the school. All I could think of was if someone really wanted to kill at lot of people, there on the bleachers would be the place to do it. Then at some point in my adult life someone did it at a movie theater showing The Dark Knight.

Saw the images of the Oklahoma City bombing. Heard about the Unabomber. Watched the Waco Texas incident.

But my senior year was the time of 9/11. My math class was out in the hallway doing a math related science type experiment, can’t tell you what it was. But that day was the only day I have ever heard a school of nearly 5,000 students absolutely silent during class change. Thus Desert Storm part two happened.

Right before I headed off to college. So I wasn’t super savvy about applying to colleges. I only applied to one. Didn’t have a clue as to what I wanted to do with my life. I’ve done a wide variety of sports, been writing fiction since at least 10 years old, drew and painted fairly well, thought about doing animation or architecture (did a semester learning thing with a local firm, decided it wasn’t for me).

Ended up getting a degree in two foreign languages but not fluent in either. It did greatly improve my understanding of the English language. And I had the privilege of an exchange program for a school year to Japan, plus of study abroad summer to Germany. Would never regret any of that. Even if it didn’t get me a degree that got me a job.

Instead I went to Disney World as part of their internship program. Been in foods and hospitality for a significant portion of my life (thus far). Loved working there. Got to work with the Characters and it was fabulous. Even with the frustrations of all work environments.

But it couldn’t last. Minimum wage was raised, but the cost of living out stripped the earnings for a single person living alone. Prompting a move back home with parents to get another degree. Then the Housing bubble burst, loans defaulted, mortgage crisis, resulting in the Great Recession. It did get me a house in my name but basically an income property for my mom as her inheritance from my grandmother. All the while I’m going to school to be a nurse.

Now let’s not forget about the many weather crises I’ve witnessed via the news. Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, Harvey, Maria to name the ones I easily remember. The Class 5 tornado that wiped out a midwestern town. The volcano in Iceland rerouting planes. The tsunami in Indonesia and Sumatra. The massive earthquake in Haiti. These are only the ones that easily come to mind without researching what happened during the years I’ve been alive.

Not to mention the diseases that I’ve seen via the news. First to mind was the Ebola outbreak while I was in nursing school. Saw the hype on the Swine Flue, SARS, Avian flu to name a few easily remembered. Those never reached me personally. Now it’s Covid-19 unfolding. Called SARS-CoV-19 now, but that later.

But its not all disasters. Went to the Atlanta Centennial Olympics still have the t-shirt. Was alive during the first black president.

Took part in the massive phenomena that was Harry Potter and still love it to this day. It showed me that fiction/fantasy could be a mainstream genre to write for. I started writing FanFiction at that time to fill in the long spaces between books. Started when fan fiction.net had the 7or 8 main characters to choose from for tagging. It was like the Wild West of figuring out what you were about to read. Learned about Slash, yaoi, lemons and such the hard way. But being exposed to it that way did open my eyes to what goes on in other people’s heads. Knew immediately that just because I didn’t like something didn't mean I had to hate on it. I left it alone once found and kept going. Really helped increase my tolerance to other cultures and thoughts.

Met my best friend on a role playing site and we wrote nonstop during our college years. Went to her wedding, have a lovely Renaissance style dress as a bridesmaid gift. Still am in touch with her. We don’t write together any more as we have moved in our lives with adulting. But I still have all those stories and hope to turn them into something.

Had my first camera cell phone in Japan as just a basic free phone. Was shocked to find cameras in the States were not standard. One of my friends in Japan kept doing selfies before they were called selfies. Blind positioning of the camera for pictures. Then came the iPhone and the world never looked back.

Joined Facebook when it required a college email. Used MSN messenger and Yahoo messenger to communicate with people around the world. Didn’t join the Twitter or Tumblr movement until after they became established. Saw the boom and bust of the Dot.Com bubble. Watched the Dow Jones numbers increase without the income to invest the way they said to.

Lived right above the poverty line during the Recession. Not knowing if I could make it the next month. Never being able to claim poverty on the tax forms. Caught in the income dead space of not being able to afford health insurance from the markets but in a state that didn’t allow for Medicaid expansion.

But I do not have the worry now thankfully.

Jobs wise I’ve been a telemarketer, dishwasher, a line cook, a hostess, server, janitor, assistant manager, and now I’m a nurse. I started on med/surg, ED, Cardiac, and ICU. In a small rural hospital getting smaller in a time when rural were shutting down because of no funding. They serve areas with a high rates of unemployment, uninsured, drug and alcohol abuse.

Worked at a busier hospital were no bed was left empty. Sicker patients. Work in a mid-size place. Some days super busy, some slower.

Covid-19 had the affect of somehow doing both. First few days was almost empty, now it fluctuates. Mostly rule outs. And the protocols are changing hourly which makes life frustrating for us. It’s the constant unspoken threat of going into work not knowing if you’ll have the right equipment to do the job. I’m not scared of the virus itself, not even of the collapse of the economy. I’m scared of the surge that will put my coworkers at risk.

I live alone (my little sister lives with me now) so very little contact with others. But they have kids and a much closer physical distance to their older parents. I know I will add days to my weeks if they have to stay out for any length of time.

So this is the first time a world event as truly affected me. It is a terrifying time which prompted this summary of my life so far.

I went into a restaurant and saw no one. I never thought I’d see that day. I don’t want people to loose their income, but if people were to go about their daily activities we would loose so many in one go. All I can do is my job.

The more I watch the more depressed and stressed. At work is worse.

I’m teaching myself a new craft because of this. I have taken up leather working to make masks. It helps the creativity outlet. I started drawing class early in 2020 and was set to continue drawing and add painting when the social distancing started. I admit it felt overblown in the beginning. Now the numbers are changing rapidly and we are really seeing what happens in close communities. Just keep working. It’s part of life now. No matter how much if feels like a movie plot line.

But back to other things I’ve seen.

LGTBQA and others coming into the forefront of society. Saw legalization of gay marriage. Quite thrilled with that.

Didn’t hear the term Asexual in reference to a sexual preference until my early 20s. Immediately recognized similar stories to me. Never had an interest in sex or having a partner. A name did make things more relatable, but I will never fully understand people who seem to base their entire existence on their sexual preference.

I’ve been call sir many times based on how I dress. I still sound like a female. Can’t fault anyone for using the appropriate pronoun for what they see in front of them. But that’s a culture that’s growing. Preferred pronouns. But I have to admit that an online friend referred to me as “they” despite a lady being in my username and it felt nice. So in honor of the Special Snowflake term that floated around, I’m an nonbinary aromantic asexual. Probably with a fem-romanitic leaning.

Saw the rise of the Millennials. I’m caught between Gen X and the Millennials. Now that all the Millennials are of age to vote, perhaps change is underway?

I’m back in college for my 3rd and then 4th degree. In nursing. Online. Watching the world combat a virus.

A US that is split down the middle politically. A world with more pollution problems than we can handle. Governments preferring to coverup mistakes and corruption than help their citizens. The term Public Servant is obviously not taken seriously in some places. See Flint, MI and their water. Lobbyists creating bills that benefit corporations rather than people. Politicians that never retire and keep getting lucrative reelection donations from those very corporations.

The rise of narcotic drug use, prescription drugs. Pill mills.

Sex scandals taking center stage in the news rather than things that actually affect daily life. Among things I will never understand is the fear of Transgender women in the women’s restrooms when it was always a straight conservative man who was the center of all these sex scandals.

Asexual brain at work. I simply do not understand. Conclusion: If you look like a certain gender, you’ll most often be treated as that gender.

What I do miss were the kid shows and cartoons in the 90s. They were super progressive with great literature themes. I knew the story of some of the greatest classic literature simply by the references in those shows.

Also the era of War on Drug commercials. Recycling promoted.

My favorite: Captain Planet. Not only was it pushing for a cleaner earth it had different nationalities. Stereotypical, but a far better representation than what I am seeing in kids shows today. It was diverse in that multiple skin tones were seen on screen together rather than specific skin tones marketed to that specific demographic. Now I do like how many more cultures are represented, I just want them shown in ways where color and culture is not the primary focus.

It also surged a desire to protect the planet. The knowledge that we need clean water and air. Educational shows like Magic School Bus and Bill Nye explained what is happening in the environment long before Global Warming became political. With the global shut in we see the world cleansing itself.

Now the marijuana legalization issue. No one has died from overdosing on weed. Unlike Alcohol. Yes smoke isn’t good for your health like cigarettes, but the complications are not as prevalent, well studied, or as life threatening with what is known. The disconnect of state legalization and national illegalities is mind blowing. I hope to see that break so we can study it.

Overall I know I have seen a lot of historical events and I hope to live another 36 plus years to see more. 3 decades, the change of a century and the change of the millennia. Y2K hysteria included.

The world is changing. The outcome is unknown. Peace be upon us all.

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ssromanogers · 6 years ago

Text

Survival of the Fittest

To: Chrissy @xo-stardust720

From: Terri @mylifeisloki

Note: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! <33

It was nothing like they said it would be in the movies. The zombies didn’t just appear, people didn’t get sick in droves, there was time for preparation. Natasha could remember the first time she’d seen a report on the news about the strange illness that was presenting with death-like symptoms and grotesque skin lesions; it had seemed so far away from where she was healthy and protected in a skyscraper in New York City. Surely some illness that was probably mutated or poorly treated in some developing country couldn’t touch her at home.

But as the days went on, there were more cases reported in that first country, then another, then another. The Virus was getting worse; those who were sick would decay to the point where they visually resembled a corpse– and then continue ‘living’ in some sense of the word anyway. No one wanted to use it, but ‘zombie’ seemed like the most accurate word. Soon enough, the first case in London was reported on the 11 o’clock news and the UN made a drastic decision to halt all air traffic. With all planes grounded and people beginning to panic, local governments started to lightly suggest that those who were still healthy made provisions for themselves should the disease spread to the United States.

Some listened. Natasha had gone to the store and bought up as much canned food as she could, stockpiling a few first aid kits and a couple of cases of water so she was ready in the event that she had to remain indoors for an indeterminate length of time. But there were others who thought it was a stupid hoax, or that their distance from the initial outbreak would mean they were safe in the long run. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the way things happened.

The very first case in the United States was in Detroit. Once the sickness was identified, the whole city went on lockdown until they could be sure that it wasn’t spreading, but the damage had already been done. One by one, cities and eventually states fell to The Virus and people finally started to pay attention. There were stories of angry mobs pushing their way into hospitals thinking they would be safe there, and stories of people being killed at the first sign of illness whether it was confirmed to be The Virus or not.

The horror that came along with this now very nearby threat were the stories that those who were afflicted were likely to attack if you startled them. People were taking up arms, the news said. Guns were more prevalent than ever and violence as a whole was off the charts.

Natasha saw the writing on the wall and quit her job in favor of staying right where she was, in her apartment, safe.

The world pretty much went to shit after that. She watched the number of casualties get higher and higher as time went on; some people were confirmed dead, others were just missing. Either way, The Virus was spreading so fast that if they were out there, it would get them soon enough.

For six weeks, Natasha managed to stay safe and sound in her apartment. She lived off the canned food she’d bought, which she rationed as much as she could, and spent her downtime either watching the news or reading or just doing exercise so she was ready when the time came to actually go back out there. New York didn’t look like it used to; she could see from her window that the once lively streets were desolate and grey. Even on sunny mornings, there was an overwhelming darkness over everything and at least one or two walkers just wandering about looking for food or a cure or… something. They were dangerous, that much she knew.

It had started with what they thought was an airborne virus, but apparently changed into something like rabies; it was transmitted through a bite, not in the air. It was with that knowledge that Natasha was able to breathe just a little easier.

Two months in, Natasha realized that she had to get out there and move. There were rumors, mostly things she heard whispered in the halls between the handful of survivors around her, that the army was sweeping the city to evacuate anyone who might have survived thus far. But they wouldn’t continue forever. There were limited resources. If the survivors dwindled, they’d stop risking more lives to come in and look for more. Natasha figured her best bet was to make her way into one of the outer boroughs, maybe to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. If there was no way to get out with the army’s help, then at least she could probably find a less populated area to settle in for a while. Manhattan just wasn’t the way to go given just how many people lived there– or had lived there.

It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but Natasha had never been the type to delay when something simply had to be done. She packed her necessities, dressed in jeans and layers, tied her hair back, armed herself with the pistol she kept in her closet and the knife she kept in her bedside table, and headed out. The city outside her door was almost unrecognizable. She knew the stores, but so many windows had been broken and she saw not one familiar face. All she hoped for right now was a calm trip into Brooklyn.

She opted for the Brooklyn Bridge to avoid spending any time in Queens, where the streets were too unfamiliar and too narrow for her to feel safe. Brooklyn had more options, she figured, and she had at least spent some time there in the recent past. She might be able to negotiate her way around. Besides, there were places in Brooklyn that felt like suburbs– she could definitely find somewhere safe to stay if she played her cards right. The problem was that she didn’t know exactly how long she had to just hunker down and wait. What if this was life from now on?

Not that she had the time to actually think about things like that.

She traveled unhindered and unbothered through Bryant Park. It was still strange for there to be no sounds around her– no children playing even though it was a sunny day, no one playing music, no shouting from the street. The city had never been so quiet and it was unnerving .

It took her a very tense fifteen minutes to walk from her apartment to the intersection where she could stare up at the Empire State Building. It looked different now; monolithic, almost. With no tourists taking pictures and no tour buses stopping by and no business people rushing about, the place was practically deserted.

Practically.

Standing on the other side of the intersection was a walker who looked very intent upon coming after Natasha for its next meal. Natasha put her back against a wall and tried to stay quiet in the hopes that he would change direction and leave her be, but it was already heading her way. The creaking, groaning, choking sound it made as it came closer only heightened her fear, but what else could she do? She couldn’t outrun the thing and still make it a safe distance away without bumping into another one or even attracting a few with heavy footsteps like that.

She’d have to kill it.

Stepping out, she took her knife in hand and braced herself for a moment before carefully moving around the thing and towards its back. It wasn’t moving very fast anyway, so she was able to touch the thing’s shoulder and drive the knife into the back of its skull. It fell and hit the ground with a sick sound that made bile rise in Natasha’s throat. So that was how it felt to kill something, even if that thing wasn’t really a person. Natasha used a strip of fabric she’d tied around her waist to wipe her blade and moved on, seeking shelter in the narrow alleyways on the other side of the main street.

At least that walker had been alone. Natasha couldn’t imagine what it would be like to find a group of them, but that was exactly what she found when she made the mistake of cutting through Madison Square Park. The 23rd Street station was right at the far side and to her horror, there were walkers pouring out of it at a rate that screamed ‘danger’. She had to get out of there before–

They saw her. Natasha pulled her knife immediately and made quick work of the two out in front, but she knew she was at a disadvantage here. They were coming quick and it just wasn’t realistic to think that she could kill them all fast enough that the ones still coming couldn’t overtake her. She stabbed and slashed and did what she could, but she wasn’t a warrior. She wasn’t strong enough for any of this.

With more than twenty walkers coming at her, she made the somewhat ill-fated decision to run. It was more than enough noise to entice them, which meant that by the time she found herself at the lobby to some fancy-schmancy hotel, they were on her heels and ready to grab her. Natasha slipped inside and managed to lock the doors, but the walkers behind her piled up against the glass until she could see clear cracks forming– she had to get out of there. And since there was no way to know whether or not there were other walkers in the hotel itself, she had to explore with caution.

She elected to take the stairs. Getting stuck in an elevator at this point was nothing more than a death sentence. Three flights up, she wandered into the hallway and glanced both ways before venturing to the left in search of safety. She was struck again by the fact that she was entirely alone; it felt like there was not another living soul in this place. Three more flights and she was wandering down an identical hallway when she heard a distinct banging sound coming from the far end. Frowning to herself, she readied her knife and quietly made her way towards it.

It might not have been wise, but if something was in the hotel with her, she had to know.

Eventually, she located a small utility closet that was shaking as something pressed up against the inside. The movements were too insistent and too wooden to be anything else but a walker, so Natasha braced herself and opened the door as she jumped to the side. Out came what presumably used to be a guest of the hotel. It was still wearing the remains of a silk robe with wisps of blonde hair sticking to its skull. Natasha killed it before she could keep thinking about what it used to be and carefully plucked the white key card from the pocket of the thing’s robe just in case she couldn’t pick the lock of a room for herself.

Continuing up, she found nothing else until she arrived on the thirtieth floor and heard what sounded like groaning coming from the door right beside the stairs.

Staff room. Natasha pressed her ear against it and frowned. There had to be at least three or four of them in there, all trying their best to get out. A quick examination of the handle revealed that it was locked; someone must have sealed it when all this started. It was a cruel way to die.

Tired as she was, Natasha forced herself up another five floors and finally deemed herself safe enough to choose a room. She’d boarded up the doors that led to the stairs with wood from desks and end tables she’d deemed strong enough to be of use and found a room with the door left ajar. With the door locked behind her, she was safe and slipped right into the big, fluffy bed to sleep.

The next day, after something like 15 hours of rest, Natasha decided to explore her current floor and find everything she needed. This was a five star hotel; they had to have plenty of toiletries and the like laying around for the guests. Sure enough, she found a supply closet and stocked up on soap, shampoo, toothpaste, razors, and anything else she could carry. Coming back to her room meant that she could strip down and step into a (admittedly lukewarm) shower and just stand there while the water washed away weeks of dirt and grime and sweat and tears.

Freshly bathed and wrapped in a fluffy robe, Natasha finally ventured out to the balcony and looked down. Thirty five floors up, the city almostlooked normal. One could almost mistake the moving pieces on the ground for actual people instead of the monsters they were.

She gave herself three days to re-energize before making her way up the next fifteen floors to the penthouse and, once she’d left her things in her room, the roof. But there were no helicopters to be seen, no sign of any efforts by the army to get people out. She waited the majority of two days on that roof and there was no one other than what looked like a single private plane flying way too far to the left to see her. She waved her arms anyway, but there was no point.

Two weeks in, Natasha knew she was one of the lucky ones. She’d managed to find herself a spot where there was food in the form of the vending machines and some canned goods in the kitchen, and there was plenty of soap and water to bathe. She even had a soft bed to sleep in, as she’d nabbed the presidential suite on the top floor. But it wouldn’t last. Walkers were pushing at the doors on the bottom every day; she’d ventured down more than once to see them with their scarred, broken faces swarming at the glass doors keeping her safe. They wouldn’t hold forever and she had to be ready to leave whenever they finally broke.

It took exactly two weeks and four days for them to break in. The minute the glass broke downstairs, Natasha was out of bed and grabbing her bag to get the hell out of there. Thanks to the security cameras she’d rewired, she had plenty of advance notice. She’d managed to arm herself with a couple of sharp knives and a nightstick, but she was loathe to use the pistol stuffed into the side of her bag. It would attract them, surely. Loud noises tended to get their attention more than anything else.

Having already formed a plan, she sought out the (thoroughly tested) employee elevator and took it all the way down to the basement so she could use the employee entrance to get out. That hotel was taken now; it would take more than just one person to fight through the horde of walkers making their way through it. Unfortunately, finding another shelter was not as simple as Natasha had hoped. She still had food in her bag and as many toiletries as she dared to carry, but it felt like the rest of the city was overrun.

Every store she passed was either empty or crawling with walkers, every restaurant was useless this long after the Virus had begun, and there were no humans anywhere! Where had they all gone? Was this Natasha’s punishment for being so isolated before this all happened?

Walking down Broadway wasn’t anything like it used to be. The lights were all out; the whole city felt dead and dark even as the sun began to rise. She kept walking and stayed close to the buildings, keeping her eye out for anything moving on the street. The walkers weren’t exactly subtle, so she was confident that she’d be able to spot one before it got too close to her and hopefully take it by surprise. She hadn’t pulled her gun yet, but she was close. It took a lot less effort than it did to penetrate their skulls with a knife or bash it in with her nightstick.

By the time she hit Union Square, she’d killed seven walkers and her arm was throbbing from the effort of it all. She wanted to find somewhere to stop for the night, but it seemed like there weren’t any options that didn’t churn her stomach in a bad way. She had to go with her gut here and so, she glanced around to make sure there weren’t any walkers to be seen– at least for now –and bashed in one of the windows of the Barnes and Noble nearby. The sound was deafening in the silence around her and Natasha wondered if it had been a bad decision, but the warmth provided by the inside of the store and the fact that she was able to push a few things in front of the window in order to make sure she was secure for the moment relaxed her a little bit. She immediately wandered upstairs to where it was warm and quiet, but she didn’t find the same comfort there that she once had.

Maybe that was because it was almost too quiet. Maybe it was because she felt like she hadn’t spoken to anyone in… Had it really been almost three months? Standing by the window, she could see the walkers already swarming the area and she knew she wasn’t really safe. That noise had attracted more than she was entirely ready to face and there was nothing she could do about that other than hope they got impatient and left. Of course, Natasha had never been the type to hope without reason– and she had no reason to think they would leave.

She hadn’t even settled in by the time they broke through her makeshift barrier and wandered into the store. This time, Natasha didn’t have a plan. All she could do was grab her things and head towards the front door– but she couldn’t get through. They were everywhere, clawing at her and nearly biting and it was enough to make her pull her gun and start shooting as she ran out the front doors and into the park across the street.

From where she hid in the greenery of Union Square Park, she could see more coming. They went towards the sound, not towards her current location, and they swarmed there. Natasha wished she had a grenade or something– she could take a bunch of them out at one time.

Sans grenade, all she could do was watch them gather in the bookstore and search for the food that was no longer there. The whole thing was disgusting; everything from the smell of dead flesh to the sick, wet sounds they made. Natasha only stayed a few more minutes before heading through Union Square Park. She’d escaped, but it was getting dark.

Most of the lights in the park were dim or completely out, so Natasha grabbed her flashlight and peered through the darkness as much as she could. At this point, the light might attract some, but she’d rather see them coming than not see them at all. As she made her way towards the now defunct holiday market at the end of the park, she came across one or two who dared venture up to her and both were taken out with her knife as usual. In the market itself, she glanced around for any signs of ‘life’, whatever that meant, and chose one of the booths that had been selling plushies to settle down for the night.

Instead of opening the little door at the back and risking its integrity, she hopped over the counter and began considering what she had to work with in order to make herself comfortable.

She was considering the big plush bears hanging over the booth when a hand reached out and grabbed her ankle from underneath the counter. She went down immediately and began struggling as the walker clawed at her leg in an effort to pull her closer. All of a sudden, desperation set in and Natasha began hacking at the walker’s arm to get it off her, taking chunks of skin and muscle and eventually bone off until she was able to get away. The thing was still trying to drag itself after her and Natasha panicked, pulling her knife so she could plunge it into the thing’s eye socket and kill it once and for all.

In the aftermath, while she dragged the remains of her latest kill out of the booth, she thought about how her life had come to this point. She supposed it all had to do with The Virus, but maybe it was more than that. Natasha had isolated herself to the point where she didn’t have a single other person to talk to during this whole thing.

Well. She did have one person, but he’d never answered. In the back of her mind, she just hoped Clint and his family were okay because if they weren’t… she honestly wasn’t sure if she wanted to know. It would be too much of a distraction right now.

Hunkering down in the stall was easy after that. Natasha gathered as many plush toys as she could and piled them up so she had something soft to sleep on, pulled one of the ratty bits of fabric underneath the counter over her for warmth, and tried to rest. There were sounds outside the booth, so she kept her knife at the ready just in case a walker managed to make its way over the counter, but none did. She got a couple of fitful hours of rest before the sun rose and a new day began.

Unfortunately, most of the walkers were still outside the booth. For a while, Natasha stood there, out of arm’s reach, and glared at them. She knew it wasn’t their fault, but that didn’t matter. She had so much anger just building up inside her and she had no outlet — Or did she?

Natasha picked up her nightstick and weighed it in her hand for a moment. There were six walkers milling about on the other side of the counter. She could take them. She could.

And she did. Natasha didn’t know where the inner strength came from, but she bashed in the head of every walker threatening her safety and hit them a few more times just to be sure. At the end of it, she was covered in blood and panting heavily at the ground in front of her- and the pieces of the now macerated corpses she’d struck down. So this was who she was now.

Later that day, she found herself standing outside the School of the Arts at NYU and patiently tried exactly three doors until she got inside. She dispatched three walkers who looked strangely like college students and found her way to the dance studio, which was abandoned save for a muffled groaning on the other side of a closet door. And against her better judgement, Natasha set her things down and plucked a record off the shelf without even knowing if the player would actually work. In the complete silence that had been suffocating her for days, soft music began to play and Natasha’s whole body relaxed.

She closed her eyes and twirled around, completely losing herself to the music and the familiarity of her movements. It was rote, it was something she knew better than herself. And it was something that transcended all the terrible things that had happened to the world recently.

She stayed there quite some time, until the food she had was nearly running out. Just as the sun was setting one evening, she headed down Broadway a little further and made a quick decision to seek out refuge at St. Patrick��s. Surely if there were some survivors, they were probably also inside the church as it was something of a fortress. The doors were definitely sturdy enough to keep the walkers out. But approaching the church itself was more of a hazard that Natasha had anticipated. She was alone one minute and surrounded by other people the next. If she hadn’t been so aware that she had several large guns pointed at her, she might have just been happy to see other human beings.

“State your business.”

Natasha frowned. “What’s it look like? I’m looking for shelter for the night.”

“Are you armed?”

Was this guy kidding? Natasha rolled her eyes and indicated the knife and nightstick hanging from her belt. “Of course I’m armed. Do I look stupid?”

Slowly, the guns were lowered just a little bit and the man who’d spoken before came forward. “You don’t look stupid, honey. I bet we could come to an arrangement about tonight.”

Natasha’s stomach immediately knotted. So this was what disaster did to people; she had hoped they’d rise above, but apparently not. “And who might you be?”

“Lester,” he said with a skeevy smile. “But everyone ‘round here calls me ‘Bullseye’.”

“Well, Lester ,” Natasha said smoothly. “I’d rather sleep next to a walker than sleep next to you. So either let me stay in the church until morning on my own , or I’ll just be on my way.”

He soured immediately. Lester’s big hand clamped down on Natasha’s upper arm and she hissed as he pulled her closer. “I should tie you to a pole and let them have you,” he growled. “You’d be lucky to stay with us. You’d be lucky to stay with me .”

Natasha glanced around at the others– there were a couple of women and a few more men, but none looked particularly offended by what Lester was doing at the moment. He was clearly in some kind of leader position, but why? What did he have on them?

“I said I’d be on my way,” she repeated, tugging at his ironclad hold on her arm.

“I think I’ll keep you here.”

It didn’t take nearly as much effort as she would have liked for Lester to pull her past the barricades and into the church. Inside, the pews had been moved to make way for what looked like a tent city for the homeless– there were cots and blankets and food . Natasha’s mouth watered just from the smell of whatever canned something or other someone was making off in the corner. But she wasn’t offered food; that would mean her hosts actually gave a shit about her. Instead, she was plopped down on a heavy metal cot and handcuffed (they must have had an officer around somewhere) to the frame.

“You can’t actually think this is going to get you anywhere,” she deadpanned.

Lester leaned in real close, to the point where Natasha could practically feel his stubble against her cheek. “It’s going to get me everywhere. See you tonight, honey.”

Natasha rolled her eyes again and laid down on the bed with her hand still cuffed to the frame over her head. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but then neither was sleeping on a pile of old, cold stuffed animals with walkers just a couple of feet away. At least she was warm and safe, and there was a good chance she’d be able to get some food on the way out.

For now, however, she was going to rest.

Natasha woke up to Lester sitting on the bed beside her with his hand on her stomach and a creepy smile on his face. She grimaced and wiggled a little bit to get him off her.

“Aw, come on. And here I was coming to give you something to eat.”

All of a sudden, her attention was brought to the tray he’d set down on the bed. There was an unopened bottle of water, a piece of bread, and a bowl of what looked like vegetable soup. It smelled absolutely heavenly, but if he honestly thought it was going to get her to open her legs for him, he was dead wrong.

Natasha gave him a look. “Thanks,” she said graciously. “Think I can have my hand back so I can eat?”

Lester chuckled and pulled back so he could unlock the handcuff and give her a little freedom. Natasha rubbed her wrist as she sat up and accepted the food all while trying not to look too eager for it– even though she definitely was. She was starving and it had been so long since she’d last had a decent meal; this didn’t exactly make her feel warm inside like going over to Clint’s for Sunday dinner, but it was good enough.

And then the nonsense started.

Suffice it to say that Natasha could at least defend herself, so when Lester did something a little uncouth, she reacted by shoving her knee into his groin as hard as she could, punching him hard in the face, and bolting away from him. She got away with a twisted ankle and a nasty wound from a bullet grazing her upper arm; honestly, it could have been a lot worse given the whole tone in that place.

And despite her injuries, she struggled down Centre Street until she reached the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, where she found a place to collapse for just a moment. She’d managed to avoid most of the walkers on the way, only taking out one or two in her frustration and anger.

The best word she could think of to describe the bridge the next morning amidst foggy weather and grey skies was ‘haunting’. She walked as far to the right as possible while walkers wondered this way and that, but most of them couldn’t get over the gate to present much of a problem to her. She threw three into the icy water below them and walked as fast as she could in the hopes that Brooklyn would bring less crowded streets and a more secure option for shelter– hopefully one that didn’t include some creepy guy trying to sleep with her.

But by the time she arrived at the Brooklyn Navy Yard at last, the sun was going down and it looked deserted. …Actually, it looked a little toodeserted. There weren’t any walkers.

Peering around carefully, she slipped into a narrow opening in the gate and made her way into one of the abandoned buildings on the outskirts of the property. She’d spend the night there, then make her way towards the water and attempt to find a boat she might be able to commandeer, not that she had much experience with sailing. She’d figure it out like she figured everything else out.

Locked away in some dark corner of the building she’d chosen, Natasha began to think about what her next steps would be if the boat option didn’t work out. Death was all around her. Apparently the survivors were apt to a state of lawlessness thanks to the current state of the world and it wasn’t exactly a place she wanted to be. She didn’t like not knowing what to expect from the world, even though the world had surprised her more than once in the recent past.

The next day, she decided to stay right where she was because she was safe. She hadn’t heard a single walker nearby and no one had attempted to get into her little shack, so she’d be crazy to complain. Besides, it was getting cold out there. She wouldn’t survive sleeping on the streets at this point; she couldn’t risk that. A quick look out the window told her that it was snowing as well. No, she had to stay. She had to hunker down here and hope that the food and water she had on her would last.

It turned out to be a good call, because the light dusting turned into a real blizzard and the snow began to form large piles all around her. Natasha searched until she found an old blanket to wrap around her shoulders and made the best fire she could given the circumstances, but she was still cold. It had to be below freezing and there was no insulation in the building she’d chosen, which had probably been a garage or something like that.

The snow lasted for twelve hours and even when it stopped, the temperature remained frigid and unforgiving. This might be it for her; trapped inside because outside was dangerous because of the elements, not the walkers. She was going to die of hypothermia or frostbite or…well, something a lot worse.

Late one night, Natasha was awoken by the distinct creak of the large door opening. Her fire was still smoldering beside her, so her position was given away, and she immediately had a knife in her hand. Even if it wasn’t a walker, it was someone . As she’d learned, other survivors could be as much of a danger as the zombies themselves.

“Hello?”

Natasha frowned. If this guy was looking to harm her, he wasn’t very good at the subtle thing.

“Hey, I know someone’s in here. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Knitting her brows together, she crept out from her hiding space with her knife still in hand and hidden just behind her. The man in question was bundled up in a thick jacket and a scarf. He looked big and warm and Natasha shivered just thinking about burying herself in a jacket like that one.

“What do you want?” She asked as she came into view. “Don’t come any closer.”

The guy put his hands up to show that he wasn’t armed. “I’m just– I was just coming to see who was staying here. It’s getting cold out. I figured I might be able to help.”

Natasha wasn’t sure if he could trust him, but the way he spoke told her that he wasn’t lying to get her closer to him. Maybe he did want to help.

“I’m cold,” she said slowly. “Do you have another jacket like that one?”

The man smiled a little bit and unzipped his jacket so he could hold it out for her without question. “I run warm,” he assured her. “And my name’s Steve. What’s yours?”

“Natasha,” she answered as she moved closer and quickly grabbed the garment. She wasn’t nearly sure enough of her own fate right now to refuse a gift like that one.

Steve shook his head in disbelief. “You’re the first survivor I’ve met,” he said. “Sorry, I feel like I’m staring. I’m just so glad to see someone else with a heart beat.”

The coat was so warm. Natasha wrapped it around herself and huddled in, briefly glancing back towards the pathetic fire she had going. She had been so cold for so long that it felt like she’d never be warm enough again. Considering the man in front of her a second time, Natasha pressed her lips together for a moment and tried to ignore that they were chapped and dry.

“I’ve got a better way we can both stay warm.”

Steve blinked. “Oh, we don’t have to– I mean, I’m fine, I’ll just–”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Just come over here and lay with me,” she said. Her voice was still trembling just a little bit thanks to the cold. It would just be easier if he lent her his body heat for a while. “What? You don’t find nearly blue skin and dry lips appealing?”

Steve huffed out a laugh and for the first time in ages and ages, Natasha really smiled. Together, they headed over to where she’d been sleeping and Steve laid down, awkwardly opening his arms to her. Body heat was the way to go, but it hadn’t actually skipped Natasha’s notice that Steve was one handsome stranger.

She got down on the floor and gave him a look before turning around and putting her back to his big, broad, warm chest. Steve went ahead and apologized before putting his arm around her waist for additional warmth. It was heaven as far as Natasha was concerned, even if he was a complete stranger. He seemed genuine and sweet– and to be honest, she was really happy to just have some company. The solo life hadn’t been great so far when she didn’t even have people to talk to at work.

“So, how long have you been on your own?”

Steve shifted uncomfortably. “About six weeks. I, uh… I lost my best friend and it’s been just me ever since.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” It wasn’t hard to empathize with him over that. For all she knew, Clint was laying in a ditch somewhere, or wandering aimlessly with a horde of walkers. “But you’re staying here?”

“Yeah, over in the main building. I figured it was the safest place to be.”

“Until this whole thing blows over?”

“Until…” He sighed. “I don’t know, really. I keep thinking about what will happen if it doesn’t blow over. I mean, I’ve heard there are other survivors, but—”

“You’ve heard?” Natasha frowned. “How?”

“I’ve got a radio set up. Can’t seem to make contact on my end, but I can hear other people. So there are others. They’re even talking about how some people might be immune.”

So there were other survivors out there, somewhere. Natasha found herself feeling hopeful for just a second. Maybe Steve came with more than just good news- maybe he was a sign of good things to come.

When the sun came out, they made a break for the main building so they had access to the food and water and other supplies that Steve had there. He said he had training in this sort of thing, just surviving on very little and finding his own food. Natasha didn’t question him, especially when he presented her with an actual box of snack cakes. She hadn’t had anything sweet in a long time, so she devoured two on the spot and groaned just because chocolate .

Weeks passed.

Steve and Natasha found an easy rhythm with one another. The cold didn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, so they did what they could to insulate themselves and block out the frigid air. Steve would go out every morning and see if there was anything to scavenge in the vicinity of the Navy Yard while Natasha prepared a sad breakfast, and then most afternoons were spent either playing chess or reading (and re-reading) the few books lying around.

One of Natasha’s favorite pastimes, however, was watching Steve work out. The guy had boundless energy, or so it seemed, and he’d drop to the floor and do push ups until he was actually sweating despite how cold it was all the time. Natasha liked to imagine cuddling up with him right after that, while his skin was still hot to the touch and his eyes were bluer than ever.

Obviously it was a stupid thing to even consider what she was thinking about for so many reasons– the risk of pregnancy had never been more of an actual risk, for one. But it had been nearly two months since they’d met and they were sharing more casual touches every day. They still spooned at night and Natasha found herself burying her face in Steve’s neck more often than not by the time they woke up. She’d listen to his heartbeat for a few seconds before moving just because she liked the reminder that he was alive .

“Listen, we need to talk about what our next steps should be.”

Steve spoke up while they were eating ‘lunch’ in the form of canned vegetables and crackers he’d taken from a store a few blocks away. Natasha knew they couldn’t stay there forever, but who was she kidding? This was the best set-up she��d had and she was hesitant about moving on. Besides, what if Steve didn’t want to stick with her?

“I figured we could move into South Brooklyn,” he continued. “It’s way less populated there and we wouldn’t have to deal with the fences and quite so many barriers, you know? We could be a little less on edge. I think it’s our best bet.” He took another bite of his food. “Besides, the snow is melting little by little. We should head out before another storm hits.”

“South Brooklyn,” she repeated. “And you’re sure about this?”

Steve nodded slowly. “Yeah. Yeah, I think so. It feels right.”

Natasha wasn’t entirely certain whether or not she was supposed to trust him, but she did. She trusted him entirely and felt that he would make a good decision for the both of them, which was something she didn’t even bother attempting to rectify in her own head.

And so, she agreed and they set out for the other end of Brooklyn just two days later, once they’d packed up the necessities. Traveling with Steve was definitely different than traveling alone. For one thing, he was armed. He had a couple of pistols as well as a bat and an axe that he proudly handed over to Natasha so she could protect herself as well. They watched each other’s backs as they walked to Prospect Park and headed through in the hopes that the larger spaces would mean less walkers to deal with.

But as they headed into Flatbush a couple of days later, things changed. Brooklyn was densely populated just like Manhattan; it was understood that they would eventually run into a neighborhood that was more difficult to get through. It just wasn’t understood that they wouldn’t be entirely ready for it. They weren’t. Oh, they definitely weren’t ready for it.

All of a sudden, they were taking out walkers left and right, slashing and beating and even shooting a few because they couldn’t avoid it. They made their way down the main avenue as quickly as possible, moving from Flatbush to a less populated area further south. Steve said there was a mall near the highway that they could probably find shelter in before they headed even further into the practically suburban area nearby, so they headed that way and used the parking lot entrances to get into the mall itself.

There were walkers everywhere .

Natasha could see them gathered behind the gates of some of the stores where people tried to keep themselves safe. She could see them milling about the mall itself, clearly unable to find their way out. As they neared the staircase and glanced down, she could see masses of them gathered on the first floor and a chill went down her spine.

“We have to leave.”

Steve nodded and they turned to run, but there were already walkers gathering in front of the entrance they’d used thanks to a nearby department store that had been housing them just moments earlier. They didn’t have much of a choice other than to fight their way through and hopefully come out unharmed on the other side. Natasha began swinging the bat at the walkers near her while Steve went at them with one of the thick knives he kept hanging on his belt. It was a losing battle, they were being swarmed and clawed at and pushed and pulled and–

All of a sudden, Steve was down . Natasha felt panic rise in her chest and she immediately went towards him, knocking off a few walkers before she pulled a knife and stabbed the walker on top of him right in the head. There was blood everywhere, but she pulled him up and they bolted for the door, shoving walkers aside as they went.

There was silence between them all the way out of the parking garage, but their battle didn’t stop there. Outside the mall itself, there were lines and lines of cars stopped on a smaller sidestreet and inside them, walkers clawing desperately at the windows. So. These were the people trying to leave before it got worse. They’d been stuck there since it started.

Natasha approached the car and moved to bash in the window, but Steve’s hand caught the tip of the bat.

“Don’t.”

Natasha frowned. “Why not?”

“They were people once too. Doesn’t seem right to kill them unless you have to.”

Lowering her bat, Natasha stared at Steve in disbelief. They weren’t people anymore. They were just— monsters. If they left them alive, they’d kill anyone they could if they got out. They had a right to kill them and keep the world as safe as possible, didn’t they?

But Steve reached out to touch her arm and Natasha just stayed quiet. What a gentle soul. She wondered what he would do or how he would react if he knew that she’d killed any she happened to come across whether they were an immediate danger or not.

“Come on, we’re pretty close,” he said warmly.

Natasha smiled, but all of a sudden a walker came up behind Steve and grabbed him, pulling him back and opening its rotten jaw to take a bite. Steve cried out and struggled, but he was only able to dislodge the walker at first. The same walker rebounded and grabbed Steve from the front, holding onto his shirt and snapping his teeth–

Until Natasha came up behind it and decapitated the damn thing with a single swing of her axe.

As the body fell, Steve stared at it and Natasha stared at Steve.

“Let’s find a place,” she said decidedly.

They walked in a somewhat comfortable silence for a few blocks until they landed in an area that felt as ‘small-town’ as Brooklyn possibly could. With tree-lined blocks and no life to speak of, it felt like… home. But Natasha had a mission here, so she chose a street off to the side and crouched down to pick the lock on the door. Steve didn’t comment.

Once they got inside, she locked the door and they did a quick sweep. Like most homes in the area, it was abandoned and entirely empty. The kitchen was stocked, though, so they would have plenty for a while. Back in the living room, Steve dropped his bag and let out a long sigh.

“This is good,” he said. “Looks like we’ll be safe here for awhi-”

Natasha cut him off with both arms tight around his neck and her lips against his. Enough of this. Enough. She had to stand on her toes to reach him, but it was worth it to have his warmth around her, especially as he wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up. She refused to actually let him speak at this point. Natasha deepened their kiss to the point where it felt like she was trying to soak up a little bit of his soul and Steve (thankfully) moved back until he could land with a huff on the sofa behind them.

Straddling his lap with ease, Natasha began removing articles of clothing with their lips still together. Her jacket went, then the sweater she had on underneath. Leaning backwards, she let Steve kiss her neck while she pulled her boots off and tossed them aside, then kissed along his neck in turn while she unbuttoned her next shirt. Steve only took control after that, flipping them over and removing his own layers while he sucked on her bottom lip.

It was eager, she wasn’t going to lie. The whole thing felt so fast and desperate that Natasha seriously thought she wasn’t going to have enough time to admire his body. She’d seen enough to know that she wanted to spend time touching him, maybe even biting his abs or resting her hands on his stomach while she rode him. Sue her, right? She was only human.

But this wasn’t about lust and it wasn’t about desire and it wasn’t about anything other than the fact that they were alive, Steve was alive and they were together. That was all that mattered right now. By the time he got his clothes off, Natasha had wriggled out of all her layers and pulled off the bra she’d been wearing for way too long now. She wasn’t going to lie about that either; they were both washed, but there was still some unpleasantness that came with wearing the same clothes, washed or not, for days on end.

It didn’t seem that either of them cared. When her bare chest was finally pressed against his, Natasha let out an audible groan and found his lips again, biting down on his lower lip to drag him closer while her hands worked on his jeans. The idea that they might have to stop for lack of a condom wasn’t even something she could fathom right now, meaning that she shoved his jeans down and got hers off enough that they hung uselessly from one leg. Her intention was too clear to be mistaken and Steve followed her cues without question.

Natasha arched her back as he pressed into her at last, rocking his hips hard in tight movements that were neither measured nor hindered by anything as pedestrian as polite manners or the like. It was messy and kind of rough, but so, so good. Natasha wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world at the moment, not after so many weeks of wanting him– which followed weeks and weeks of extremely minimal human contact.

“Come on,” she urged him. “Come on, harder.”

Steve grunted as he tried to obey her, eventually slamming in and rolling his hips while he was buried deep inside her. Natasha cried out immediately and as her nails dug into the meat of his shoulders, she tried her best to rock her hips against him in turn. It was pure bliss, just the best thing she’d felt in a long time, probably even longer than she’d been traveling the city on her own.

His hand came down to hold her hip and Natasha hiked that leg around his waist as he continued to move, his thrusts going from long and deep and pointed to the kind of frenzied movements that told her he was going to come. She didn’t care. She couldn’t even begin to care that he was going to come inside her because she wanted to feel him. She wanted to feel every drop, every little twitch of his cock, every inch of him as he crested that peak and came down from it.

Steve came with a strangled sound he hid in the curve of her neck. Natasha petted his hair as his hips twitched and he empted himself inside her, his arms moving to encircle her waist entirely. He was still panting as he dragged his lips over her breasts and back up to her lips, where he bestowed upon her a series of soft, sweet kisses she didn’t ever want to stop.

“Wow,” he breathed. “Wow.”

Natasha’s eyes were closed and she smiled widely even as Steve let his head fall to her shoulders again. She hadn’t actually finished, but she couldn’t bring herself to care about that either. It felt so unbelievably satisfying just to have a warm body on top of her.

Steve pulled out, but remained close and let Natasha trace over the muscles on his chest for a while. The house was quiet other than their shared breathing and she quite liked it if only because it felt semi-normal. But if she was being honest, she knew that she liked Steve more than she should have. They’d spent too much time together for her to deny it.

“So, where did that come from?” He asked eventually.

Natasha shrugged and laid her hand flat on his chest, just over his heart. “It was a long time coming,” she admitted. “At least on my end.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah, mine too,” he said quickly.

Comfortable silence fell between them.

“You didn’t–”

“That’s okay.”

Steve gave her a dubious look. “It’s never really okay,” he said firmly. “Or so I’ve been told.”

Natasha rolled her eyes at him and smiled. “You wanna do something about it?”

“You gonna judge me if I do?”

“Really depends on what you’ve got in mind.”

The look on his face was something she’d never seen before; he looked dangerous and boyish at the same time, like he was about to cause some mischief. It was more amusing than anything else, to be honest. It wasn’t like she was scared of what he might do– and when he slid off the couch in favor of kneeling between her legs, she didn’t dare question him.

It was all too easy to arch her back and tangle her fingers in his overgrown hair– Natasha missed this. She missed the wave of good feelings, but even more than that she missed the company of another person. She might push people away on an emotional level, but the physical stuff was totally different. Sex was something she thoroughly enjoyed and it was only made better by the fact that Steve was pretty much her rock right now.

The fact that he was really putting himself into this only urged her on and Natasha pointed her toes as she hooked her legs over his shoulders and tried to draw him in even more than that. Steve was fucking— he was fucking good at this. She supposed she shouldn’t have been shocked, but he was so goddamn pure half the time. Why was someone as seemingly innocent as Steve so good at this?

“Ohh my God,” she groaned eventually. “Steve, what are you doing to me?”

Steve pulled his mouth off her for a moment and glanced up. “Good things,” he told her confidently. “Real good things, just relax.”

Natasha let her head fall back as he resumed his ministrations and tried to give herself over to what he was doing. Breathing hard, she was hit with a sudden shiver as she came with a muffled moan and tightened her thighs around his head. Steve didn’t pull away, though. No, he lapped at her until she was trembling and finally pushing him away with both feet on his shoulders.

Not even sure what to do with herself, she laid back on the couch and laughed deliriously as Steve crawled over her again.

“Don’t judge me, but I think– just laying with you like this is the happiest I’ve been in a long time.”

“I can’t judge you without judging myself,” she laughed softly. “Just stay like this for a while.”

“Hey.” Steve left a kiss on the side of her neck while Natasha traced up and down his back with the tips of her fingers. “I’ve got nowhere else to be.“

After that, things changed subtly between them. They still talked about anything and everything while they lived their day to day lives in the new world, but Natasha got to share a bed with someone who really cared about her. She got to lose herself in Steve’s lips and Steve’s hands and Steve’s big, warm arms just for a little normalcy every day. She got to know for sure that even if the world had gone to shit, he was there with her. They hadn’t said the big ‘L’ word yet, but that was okay. Maybe it felt too risky in a world wherein their lives could be snuffed out in an sudden moment or one of them could contract The Virus and turn. It was understood; they didn’t have to say anything to one another.

All that really mattered was that Natasha would always have Steve’s back…

-hunting for food,

–scavenging for medical supplies,

—taking out whatever walkers were putting them in danger,

�� —-trying their best to make a nice dinner out of whatever food scraps they found even though neither of them could cook

…and he would have hers.

#romanogers #captasha #capwidow #fanfic #submission

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enubus · 3 years ago

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http://www.danielgreenfield.org/?m=1

“In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate,” a terrorist declares on the Flight 93 cockpit recording. That’s followed by the sounds of the terrorists assaulting a passenger.“ Please don’t hurt me,” he pleads. “Oh, God.” As the passengers rush the cabin, a Muslim terrorist proclaims, “In the name of Allah.”📷 As New York firefighters struggle up the South Tower with 100 pounds of equipment on their backs trying to save lives until the very last moment, the Flight 93 passengers push toward the cockpit. The Islamic hijackers call out, “Allahu Akbar.” Mohammed Atta had advised his fellow terrorists that when the fighting begins, “Shout, 'Allahu Akbar,' because this strikes fear in the hearts of the non-believers.” He quoted the Koran’s command that Muslim holy warriors terrorize non-believers by beheading them and urged them to follow Mohammed’s approach, “Take prisoners and kill them.” The 9/11 ringleader quoted the Koran again. “No prophet should have prisoners until he has soaked the land with blood.” On Flight 93, the fighting goes on. “Oh, Allah. Oh, the Most Gracious,” the Islamic terrorists cry out. “Trust in Allah,” they reassure. And then there are only the chants of, “Allahu Akbar” as the plane goes down in a Pennsylvania field leaving behind another blood-soaked territory in the Islamic invasion of America. Today that field is marked by the “Crescent of Embrace” memorial. Thousands of Muslims cheered the attack in those parts of Israel under the control of the Islamic terrorists of the Palestinian Authority. They shouted, “Allahu Akbar” and handed out candy. But similar ugly outbreaks of Islamic Supremacism were also taking place much closer to home. On John F. Kennedy Boulevard, in Jersey City, across the river from Manhattan, crowds of Muslim settlers celebrated the slaughter of Americans. "Some men were dancing, some held kids on their shoulders," a retired Jersey City cop described the scene. "The women were shouting in Arabic." Similar Islamic festivities broke out on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, a major Islamic settlement area, even as in downtown Manhattan, the ash had turned nearby streets into the semblance of a nuclear war. Men and women trudged over Brooklyn Bridge or uptown to get away from this strange new world. At Union Square, I passed NYU students painting anti-war placards even as the downtown sky behind them was painted the color of bone. They ignored the crowd streaming up past them and focused intently on making all the red letters in NO WAR line up neatly on the white cardboard. In the years since, I have seen that look on the faces of countless leftists who ignore the stabbers shouting, “Allahu Akbar” in London or the terrorist declaring, "In the name of Allah, the merciful," among the bloody ruin of a gay nightclub in Orlando. Instead, they focus on their mindless slogans. “NO WAR,” “Stop Islamophobia” and “Refugees Welcome.” The world of the cardboard sign and the simple slogan is an easier and neater one than a sky filled with the ashes of the dead. On September 11, some of us opened our eyes. Others closed them as hard as they could. The passengers on Flight 93 who took the lead were in their thirties. But the two firefighters who made it to the 78th floor of the South Tower, Ronald Bucca, who did duty in Vietnam as a Green Beret, and Orio Palmer, a marathon runner, were in their forties. Those men and women had the most meaningful answers to the old question, “Where were you when it happened?” The great lesson of that Tuesday morning was that it wasn’t over. It wasn’t over when we understood that we wouldn’t find anyone alive in that twisted mass of metal and death. It wasn’t over when the air began to clear. It wasn’t over when the President of the United States spoke. It wasn’t over when the planes began to fly again and the TV switched from non-stop coverage of the attacks and back to its regularly scheduled programming. It wasn’t over when we were told to mourn and move on. It still isn’t over. After every attack, Boston, Orlando, San

Bernardino, New York, Paris, Manchester, London, Barcelona, we are encouraged to mourn and move on. Bury the bodies, shed a tear, and forget about it. Terrible things happen. And we have to learn to accept them. But Tuesday morning was not a random catastrophe. It did not go away because we went back to shopping. It did not go away with Hope and Change. Appeasing and forgetting only made it stronger. “Where were you?” is not just a question to be asked about September 11, 2001. It is an everyday question. What are you doing today to fight the Islamic terrorists who did this? And tomorrow? Our enemies wake up every day wondering how to destroy us. Their methods, from demographic invasion to WMDs, from political subversion to random stabbings, are many. A new and terrible era in history began on 9/11. We are no more past it than we were past Pearl Harbor at the Battle of Midway. Its origins are no mystery. They lie in the last sound that came from Flight 93. “Allahu Akbar.” We are in the middle of the longest war in American history. And we still haven’t learned how to fight it. September 11 has come around again. You don’t have to run into a burning building or wrestle terrorists with your bare hands. But use the day to warn others, so you can answer, “Where were you?”

Daniel Greenfield at September 12, 2021

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cinegoremagazin · 3 years ago

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[:hu]Blood Red Sky (2021)[:]

[:hu]A repülőgép elég extrémnek mondható helyszín egy horrorfilmhez, bár egyáltalán nem szokatlan. Láthattunk már utasokat, ahogy egy mágneses vihar miatt a múltba repülnek (Langolierek) vagy természetfeletti események történnek velük (Flight 7500). Támadtak már odafent kígyók (Snakes on a Plane), skorpiók (Tail Sting), élőhalottak (Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane) és földönkívüli…

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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Monday, February 22, 2021

Global vaccine inequality and intellectual property rights (Washington Post) As the coronavirus pandemic rages, World Trade Organization representatives have periodically gathered around a virtual table and clashed over how to more equitably increase global access to vaccines. On one side are the United States and other mainly wealthy Western democracies, where the major pharmaceutical companies developing key vaccines and related medical technologies are based. They want to maintain the status quo, in which the trade secrets of their vaccines—i.e. intellectual property—remain in their hands to preserve profits and the incentive for future development. On the other side are South Africa and India, leading the charge on behalf of the vast number of countries without any—or a limited supply of—vaccine doses and other equipment for fighting the virus. They argue that the rest of the world cannot keep waiting for the lifesaving shots, which Western countries have monopolized by buying up existing supplies and pre-purchasing future rounds. Given the gravity of the global public health crisis, the latter camp wants to resort to an emergency waiver mechanism, whereby the intellectual property rights for making vaccines and related medical supplies would be temporarily suspended, which would lead to production and distribution ramping up more equitably in factories worldwide.

The Boredom Economy (NYT) Mark Hawkins is an expert on being bored. When he was getting his counseling degree, he was fascinated by articles on the therapeutic benefits of boredom. He has written a book whose title is “The Power of Boredom.” In his spare time, he likes to sit on his couch and stare out the window. Yet during the pandemic, even Mr. Hawkins, 42, who lives in British Columbia with his wife, has at times gotten bored of being bored. There are many readily available ways to assess how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the economy. The pandemic has decimated the labor market, driving the unemployment rate to 6.3 percent in January, nearly twice what it was a year earlier. Restrictions on activities led Americans to spend less money, pushing the savings rate to extraordinary heights. As people have fled to places with more space and fewer people, home prices have surged. Another way the pandemic has had an impact on the economy is by making people bored. By limiting social engagements, leisure activities and travel, the pandemic has forced many people to live a more muted life, without the normal deviations from daily monotony. The result is a collective sense of ennui—one that is shaping what we do and what we buy, and even how productive we are. “Because we’re spending so much time in the home, we’re investing more in the home,” said Marshal Cohen, the chief retail analyst at the NPD Group, a market research company. “And the things that we’re investing in are things to keep ourselves busy.”

Parts fall from sky in plane scare (AP) David Delucia was settling back into his airplane seat and starting to relax on his way to a long-awaited vacation when a huge explosion and flash of light interrupted an in-flight announcement and put him in survival mode. The Boeing 777-200, headed from Denver to Honolulu on Saturday with 231 passengers and 10 crew aboard, suffered a catastrophic failure in its right engine and flames erupted under the wing as the plane began to lose altitude. As Delucia and his wife prepared for the worst, people in this Denver suburb reacted in horror as huge pieces of the engine casing and chunks of fiberglass rained down on a sports fields and on streets and lawns, just missing one home and crushing a truck. The explosion, visible from the ground, left a trail of black smoke in the sky, and tiny pieces of insulation filled the air like ash. The plane landed safely at Denver International Airport, and no one on board or on the ground was hurt, authorities said. But both those in the air and on the ground were deeply shaken.

Why a predictable cold snap crippled the Texas power grid (Reuters) As Texans cranked up their heaters early Monday to combat plunging temperatures, a record surge of electricity demand set off a disastrous chain reaction in the state’s power grid. Wind turbines in the state’s northern Panhandle locked up. Natural gas plants shut down when frozen pipes and components shut off fuel flow. A South Texas nuclear reactor went dark after a five-foot section of uninsulated pipe seized up. Power outages quickly spread statewide—leaving millions shivering in their homes for days, with deadly consequences. It could have been far worse: Before dawn on Monday, the state’s grid operator was “seconds and minutes” away from an uncontrolled blackout for its 26 million customers, its CEO has said. Such a collapse occurs when operators lose the ability to manage the crisis through rolling blackouts; in such cases, it can take weeks or months to fully restore power to customers. Monday was one of the state’s coldest days in more than a century—but the unprecedented power crisis was hardly unpredictable after Texas had experienced a similar, though less severe, disruption during a 2011 cold snap. Still, Texas power producers failed to adequately winter-proof their systems. And the state’s grid operator underestimated its need for reserve power capacity before the crisis, then moved too slowly to tell utilities to institute rolling blackouts to protect against a grid meltdown, energy analysts, traders and economists said. Texas is the only state in the continental United States with an independent and isolated grid. That allows the state to avoid federal regulation—but also severely limits its ability to draw emergency power from other grids.

Trump Ally Violated Libya Arms Embargo, U.N. Report Says (NYT) Erik Prince, the former head of the security contractor Blackwater Worldwide and a prominent supporter of former President Donald J. Trump, violated a United Nations arms embargo on Libya by sending weapons to a militia commander who was attempting to overthrow the internationally backed government, according to U.N. investigators. A confidential U.N. report obtained by The New York Times and delivered by investigators to the Security Council on Thursday reveals how Mr. Prince deployed a force of foreign mercenaries, armed with attack aircraft, gunboats and cyberwarfare capabilities, to eastern Libya at the height of a major battle in 2019. As part of the operation, which the report said cost $80 million, the mercenaries also planned to form a hit squad that could track down and kill selected Libyan commanders. Mr. Prince, a former Navy SEAL and the brother of Betsy DeVos, Mr. Trump’s education secretary, became a symbol of the excesses of privatized American military force when his Blackwater contractors killed 17 Iraqi civilians in 2007. In the past decade he has relaunched himself as an executive who strikes deals—sometimes for minerals, other times involving military force—in war-addled but resource-rich countries, mostly in Africa.

Violence flares as protests over jailing of Spanish rapper extend into fifth night (AP) Protesters threw bottles at police, set fire to containers and smashed up shops in Barcelona on Saturday in a fifth night of clashes after a rapper was jailed for glorifying terrorism and insulting royalty in his songs. The nine-month sentence of Pablo Hasel, known for his virulently anti-establishment raps, has sparked a debate over freedom of expression in Spain as well as protests which have at times turned violent. Protesters attacked shops on Barcelona’s most prestigious shopping street, Passeig de Gracia, while newspaper El Pais reported that others had smashed windows in the emblematic Palau de la Musica concert hall. Demonstrators hurled projectiles and flares at police, who fired foam bullets to disperse the crowd.

With heavy hearts, Italians mark year of COVID-19 outbreak (AP) With wreath-laying ceremonies, tree plantings and church services, Italians on Sunday marked one year since their country experienced its first known COVID-19 death. Towns in Italy’s north were the first to be hard-hit by the pandemic and put under lockdown, and residents paid tribute to the dead. Italy, with some 95,500 confirmed virus dead, has Europe’s second-highest pandemic toll after Britain. Experts say the virus also killed many others who were never tested. The number of new coronavirus infections has remained stubbornly high despite a raft of restrictions on travel between regions, and in some cases between towns. In addition, gyms, cinemas and theaters have been closed and restaurants and bars must shut early in the evening. Nationwide there’s a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.

Protesting Indian farmers vow to amass more supporters outside capital Delhi (Reuters) More than 100,000 farmers and farm workers gathered in India’s northern Punjab state on Sunday in a show of strength against new farm laws, where union leaders called on supporters to amass outside the capital New Delhi on Feb. 27. Tens of thousands of Indian growers have already been camped outside Delhi for nearly three months, demanding the repeal of the three reform laws that they say will hurt them and benefit large corporations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which introduced the laws last September, has offered to defer the laws but refused to abandon them. Both sides have met for several rounds of negotiations but failed to make any headway, and farmers’ unions have vowed to carry on the protests until the laws are rolled back.

North Korea’s economy is ravaged by sanctions and pandemic isolation (Washington Post) Kim Jong Un is angry, and he’s lashing out. North Korea’s last economic plan failed “tremendously,” he complained. And his inner circle lacked an “innovative viewpoint and clear tactics” in drawing up a new one, Kim told the ruling Workers’ Party last month, yelling and finger-pointing at frightened-looking delegates. His economy minister, appointed in January, has already been fired. It’s not altogether surprising. North Korea is suffering its worst slump in more than two decades, experts say. It’s a combination of international sanctions and especially a self-imposed blockade on international trade in attempts to keep the coronavirus pandemic out. A shortage of spare parts usually supplied from China has caused factories to close, including one of the country’s largest fertilizer plants, and crippled output from the country’s aging power plants, according to news reports. Electricity shortages, long a chronic problem, have become so acute, production has even halted at some coal mines and other mines, Kim himself admitted in mid-February. “Without imported materials, raw materials and components, many enterprises stopped, and people, accordingly, lost their jobs,” Alexander Matsegora, the Russian ambassador to North Korea, told the Interfax news agency.

Myanmar protesters gather, undeterred by worst day of violence (Reuters) Huge crowds marched in Myanmar on Sunday to denounce a Feb. 1 military coup in a show of defiance after the bloodiest episode of the campaign for democracy the previous day, when security forces fired on protesters, killing two. The military has been unable to quell the demonstrations and a civil disobedience campaign of strikes against the coup and the detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others, even with a promise of new elections and stern warnings against dissent. Tens of thousands of people massed peacefully in the second city of Mandalay, where Saturday’s killings took place, witnesses said.

Israel to issue badges as proof of vaccination (AP) Israel unveiled a plan on Saturday to allow people who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus to attend cultural events, fly abroad and go to health clubs and restaurants. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the plan at a news conference on Saturday night, saying those who have been vaccinated will be able to download the “green badge” in the coming days. Netanyahu said the government could not keep unvaccinated residents from places like medical clinics, pharmacies and supermarkets. But he said other services would be allowed only for those who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

#headlines #news

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ewh111 · 4 years ago

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Annual List of Favorite Film Experiences: The 2020 Pandemic Version

Happy new year! So happy to finally arrive at 2021! All the best for a much better new year!!

What a year it was. Since March 12, I've spent 98% of my time within the confines of my condo. The good thing is that as a natural introvert, I have not yet gone stir crazy. I get plenty of social interaction via Zoom. And as a type-2 diabetic, I have been especially careful, staying at home, going out only for essential work or errands, like groceries. I'm grateful that my extended family connected more through the pandemic via weekly 90 minute Zoom family check-ins.

After just two months of work from home, I surpassed the longest time I hadn't been on a plane in over 15 years. (In 2019, I took 42 flights--15 of them international; in 2020, just eight, all prior to the first week of Feb.) As someone who typically travels a lot for work, it's strange to be so stationary. But I'm not complaining. Without the daily commute, travel, and regular schedule of evening and weekend events, I've quietly appreciated the ability to get more sleep, find time to exercise, and even lose some weight. As I reflect upon the past year, I choose to look at the silver-lining and see this period as a positive, massive macro re-balancing of my life.

When things do get back to some semblance of normalcy, the ones who will have the most difficulty adjusting will be these two girls, Freddy and Maxie, who have been so spoiled with attention over the past 10 months.

Now onto this year's favorite film experiences.

What a strange year for film. The last time I experienced a communal movie-going experience was at the Sundance Film Festival back in January. Since 2020 will be remembered as the year of an uber-significant election and home confinement, it seems appropriate to begin this year's conversation with these two themes: democracy and geography, aka places we couldn't travel to.

LESSONS IN DEMOCRACY

Boys State

One of most riveting experiences is my favorite film from the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. This documentary follows four participants in the Texas edition of the week-long Boys State program. The filmmakers lucked out by selecting four boys whose journeys turned out to have fascinating dramatic arcs during the week. What unfolds is a totally engaging microcosm of the political dynamics in the rising generation of voters in America. Trailer: https://youtu.be/E1Kh_T5ZBIM

Hamilton

What a delightful escape from confinement and inability to see live theater by revisiting the stage musical phenomenon via the viewpoints of multi-cameras. It was a new way to appreciate the words, the music, the choreography, and staging of this remarkable work about Alexander Hamilton and his fellow founding fathers. Trailer: https://youtu.be/6s9sNvkjpI0

What the Constitution Means to Me

Missing live theater? Here's another gem to take in. Fast-paced, funny, deeply personal, and defiant, playwright Heidi Schreck plays herself in a mostly one-person show, revisiting her days as a teenager debating the meaning of the Constitution in dingy American Legion halls, linking her personal family history to our country's founding document. Trailer: https://youtu.be/P2zSRdVanDY

Crip Camp

Incredibly inspiring and engaging documentary about Camp Jened, a Catskills summer camp for teens with disabilities in the 1960s and 70s, which prepared many members to become leaders in the movement that eventually led to the passage of the ADA. An important piece of lesser known history and fight for social change and equity. Trailer: https://youtu.be/XRrIs22plz0

TRAVELING WITHOUT LEAVING THE COUCH

My Octopus Teacher (South Africa)

A truly meditative and surprisingly moving documentary. In a kelp forest off the coast of South Africa, a noted underwater photographer documents his, dare I say "friendship," with an octopus whom he visits every day over the course of a year. Trailer: https://youtu.be/b-lbIJHlmbE

76 Days (China)

New York-based filmmaker Hao Wu worked with two journalists in China who recorded harrowing, fly-on-the-wall footage inside four Wuhan hospitals at the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, a clearly risky endeavor unsanctioned by the Chinese government. While this may seem unappealing to watch as we still struggle with the crisis, this apolitical, humanizing, compassionate, and ultimately uplifting film documents and honors the courageous doctors and nurses and their relationships with patients and family members grappling with the unfolding crisis over the course of the full 76 day lock-down in Wuhan. Trailer: https://youtu.be/x_f6-jhbsR4

Your Name Engraved Herein (Taiwan)

The highest ever grossing LGBTQ film in Taiwan, as well as its most popular domestic film in 2020, this is a sensitive, poignant, slow-burn story of coming out and first love in an all-boys Catholic school in a still socially-repressive Taiwan immediately after the lifting of martial law in 1987. Trailer: https://youtu.be/mzfVBg54BGw

A Sun (Taiwan, again)

Driven driving instructor father + marginalized night-club hairstylist mother + high achieving, golden child # 1 son + disowned black sheep younger son serving time in juvenile prison = unhappy family. This multiple winner of Taiwan's version of the Oscar, A Sun is an intricate, engaging, character-driven family drama full of disappointment, redemption-seeking, and tragic setbacks, but uplifting in the end. Trailer: https://youtu.be/LBogLcE2wNQ

Gunda (Norway)

An unusual viewing experience, I did not expect to be so drawn in and highly moved by this intimate, up-close and personal barnyard portrait. A totally mesmerizing and beautifully filmed, black and white, wordless and scoreless documentary (only ambient farm sounds with no humans in sight)--just a sow named Gunda and her piglets with interludes by a one-legged rooster and herd of cows. And yes, there's a subtle message. Trailer: https://youtu.be/05Gc2lANyTQ

The Painter and the Thief (Norway, again)

An intriguing and fascinating documentary about the strange and complicated story of a female Czech artist, whose two most important paintings are stolen from an Oslo art gallery in broad daylight, and the thief who turns out to be an addiction-addled male nurse who she unexpectedly befriends during the trial. Trailer: https://youtu.be/LKBiKDZSf_c

Mucho Mucho Amor (Puerto Rico)

The story of the iconic fortune-teller with millions of followers in the Spanish-speaking world: the bedazzled and caped, effervescently flamboyant, gender non-confirming, Puerto Rican television astrologer Walter Mercado. Disappearing from the airwaves without a trace in 2007 after decades of daily uplifting telecasts, no one knew what happened or where he had gone. Until these filmmakers tracked him down. Here, they tell his story in this loving portrait of the legend, in time to participate in an exhibition dedicated to his 50 year career at a Miami museum before his death last year. Trailer: https://youtu.be/XEJqiucxyrs

Welcome to Chechnya (Russia)

A gut-wrenching and chilling documentary about courageous activists who help LGBTQ individuals flee the repressive regime of Chechnya where violent, homophobic beatings and executions play out regularly and whose leader denies the existence of gay people in his republic. The doc plays like a menacing thriller with the filmmaker going to great lengths to protect the identities using elaborate digital facial disguises. Trailer: https://youtu.be/GlKkj_aHMXk

Tenet (Russia, the Amalfi Coast, Oslo, the future, and the past, among other places)

This is not an easy film to like. One of the most anticipated on my list of "must sees," but the pandemic delayed my viewing till its recent VOD release. Was it worth the wait? Well, it was almost incomprehensible for the first third. But it is here because I'm still thinking about it long after watching and is high on my list to rewatch. To enjoy on first viewing, you should stop trying to figure it out and just let it wash over you and enjoy the ride--it will eventually make (some) sense. Despite all its complexities, Christopher Nolan's ambitious concept boils down to a simple plot: rich Russian bad guy (Kenneth Branagh) wants to end the world and an unnamed secret agent-type guy known only as the Protagonist (John David Washington) tries to stop him. Oh, and there's reverse entropy. And inverted time. And yeah, there are spectacular scenes with time moving forward and backwards at the same time. Like its title, the film is one giant palindrome. Trailer: https://youtu.be/AZGcmvrTX9M

Apollo 11 (Space)

Watching this documentary is like witnessing Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin's mission unfold before your eyes live, in real time. Put together from previously unreleased, stunningly crisp, and beautiful archival footage and communications audio from NASA, this is a breathtaking experience that captures the awe of the achievement without talking heads or commentary. Trailer: https://youtu.be/tpLrp0SW8yg

HOW TO DEAL WITH DEATH

Soul

This time out, Pixar tackles existential questions, like what it means to be alive and what is the "before life" in this metaphysically jazzy and terrifically "soulful" film featuring a predominantly Black cast. Trailer: https://youtu.be/xOsLIiBStEs

Dick Johnson is Dead

One would not expect a filmmaker's decision to document her father's descent into old age and dementia to be such an enjoyable and amusing ride. The result is a uniquely comic and bittersweet approach on how to handle his mortality, including envisioning and staging various ways he might accidentally hasten death. Her inspired choice to embrace the time left with her father in this way is endearing and touching without being sentimental. (And the director happens to be a college classmate: Kirsten Johnson, Brown '87.) Trailer: https://youtu.be/wfTmT6C5DnM

AND THREE MORE

Mank

David Fincher masterfully tells the tale of Herman Mankiewicz, the writer of Citizen Kane. Part social history, part examination of the underbelly of Hollywood's Golden Age, part homage to Orson Welles and Citizen Kane, the film is beautifully and evocatively shot in lush black and white with standout performances by Gary Oldman as Mank, Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies, and a screenplay by Fincher's late father, Jack. Trailer: https://youtu.be/aSfX-nrg-lI

David Byrne's American Utopia

An exhilarating and spirited concert film by Spike Lee who beautifully captures the exuberant grey-suited, bare-footed David Byrne and his similarly wardrobed bandmates on a minimalist stage--a perfect remedy for home-confined and connection-starved human beings during these unusual times. The Byrne-Lee pairing perfectly "makes sense" as you take in the penultimate number, a cover of Janelle Monáe’s "Hell You Talmbout." Trailer: https://youtu.be/lg4hcgtjDPc

Sound of Metal

A character study of self-discovery and emotional truths, Riz Ahmed gives a riveting performance as a heavy metal rock drummer who suddenly loses his hearing. The immersive experience is enhanced with the film's amazing sound design. Trailer: https://youtu.be/VFOrGkAvjAE

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (perhaps the film most representative of the craziness of 2020), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (great performances by Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman), The Personal History of David Copperfield, Da 5 Bloods, The Way I See It, The Invisible Man, Trial of the Chicago 7, I Lost My Body, The Life Ahead, Wolfwalkers, The Bee Gees: How Do You Mend A Broken Heart.

In the Queue

Minari, Nomadland, Bacurau, Small Axe, Beanpole, The Forty Year Old Version.

2020: THE YEAR OF NON-STOP STREAMING

Honestly, given the lack of traditional theatrical releases, I did spend an inordinate amount of time streaming shows than I normally would. It has made me wonder about the challenges of narrative storytelling in the 90-120 minute format vs. the longer episodic format which is so much more conducive to storytelling and character development.

MY TOP 30-SOME FAVORITE PANDEMIC STREAMING EXPERIENCES

In descending order of bingey-ness--is that a word?--i.e., inability to stop watching episode after episode. (And occasional commentary...)

Dark (Netflix)--I gave this German series a special shout-out last year (Twin Peaks + Stranger Things + The Wire + time travel), and season 3 finally arrived this summer. So good, I devoured it twice in one week. Complex, mind-bending, and addictively dense storytelling with time travel that makes sense (Tenet, take note) and super satisfying series finish. Ultimately unraveling the intertwined family tree of all the time-traveling characters will make your head spin for days.

Money Heist (Netflix)--I needed something to replace my addictive need after Dark, and four seasons of this Spanish heist/thriller fit the bill perfectly. Plus, I think the series is rich in lessons on organizational behavior and leadership development/dynamics. Dissertation, anyone?

The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)--Not a genre I typically find appealing (superheroes), but I loved the combination of family dysfunction, sibling rivalry, humor, and more time travel. After finishing the two seasons, I really missed the characters and can't wait for next season. And as a JFK assassination buff, I loved that season 2 took place in Dallas,1963.

The Queen's Gambit (Netflix)--Girl survives car crash in which mom dies, grows up to be charming woman who is addicted to alcohol and does chess.

The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)--Girl survives car crash in which dad dies, grows up to be charming woman who is addicted to alcohol and serves first class. But not anything like The Queen's Gambit.

The Great* (Hulu)--Wickedly dark comedic period piece (Catherine the Great's 18th century Russia) with colorblind casting where scheming powerful people plot to get out of loveless marriage.

Bridgerton (Netflix)--A light romantic period piece (Regent era England) with colorblind casting where scheming powerful people and debutantes try to get into marriage and maybe find love.

Tiger King (Netflix)

The Crown (Netflix)

Sex Education (Netflix)

The Last Dance (Netflix)

Better Call Saul (Netflix)

Never Have I Ever (Netflix)--Best narrator ever!

Ozark (Netflix)

Watchmen (HBO Max)

Ugly Delicious 2 (Netflix)--David Chang is back with interesting take on food and culture. The classism of steak-eating?

Flavorful Origins (Netflix)

The Great British Baking Show Season 11 (Netflix)

Pen15 (Hulu)

Mrs. America (Hulu)

The Good Place (Netflix)

Ted Lasso (Apple TV)

Alex Rider (Prime)

Love, Victor (Hulu)

Giri/Haji (Netflix)

Ratched (Netflix)

The Undoing (HBO Max)

Lovecraft Country (HBO Max)

Zerozerozero (Prime)

Industry (HBO Max)

The Boys (Prime)

What We Do In the Shadows (Hulu)

We Are Who We Are (HBO Max)

Pose (Netflix)

Normal People (Hulu)

Indian Matchmaking (Netflix)

Middleditch & Schwartz (Netflix)

Schitts Creek (Netflix)--Don't be put off by this comic treasure being so low on the binge scale. The series gets better with each season, and I'm slowly watching it because I know the end is coming, and I don't want it to end.

#bestmovies2020 #bestTV2020 #favoritefilms2020

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biofunmy · 5 years ago

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US diplomats ordered to leave Wuhan; 56 dead

The coronavirus outbreak has left Wuhan, China nearly empty.

USA TODAY

As the U.S. closed its consulate in Wuhan and prepared to extract all its diplomats, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Saturday of a “grave situation” in the rapid spread of the coronavirus that has claimed 56 lives.

The virus, which broke out in Wuhan last month, has infected at least 1,975 people in at least 29 provinces and cities and killed 56 people in China, according to the National Health Commission.

The figures reported Sunday morning cover the previous 24 hours and mark an increase of 15 deaths and 688 cases.

The government also reported five cases in Hong Kong, two in Macao and three in Taiwan. Small numbers of cases have been found in Thailand, Japan, South Korea, the U.S., Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, France and Australia.

Among the victims is Liang Wudong, a 62-year-old doctor at Hubei Xinhua Hospital who died Saturday after treating patients in Wuhan, according to the state-run Global Television Network.

A hospital in Toronto confirmed Saturday that it is treating a patient with the deadly virus, Canada’s first.

A second case in the U.S. was confirmed Friday in Chicago, along with three cases in France. There have been no deaths outside of China.

The U.S. State Department arranged a charter flight for Tuesday to bring out all its diplomats and other U.S. citizens after temporarily closing the Wuhan consulate, the Associated Press reported. A notice Sunday from the embassy in Beijing said there would be limited capacity to transport U.S. citizens on the flight that will proceed directly to San Francisco.

The reports followed a State Department notice on its website that all essential personnel had been ordered to leave the city of 11 million.

‘Everything now is experimental.’: Here’s how doctors are treating coronavirus

Xi addressed the issue Saturday at a special Communist party meeting where he called for stepped up moves to tackle the accelerating crisis.

“Confronted with the grave situation of this accelerating spread of pneumonia from infections with the novel coronavirus, we must step up the centralized and united leadership under the party central” leadership, Xi said.

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A report issued from the meeting said that Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, “must make containment and control of the epidemic its top most priority, adopting even stricter measures to prevent it expanding within and spreading outward.”

China has already halted all train, plane and other transportation links to the city, which has ordered a ban on all downtown vehicle traffic beginning at midnight Saturday, state media reported.

Only authorized vehicles to carry supplies and for other needs would be permitted after that, the reports said.

The city said it will assign 6,000 taxis to different neighborhoods, under the management of local resident committees, to help people get around if they need to, the state-owned English-language China Daily newspaper said.

Wuhan outbreak: Something far deadlier than the coronavirus lurks near you, right here in America

Elsewhere, the latest U.S. victim, a Chicago woman, returned Jan. 13 from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and began experiencing symptoms a few days after arriving home, said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.

The 60-year-old woman called her doctor after symptoms arose. She was treated at St. Alexius in Hoffman Estates and placed in isolation, health officials said. Further testing confirmed the virus.

Arwady said the woman is “clinically doing well and in stable condition.” She did not have extended contact with anyone outside of her home, attend a large public gathering or use public transportation, Arwady said.

The woman was not symptomatic while flying, and Arwady told reporters at a Chicago news conference on Friday, “The CDC does not believe that, in the time before symptoms develop, the patients are able to be contagious.”

In Paris, the lead doctor treating two hospital patients for the new virus said Saturday that the illness appears less serious than comparable outbreaks of the past and that the chance of a European epidemic appears weak at this stage.

French officials on Friday reported three confirmed cases of the newly identified coronavirus in France, the first ones in Europe. The third patient is at a hospital in Bordeaux.

Dr. Yazdan Yazdanpaneh, a leading French expert who heads Bichat’s infectious diseases unit, said that cases imported from China were “not a surprise” and that France had prepared, including by developing a test that provides rapid results for suspected cases.

While most cases have centered in China, an increasing number of cases have been confirmed in other places, including South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Australia and Malaysia reported their first cases Saturday and Japan reported its third.

As the crisis increased, local Chinese authorities rushed to build a 1,000-bed hospital in six days to treat the growing number of patients. Authorities announced Saturday that 658 patients were being treated for the virus and 57 were critically ill, Reuters reports.

An aerial view of the construction site of a field hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, China on January 24, 2020. The 1,000-bed hospital is expected to be completed by February 3, 2020 to cope with the increasing number of people affected by the coronavirus. (Photo: Yuan Zheng, EPA-EFE)

The state-run Global Television Network reported Saturday that the health commission was sending six groups of 1,230 medical staff to Wuhan, In addition, 450 military doctors, some with experience fighting the SARS and Ebola viruses, were sent to the city Friday.

The Xinhua news agency reported that additional medical supplies were being rushed to the city, including 14,000 protective suits and 110,000 pairs of gloves from the central medical reserves as well as masks and goggles.

The virus has caused major public upheaval, with the government shutting down public transportation for roughly 36 million people in 13 cities in central China and major cities canceling events tied to the Lunar New Year celebration, a busy time for travel.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said all direct flights and trains form Wuhan would be blocked and that all schools would be closed in the city until Feb. 17.

Beijing’s Forbidden City, Shanghai Disneyland and sections of the Great Wall have also closed.

Rapidly-spreading respiratory virus: Drugmakers are hustling to make a coronavirus vaccine

What is coronavirus?

The Providence Regional Medical Center Everett north of Seattle treated the man believed to be the first person in the U.S. to contact the coronavirus. A doctor and two nurses spoke to the Associated Press about the experience. (Jan. 24)

AP Domestic

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to pneumonia. Common signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death.

Health officials said the virus, which probably spreads through tiny droplets when a person coughs or sneezes, is low-risk. Officials urged people to take the usual cold and flu season precaution: frequent hand washing, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing and staying home when you don’t feel well.

“These illnesses can pop up anywhere,” said Trish Perl, chief of infectious diseases at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “This is a dynamic situation that can dramatically change from day to day.”

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Many of the initial cases were linked to a seafood and meat market in Wuhan. Chinese health officials, which first reported the cases last month, said human-to-human transmission has been confirmed.

Contributing: Ryan Miller, Grace Hauck, Nicholas Wu, John Bacon, Ken Alltucker and Lindsay Schnell, USA TODAY; The Associated Press.

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liquid-geodes · 3 years ago

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Okay everyone buckle the fuck UP

So as you know, that last post about Johnny and the plane crashing on or near Arapice Island was purely super glued together for the sake of creating angst. But fellas I've got a brand fucking new theory for you on how Zombie Gat got here AND ITS GONNA MAKE SENSE

So, I did end up finding a plane wreck:

There are absolutely NO markers indicating this to be a commercial airline plane. It also doesn't make sense narrative wise for this to just be some random plane, considering the only plane crashes that happen are STAG related, and the plane we start out in at the very beginning of the game. It also makes sense for this plane to be unmarked, since it's being used by one of the major gangs of the Syndicate. You don't want your name attached to whatever it is you're doing, unless you're the Saints, they plaster their name on everything.

ANYWAY I took the liberty of marking 3 important locations on the map below:

Marker one (the furthest left) is Shaundi's Ex's Apartment, this is where we start the game after the freefall sequence.

Marker 2 is Arapice Island, the place where the zombie virus originates due to STAG occupation.

Marker 3 is the location of the above pictured plane wreck.

I'm sure you've noticed that marker 3 is nowhere near either location of interest, but remember: the plane was crashing in a linear downward motion somewhere over Steelport. To illustrate this I set my GPS marker somewhere off the map using marker 3 and marker 1 as plot points, and it gave me this:

Notice how this puts the flight path of the crashing plane directly through all 3 major markers?

It's indisputable that the Saints parachuted down to marker 1, as that was your target after catching Shaundi during the fall. Assuming that Johnny HAD survived the injuries sustained on the plane it's possible he too was able to parachute down to Arapice Island sometime after the Saints depart, leaving the plane to continue on it's descent before landing at marker 3, meaning he didn't go down with the plane as I previously suggested. It's STILL possible that Zombie Gat is made possible by Johnny SURVIVING the Morningstar attack, and ultimately died being unable to defend himself in his injured state as zombies overtook Arapice Island.

All evidence in hand, we can configure a timeline that reads as follows:

The Saints make their getaway attempt on the Morningstar jet, at this point Johnny breaks away from the group to try and take control of the aircraft from the cockpit

As the Saints fight their way through the plane they hear Johnny's final transmission from the aircraft's built in intercom system, gunshots follow, the line is never used again

Severe damage is caused to the plane by the Saints to create an opening for escape, causing the plane's downward decent

The Saints set course for Marker one, taking us away from anything happening in the plane

Assuming Johnny is still alive, he makes his way out of the plane over marker two, landing somewhere on the island

The plane finishes it's decent and crashes at marker three, leaving the wreckage we find

The Saints set out from marker one to the leftmost area of land marked Morningstar via raised freeways, never setting foot in Arapice Island, under the assumption Johnny is dead

Meanwhile Johnny is stranded on Arapice, too injured to do much on his own but sit and hope a fellow Saint comes across him and helps

STAG occupation as Marshall Law is declared due to Saint activity leads to a zombie outbreak on Arapice, only living bodies can be affected, meaning Gat is still alive at this point

Destroying the Daedalus and therefore wiping out STAG leads to the addition of Zombie Gat to your team, since STAG occupation of Arapice is now over, you're more likely to actually set foot on this island now to complete your one (optional) activity, buy the available properties, and therefore have total gang control of Steelport.

It's not as farfetched to believe we had a shot at saving Johnny when we now have an estimated flight path and promising crash site marked, as well as the schematics as to how Zombies are created in game. And now people like me can make this game wayyyyy too deep, when in reality Zombie Gat is just a fun person you can call to come fight alongside you, just like the Brutes, Jenny, and even Josh Birk as his TV character Nyte Blade

But still, it's fun to think about!

I forgot I had laundry today so I can't start my game until I'm done :(

So I'll just keep dicking around in the other one and see what I can get Boss into

#saints row the third #ive found Johnny Gat!

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thefatfeministwitch · 7 years ago

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If you haven’t been following American or Canadian news lately, you might have missed the terrifying mainstreaming of nazism and hatred that’s occurring in the US right now. Though racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism and general hatred has always existed in very scary ways in the US, for the first time in my life those beliefs and actions have been publicly supported by the President of the US and the administration – in plain language. Hateful people wearing swastikas and carrying torches have been gathering in American and US cities and causing damage, injury, and even death. I’m frightened, angry, and disgusted with the complacency. This can’t happen. This certainly can’t happen AGAIN. Like an evangelical watching for signs of the rapture, many have been comparing these events to the events leading up to the Holocaust in World War II and predicting a similar outcome.

I can’t say I blame them.

The bystander effect is real. Internalized racism, sexism, homophobia all of that is REAL. Even white and privileged people who don’t consider themselves racist or hateful often unconsciously see people of colour and other marginalized people as other or less than. In the event that something should befall one of our brothers and sisters of colour, or that they are attacked, I honestly don’t have the faith in the average person to protect them.

If you have been paying attention I’m sure you share my fear and outrage. I’m sure you share my desire to do something. Showing up to counter protest isn’t possible for everyone, nor is it necessarily safe.

RIP Heather Heyer

That being said, sitting at home and doing nothing is just not an option. No matter how much sheetcake you cry into.

That’s why, during the upcoming solar eclipse, I’ll be casting baneful magick at the Nazi hate groups and nazi sympathizers in the administration working so hard to normalize hate and kill those they do. If you want to get involved and help lend your energy to the spell you can find the event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/848109488684970

Find it at PlentifulEarth.com

In addition to baneful magick, a few online witch friends including Aurora Moone from Plentiful Earth created this incredible spell for protection, equality, and coexistence that they’ll be performing during today’s eclipse. To properly use the energy of this eclipse, I believe it would be most beneficial to have both Sun and Moon energy working together. While those who perform the Lady Liberty Spell (or any other that would be deemed “light” magick) will be casting love and light on those who are being hurt by hate, those of us casting the curse will be the dark and hidden energy of the moon. We’ll work with the shadow elements of this problem.

The Night Witches

The inspiration for this mass action and my spell comes from The Night Witches or Nachthexen, a Russian bomber squadron who carried out various, incredibly dangerous, attacks on nazis during World War II. They would idle their engines and quietly glide by the Nazis, making only the sound like a witch on her broomstick. This small regiment used training planes, wore hand me down uniforms, decorated their planes with flowers, and were often disrespected by other soldiers and officers. They were so feared by the Nazis that any successful attack of one lead to an instant Iron Cross. This Monday we’ll be calling on the strength of these brave soldiers who made incredible strides in the war and struck supernatural fear into the hearts of Nazis.

If it’s something you do in your practice, maybe try to call on the spirits of some of the Night Witches and ask them to lend their strength and determination to the working. Here is a profile of one of the most famous from the Regiment, Nadezhda (Nadia) Popova, upon her death in 2013.

The Curse

So here’s the thing – I don’t like telling you witches exactly what to do. Everyone practices magick differently, everyone has their own style, own ingredients, own prayers and spirits and deities. I can’t possibly write a single spell that will work for everyone. Not only that, but I don’t think it’s necessary for all of us to do identical magick to be working toward a common goal. I think as long as we all have similar intentions, our magick will work together. We’re all connected. The one thing I will hammer out in plain detail here are my intentions with this spell I am performing. Otherwise, this is just an overview of what I’m doing and what I’m working with, along with some ideas you can use. If you have all of the things I mention here, please feel free to use the spell!

The Stuff: I want to be clear, you don’t need ANY stuff to do a spell. You can just focus your intention and do some visualization. It’s up to you. I like stuff. I’m doing a candle spell using oils, incense, and some live herbs/plants I grew myself.

Black Candle

Coffin Nails/Candle Carving tool

Anointing oil – I’m using Dragon Medicine oil from Beaux Magique. Not only do ancient legends about the eclipse often equate the sight with a dragon coming to devour the sun, but this oil is used for change, consciousness, recognizing danger, dispelling darkness, and destroying the old to make way for the new. Perfect. You could also use something like black pepper oil, a van van or anything else that spells DISASTER.

Baneful herbs and plants with which to dress your candle – my ingredients here will be a bit unique. I am using a large pitcher from my Nepenthes plant, and a morning glory vine. I’ll probably also go outside and pick some nightshade flowers. You could use black pepper, tobacco, cloves, rue, or anything else that seems to work for banishing, destroying, poisoning, ruining, or cursing. Think aggressive. Grab some thorns or thistles, or cactus spikes.

Incenses and Powders – again to dress your candle or burn on your altar. I’m using dragon’s blood resin, you could also use cemetery dirt, palo santo, clove, banishing incense, Hekate incense, or make your own!

Paper and a pen

Lighter/matches

Since I’m using one of my pitchers (the most beautiful one, ugh, I’ll miss it) from my Nepenthes plant, a lot of my spell focuses on narrowing the influence of Donald Trump, Neo-Nazis, Breitbart news, etc to that of a tiny fly. From there I’ll be writing their names, and the name of other hate groups and movements and ideals, rolling them into small balls, and putting them inside the Nepenthes, trapping their disgusting ideals from damaging others, while being surrounded and trapped in the sticky trap of hate they’ve created for themselves. Finally they’ll be eaten alive by their hate, wither and die, and leave the world a better and more fulfilled place. The rest of us will feed off of their destruction and grow, just like these carnivorous plants.

The Intentions:

Narrow the influence of donald trump, and all hate groups who draw strength from his presidency, to that of a single, tiny, fly. Contain their hatred so it can’t affect others, either negatively or positively.

Bind them with their own hate. Return all hateful words and actions back at them, and allow that hatred to consume them.

Cause them to weaken and wither the further into their hate they delve.

Bind them from reaching out to anyone. Keep them alone, separate, powerless. Let them know they don’t belong in our society. Make their views unacceptable. Take away their sense of community and leave them alone with their pestilent hatred.

Bring to light the secrets of their hate, and allow those who support hate to see it for what it really is.

Make way for a new era free of hatred and bigotry. Create space for a new administration, a new standard of tolerance, acceptance, and respect for all, and new legally granted rights and freedoms for the oppressed.

The Method:

Carve and dress the candle. You can carve symbols, names, word or phrases. Focusing on trapping and binding hatred in one place. Anoint the candle from the top to the bottom with the dragon medicine oil. Imagine a dragon coming down and wrapping itself around the candle, bringing with it all of the hatred it’s found in the world. Dress it with herbs, powders, or resins. Make sure there is water at the bottom of the Pitcher, if not spritz and water the plant and wait a bit. Select the largest and most sturdy pitcher and harvest it. Place your candle into the opening of the pitcher, leaving space around to add things. Write down the names of hateful people, systems and ideals on small pieces of paper, focusing on them as you do. Ball them up and trap them inside the pitcher, like insignificant flies. You can also add baneful hers or magical ingredients for extra poison here. When finished, wrap the morning glory tight around the pitcher to close it, focus on your intentions, and light the candle when the eclipse is at its peak and the moon and sun’s energy are working in tandem. Allow the candle to burn down into the Nepenthes (watch for fire) and when it’s done wrap it in a paper bag, and bring it to a sight that perpetuates this hatred. A rally, a statue, a landmark, a political building, etc and leave it there as a message that hatred will not stand in our world and our society as long as we have any say in it.

I know this is incredibly specific, but if you want to do this spell without the Nepenthes, why not use a mason jar with water and a sticky substance that attracts insects? Then add a lid and maybe some pieces of morning glory and other baneful herbs. Throw in the balled up papers, or even photographs and pictures from the news paper. What I’m doing is essentially a candle spell that creates a witch bottle, but my bottle is a leaf. You could also use the candle on its own and use moth and flame imagery instead. For a more classic curse written by a really powerful witch, consider using this one, written by Melanie Hexen to Hex Brock Turner during a mass hex last year. Add in anything you have that lends energy, crystals like onyx and jet and obsidian; tarot cards like the tower, judgement, strength, and death; a broom with which to cleanse them from this earth, whatever feels right.

My facebook event starts at 2pm EDT because that’s when I’ll start creating my items, and around 2:37 the eclipse will reach its peak and I’ll light the candle. Feel free to participate anytime the eclipse is visible, or even later at night during the new moon. The new moon and the eclipse are linked in energy and this strong energy regarding change will be here for a while. Like any other magick, it’s really the thought and intention that counts. If you can’t cast a full spell because you’re working or busy, maybe just take a minute during the eclipse to focus on either some fo my intentions, or the ones outlined in the Lady Liberty Spell. Everyone’s magick is welcome, and needed at this time.

Flight of the Night Witches – Anti-Nazi Mass Action If you haven't been following American or Canadian news lately, you might have missed the terrifying mainstreaming of nazism and hatred that's occurring in the US right now.

#curse #fuck nazis #hex trump #new age #night witches #social justice #social justice magick #solar eclipse #solareclipse #spell #spiritual #spirituality #witch #Witchcraft #witchy

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toldnews-blog · 6 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/health/vaccines-blocked-as-deadly-cholera-raged-across-yemen/

Vaccines blocked as deadly cholera raged across Yemen

In the summer of 2017, a plane chartered by the United Nations idled on the tarmac at an airport in the Horn of Africa as officials waited for final clearance to deliver half a million doses of cholera vaccine to Yemen. Amid the country’s ruinous war, the disease was spiraling out of control, with thousands of new cases reported each day.

The green light for the plane to head to northern Yemen never came. The U.N. wasn’t able to distribute cholera vaccines to Yemen until May 2018 and the outbreak ultimately produced more than 1 million suspected cholera cases — the worst cholera epidemic recorded in modern times and a calamity that medical researchers say may have been avoided if vaccines had been deployed sooner.

U.N. officials blamed the canceled flight on the difficulties in distributing vaccines during an armed conflict. But officials with knowledge of the episode told The Associated Press that the real reason was that the Houthi rebels who control northern Yemen refused to allow the vaccines to be delivered, after spending months demanding that the U.N. send ambulances and other medical equipment for their military forces as a condition for accepting the shipment.

The cancellation of the shipment was just one of the setbacks that aid agencies faced in battling the cholera epidemic, which has killed nearly 3,000 Yemenis.

Relief workers and government officials said they have seen repeated indications that insiders in both the Houthi government in the north and the U.S.-backed government in the south have skimmed off money and supplies for cholera vaccination and treatment and sold them on the black market. In some cases, treatment centers for people who had contracted cholera existed only on paper even though the U.N. had disbursed money to bankroll their operations, according to two aid officials familiar with the centers.

The AP’s examination of the efforts to fight the disease in Yemen drew on confidential documents and interviews with 29 people, including aid officials previously based in the country and officials from health ministries run by both the Houthi rebels and the internationally recognized government in the south. Almost all of these individuals — including six relief and health officials who say the Houthis were responsible for cancellation of the 2017 vaccine shipment — spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of retaliation.

“Both the Houthis and the government of Yemen were trying to politicize cholera,” an aid official told the AP.

“The Houthis are taking advantage of U.N. weakness,” the official said. “Corruption or aid diversion and all of this are because of the U.N.’s weak position.” Relief workers know that if the U.N. speaks out, the official said, “their visas will be denied and they would not be allowed back in the country.”

Cholera spread across Yemen in late 2016 and throughout much of 2017 and 2018. It ebbed late last year, but has again picked up in 2019. A new surge in the disease has produced roughly 150,000 reported cholera cases and nearly 300 deaths since the start of this year. The first cholera vaccine drives in Yemen didn’t start until May 2018 in the south and August 2018 in the north, aid and health officials told the AP.

Ali al-Walidi, the deputy health minister in southern Yemen, and Youssef al-Hadri, the spokesman of the Houthi-run Health Ministry in the north, both deny there were delays in getting cholera vaccines into Yemen at the start of the outbreak.

Al-Hadri said claims that the Houthis blocked the shipment of vaccines into Yemen are false.

“This is all baseless, and I challenge the agencies to say this officially,” he said.

Geert Cappelaere, the Middle East director for UNICEF, the U.N. children’s relief agency, declined to blame any particular group for halting the 2017 shipment.

“What is important is that the vaccines that needed to get in have ultimately gone in and have reached the people who needed to be vaccinated,” he said. “Has this been simple and easy? Absolutely not. Each shipment has been problematic to get in because of the long approval time” and because of “skepticism among the authorities on both sides” about the value of cholera vaccines.

——

A RAVAGED LAND

More than half of Yemen’s hospitals and other health facilities have been damaged or destroyed since the war began in 2015, after Houthi forces overran much of the country and Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations, with backing from the United States, launched airstrikes and imposed blockades on rebel-held territory.

The conflict has killed more than 60,000 people and much of Yemen has been on the edge of famine. An AP investigation published in December revealed that factions on all sides of Yemen’s war have blocked food aid from going to groups suspected of disloyalty, diverted it to front-line combat units or sold it for profit on the black market.

More than 19 million of Yemen’s 29 million people don’t have access to adequate health care, and more than 17 million don’t have clean water, according to the U.N. Those are prime conditions for the spread of cholera, a disease caused by feces-tainted water and food. Cholera can kill swiftly if untreated, its victims drained by diarrhea, vomiting and fever.

The first significant cholera outbreak came in late 2016, leading to more than 25,000 suspected cases and killing at least 129. Soon after, in April 2017, the disease erupted again, this time spreading at an even more furious pace. Within two months, more than 185,000 suspected cases and 1,200 deaths were reported. One local aid worker in northern Yemen recalls house after house with dying children, their small bodies racked by severe diarrhea.

When U.N. officials tried to rush in oral vaccines to halt the spread, some Houthi officials claimed vaccines were ineffective. A few circulated messages on social media asserting that vaccines could be harmful to children. Four aid officials and a former Houthi health official said that some rebel leaders suggested that the vaccination plan was a plot by the U.S. and Israel to use Yemenis as guinea pigs.

A former senior official in the Houthi Health Ministry said the concerns over the vaccines’ safety were a pretext. Rebel leaders had a list of demands and tried to bargain with U.N. officials for money and equipment, he said.

During weeks of negotiations over the vaccine program, the rebels demanded that U.N. officials send X-ray machines and other items they could use to treat their wounded fighters on the front lines, according to the former health ministry official and three aid officials.

Al-Hadri, the spokesman for the Houthi-run Health Ministry, denied that Houthi authorities demanded medicine and medical equipment to be used in treating front-line soldiers. Cappelaere, UNICEF’s Middle East chief, said he had no knowledge of aid officials bargaining with authorities in Yemen in the effort to import cholera vaccines.

——

THE SHIPMENT

Finally, in July 2017, U.N. officials believed they had the go-ahead to bring in cholera vaccines. Half a million doses were loaded onto a plane in the tiny African republic of Djibouti.

At the last minute, hard-liners in the Houthi-controlled Health Ministry told the U.N. they would not allow the plane to land.

Publicly, the U.N. blamed the change of plans on security and logistical challenges involved in delivering immunizations across Yemen’s conflict-torn landscape. A spokesman for the U.N.’s World Health Organization said at the time that delivering vaccines “has to make sense” in terms of the conditions on the ground, adding that the vaccine doses intended for Yemen would likely be re-routed to places that “might need them more urgently.”

U.N. officials sent the shipment to South Sudan in central Africa, where the disease had recently erupted. The cholera outbreak in South Sudan left 436 dead but was declared over by early 2018, largely due to the introduction of vaccines during the outbreak’s early stages.

The outbreak in Yemen went on unabated.

Hager Taher, a 27-year old mother of two, was one of hundreds who died from cholera in the months after the vaccine delivery into the country had been called off. Taher was in the last days of pregnancy, living in the village of al-Ghareb, an impoverished area in the Houthi-controlled northern province of Hajjah, when she began vomiting and showing cholera-like symptoms.

The only health center in the village of nearly 1,200 people was a building with two rooms and few beds. As the number of suspected cholera cases grew, local authorities used a school to receive patients, who had to lie on the floor in the empty classrooms.

Taher was sent to a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders in the city of Abs. She soon developed complications and was moved to another hospital nearby. It was there, in September 2017, that she died. Her child was born alive but died four days later.

“It’s God’s will,” her husband, Mohammed Hassan, told the AP. “There’s nothing to do.”

Taher was one of 16 people reported to have died from cholera in her district in Hajjah. Hundreds more were infected.

“The district was gulped up by cholera,” said Ibrahim al-Masrahi, a health worker in charge of gathering epidemic surveillance reports.

By the end of 2017, the number of reported cholera cases in Yemen had surged past 1 million, with more than 2,200 deaths. The spread of the disease waned for a time, but rebounded again in the spring and summer of 2018, adding another 370,000 reported cases and 500 more deaths.

U.N. officials continued struggling to find a way to get cholera vaccines into the country.

Houthi officials held a succession of meetings throughout much of 2017 and into 2018 to consider the science and policy questions relating to vaccines. In the spring of 2018, after science panels approved bringing cholera vaccines into rebel territory, Health Minister Mohammed Salem bin Hafez gave U.N. officials the go-ahead to bring in nearly 900,000 doses of cholera vaccine, according to documents obtained by the AP.

Then two of his deputies, both of them well-connected within the Houthi leadership, said the shipment couldn’t proceed, asserting that there were still more bureaucratic hurdles before the vaccines’ “safety and security” could be assured, according to the documents.

As a non-Houthi, bin Hafez didn’t have the power to overrule the decisions of the two deputies who supposedly were working under him. He wrote a letter to the prime minister of the Houthi-controlled government, Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour, detailing how the delivery of vaccines had been once again been put off.

“I am washing my hands of the consequences of these irresponsible actions,” bin Hafez’s letter said. He told the prime minister that he was “putting the matter between your hands” in the hope the government would “take the necessary measures to use aid in a proper way and create proper work conditions for international and local aid agencies.”

A month later, bin Hafez left his post and fled Houthi territory.

Abdel-Aziz al-Daylami, one of the Health Ministry deputies that bin Hafez blamed for holding up the delivery of vaccines, denied that he had stopped the shipment.

“No, there was no rejection, but we had reservations,” he told the AP. “We thought that the vaccines would be useless” if they were deployed without more efforts to ensure clean water and reliable sanitation systems.

“We worried that if the vaccine campaigns failed, people would turn against the use of vaccines and that would be disastrous,” he said.

———

ONLY ON PAPER

As Houthi authorities debated the use of vaccines in the north, the U.N. was also working to get cholera vaccines into the country via the government in the south.

But this plan was also marred by delays — and by questions about possible corruption.

After the U.N. was able to get a shipment of vaccines into the southern city of Aden in May 2018, the Health Ministry for the U.S.- and Saudi-backed government there put together teams to raise awareness and administer the vaccines.

But some of the vaccination teams existed only on paper and many workers on the teams never received the full stipends budgeted for them under the program, two aid officials told the AP. The two officials said authorities in the south prevented aid workers from visiting the districts where immunization campaigns were taking place, making it impossible for them to monitor what was happening on the ground and verify how aid money was being used.

In the wake the vaccination campaign in the south, the Houthis broke the logjam in the north. They agreed to allow cholera vaccines into some areas under their control. Immunization drives were launched in three rebel-held districts in August and September 2018.

A senior official who worked with the Houthi-run Health Ministry at the time noted the U.N. had agreed to some of the rebels’ wish list of additional medical supplies and equipment, including the purchase of 45 ambulances for the ministry. The ambulances were then sent to the front lines for the military’s use, the ex-official said.

Beyond vaccine drives, concerns emerged in both the north and south about whether patients who had already contracted the disease were getting medical treatment targeted for them.

Some centers set up to treat cholera victims weren’t functional even though UNICEF and the WHO had provided funding to government authorities and nongovermental groups to cover costs of setting them up and running them, according to two aid officials familiar with the centers.

One of those two aid officials said he was told there were nine cholera treatment centers in Aden. He could find only two. “The rest didn’t exist,” he said.

Another concern in north and south was whether relief organizations were getting accurate counts of the number of people sickened with cholera in various parts of the country. Two aid officials and a former official with the Houthi-controlled Health Ministry said authorities exaggerated the number of cholera cases to increase the amount of international aid money.

A December 2018 study of the Yemen outbreak by researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that some overreporting was likely due to health workers whose livelihoods depended on money paid by the U.N. Many of the workers hadn’t received their government salaries in years and believed that the cholera centers where they worked would be closed and aid money stopped if they didn’t report enough suspected cases.

Still, even with overreporting, the outbreak of cholera was “massive,” Paul B. Spiegel, the lead author of the study and director of the university’s Center for Humanitarian Health, told the AP.

Another study, published in December 2018 in the journal BMC Public Health, called the epidemic “the largest cholera outbreak in epidemiologically recorded history.”

The report said the scale of Yemen’s outbreak “most likely” could have been avoided or managed if enough cholera vaccines had been deployed earlier in the conflict. It added that even if a large shipment had come into the country early enough, getting the vaccine to those who needed it might not have been possible, given the “deeply chaotic situation” across war-torn Yemen.

More than 2.5 million doses of the cholera vaccine have been transported into Yemen by the U.N. since mid-2018. It’s unclear how many of them have been administered to people in target populations. Two Houthi officials confirmed to the AP that nearly 1.2 million doses remain stored in warehouses in Sanaa, the rebels’ capital. The Health Ministry there plans to distribute those doses soon in two northern districts, one of the officials said.

A senior aid official said the continuing cholera crisis remains a way for the Houthis rebels to cultivate global sympathy for their struggle against the U.S.-backed and Saudi-led coalition, whose bombing campaign has been blamed for helping to create the conditions that caused the outbreak.

“If you resolve cholera, what are the headlines?” he said. “They managed to control the narrative because it’s easy to blame the coalition and not them and they always show up as victims.”

Al-Hadri, the spokesman for the Houthi-controlled Health Ministry in Sanaa, called that nonsense. It is international aid officials, he said, who are raking in donations and benefiting from disease and suffering inside the Middle East’s poorest country.

“They are profiting from the Yemen crisis and begging in the name of Yemen,” he said. “They need the Yemeni crisis more than we need them.”

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The AP’s reporting on the war in Yemen is supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

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