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Jul. 11, 2020 09:55PM EST
Trump dons face mask during Walter Reed visit
President Trump wore a face mask during his Saturday visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to AP.
Why it matters: This is the first occasion the president has appeared publicly with a facial covering as recommended by health officials since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
What they're saying: “When you’re in a hospital, especially ... I think it’s expected to wear a mask," Trump said as he left the White House Saturday, according to AP.
Flashback: The president refused to wear a mask in May while touring a Ford Motor Co. plant in Michigan because he "didn’t want to give the press the pleasure” of seeing him wearing the protective covering.
Go deeper: Where the science stands on using face masks against coronavirus
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Aug. 27, 2020 11:03AM EST
The day sports stopped
The most historic day in sports activism history began in an empty gym.
What happened: The Milwaukee Bucks chose not to take the floor for Game 5 against the Magic, which led to all three NBA games being postponed — and most of the sports world following suit.
The backdrop: The Bucks' landmark decision came three days after Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot seven times in the back by police in Kenosha, Wis., 45 minutes south of Milwaukee.
- The Bucks said in a team statement (video): "Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball."
Why it matters: Many NBA players decided to participate in the "bubble" because it offered a platform to bring awareness to social justice issues. That was enough, in their minds, to offset any concerns about sports being a distraction.
- But after the Blake shooting video surfaced, players began to question whether the anthem kneeling, "Black Lives Matter" T-shirts and pre-approved jersey causes were making a difference.
- Now, they've gone off script. And in doing so, they've taken the conversation about sports' role in society to a place it's never quite been before.
The big picture: The NBA's postponement started a chain reaction.
- 🏀 WNBA: The six teams scheduled to compete yesterday chose not play. "We stand in solidarity with our brothers in the NBA," the players' union said.
- ⚾️️ MLB: The Milwaukee Brewers were the first team to pull the plug on their game. Later, the Seattle Mariners and L.A. Dodgers did the same. While the NBA and WNBA are no strangers to political activism, this type of stance is new in baseball.
- ⚽️️ MLS: Though the night's first game between Orlando and Nashville was played as scheduled, the remaining five games were postponed as the players collectively decided not to take the field.
- 🎾 Tennis: After Naomi Osaka withdrew from the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open (scheduled for today), tournament organizers suspended all Thursday matches.
- 🏒 NHL: In a departure from other leagues, the NHL went ahead with both playoff games — one in Toronto and one in Edmonton.
Photo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
- In Palmetto, Fla., after the WNBA postponed games, the Washington Mystics wore T-shirts with seven bullets on the back, to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
What's next: NBA players and coaches held a meeting Wednesday night inside a ballroom at the Coronado Spring Hotel. Teams were polled about how to proceed, and the Lakers and Clippers both voted to end the season, ESPN reports.
- But it remains unclear what exactly the NBA can offer, and how far players are willing to go. While walking away sends a strong message, leaving the bubble would also reduce the power of the players' collective voices.
- For now, all we know is that the six games scheduled for today will likely be postponed, and that the NBA's board of governors and the players will each meet at 11 a.m. ET to discuss next steps.
The bottom line: The NBA built a bubble to keep out the coronavirus, and so far, it's worked. But even the most stringent safety protocols and testing procedures couldn't shield it from America.
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Apr. 08, 2021 12:00AM EST
Biden to unveil executive actions on gun violence prevention
President Biden is expected to present a series of executive actions on guns Thursday, including directing his Justice Department to tighten regulations on purchases of so-called “ghost guns."
Why it matters: The president has faced increased pressure from Democrats and gun violence prevention groups to act on the issue following a series of recent high-profile gun tragedies across the U.S.
Details: Biden is using the bully pulpit to issue a number of actions at the executive level while urging Congress to do its part to enact more permanent legislation, which could prove difficult given the split Senate.
- In what a senior administration official called an “initial” set of actions, the Department of Justice will introduce rules meant to minimize the proliferation of “ghost guns,” which are untraceable firearms assembled from kits.
- The DOJ will issue a proposed rule within 60 days that would subject any pistol outfitted with a stabilizing brace to the requirement of the National Firearms Act. Such a brace, used by the shooter in March at a grocery store in Boulder, Colo., could make a pistol essentially function as a rifle.
- The DOJ will publish “red flag” legislations for states to model on the local level and will also file a report on firearms trafficking for the first time since 2000.
- Biden will also announce on Thursday that the administration is investing in evidence-based community violence intervention. The president has proposed a $5 billion investment in such intervention as part of his initial infrastructure proposal.
- Biden will also nominate a gun control advocate to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
What they’re saying: Gun violence prevention advocacy groups are praising the executive actions while indicating there is still room for more action, such as providing more directives to agencies besides the DOJ, like HHS, that also work on the issue.
- Groups are also calling for a broad, unified national strategy from the White House as well as the appointment of a director specifically focused on gun violence issues.
- “We've been asking for a long time for them to prioritize this issue, and it's clear that they're going to start doing that,” Max Markham, policy director for March for Our Lives, told Axios.
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May. 24, 2021 09:30AM EST
The post-pandemic battle against kids' screen time
After over a year in which parents let kids sit in front of screens pretty much all the time, reining in their digital fixation will be a challenge.
Why it matters: Some studies have suggested that certain types of digital content such as social media can have addictive qualities, and that consuming too much can be harmful to children, particularly adolescents.
- Coupled with prolonged isolation during the pandemic, many kids will have a hard time disengaging from devices and re-entering real-life social activities as summer camps and schools open up
What they're saying: "Brains change when you're spending time online," said Robyn Mehlenbeck, director of George Mason University's Center for Psychological Services. "There's an addictive quality to gaming, so it becomes very difficult to wean off. It's a real crisis right now."
Be smart: Screen time itself is not inherently harmful. It's about the quality and context of the content kids are consuming, said Dr. Michael Rich, Digital Wellness Lab founder and associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
- With addiction — such as to drugs or alcohol — the substances cause physiological changes. That's not the case with digital content or screen use, although behavior changes can occur and it can exacerbate underlying issues like depression or anxiety.
- "The goal is not to cut out screen time altogether," Rich said. Unlike a substance addiction, where abstinence from the substance is the treatment, the therapeutic goal for screen over-use is teaching self-regulation.
Context: The World Health Organization has classified gaming disorder as a diagnosis, and the American Psychiatric Association is working on internet gaming disorder as a potential diagnosis that requires further research, Rich said.
- He added that problematic interactive media use is not limited to games — it also includes social media, pornography and what he calls "information binging" such as too much time spent watching YouTube videos and reading Reddit threads.
Quick take: Like many parents, I'm embarrassed to admit how much screen time my kids have become accustomed to over the past year.
- They are glued to not only Minecraft, but YouTube videos of other people playing Minecraft. And they zone out in front of Disney+ and Netflix shows after school work while my husband and I try to finish up our own work.
- Getting them to shut off the tablets ends up in an epic power struggle.
Driving the conversation: Here are some strategies recommended by child psychologists for parents trying to reduce their kids' screen time.
- Include the child: Allow a child to have a say in resetting time limits so they have some ownership of the plan. Mehlenbeck advises parents to let them choose what kind of screen time it will be, such as watching cartoons or playing a game on the Nintendo Wii.
- Change the routine: Distract kids with alternative activities, such as going for a family walk, playing outside or visiting a park. "Mixing up the routine can help them out of those habits, and help kids form new habits," said Melissa Whitson, associate professor of psychology at the University of New Haven.
- Use a timer: Once you set expectations about screen time limits, set a kitchen timer, use a timer app or set your home's WiFi to cut off at a certain point to stick to the agreed-upon time frame. Be consistent, said Paula Fite, professor of psychology and applied behavioral science at the University of Kansas.
- Give incentives: Reward kids when they cooperate with the new rules, Fite said. "We can even use additional screen time as reinforcers for getting other things done, like doing chores without complaining or shutting down a device when asked without a fight," she said.
- Be age-appropriate: School-aged kids often rely on laptops and tablets for schoolwork, so try not to make that time count against the screen-time limits. Consider household rules of turning off screens an hour before bed and not taking devices into bedrooms overnight.
- Model desired behavior: Kids take their cues from the adults in their lives. Try to cut back your own screen time and frame it as a positive change, not a punishment. The American Academy of Pediatrics has template screen time contracts.
The other side: The psychologists cautioned that some screen time is good. Many educational platforms are useful, for example, and interactive games allowed students to connect with their friends in the absence of real-life socializing.
Yes, but: Too much of anything can lead to unwanted results.
- Older kids will likely have the hardest time moving between digital and in-person activities in part because they've missed a whole year of real-life socializing during crucially formative years, Mehlenbeck said.
- "We're going to see some social skill deficits across the board as people are emerging from the pandemic," she said. "I think we're going to see particular difficulties in middle to early high school students."
Reality check: Increased screen time is a pandemic habit that will be very hard to break. But trying to curb it will help kids as they replace computer time with in-person social time.
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