CDC lists Trick or Treating as a high risk with Covid-19

John Devaney and Teddy Devaney 

Staff Writers
    
With Halloween right around the corner, and coronavirus still doing damage to the country, the CDC is now listing trick or treating as a high risk activity for catching the virus. The CDC has released a statement on their website to make sure people understand the risk they are accepting for parties. Obviously online parties for future holidays are fine and pose no risk that participants will contract the coronavirus, but for in-person parties the CDC wants people to check their local community coronavirus cases and make sure they are taking account of all possible risks.
  The statement includes more detailed information about avoiding increased risk of catching Covid-19. This includes choosing an outdoor gathering over an indoor, as the chance of spread is greatly decreased, shortening the total time of the gathering or party, and the behavior of guests at the gathering. If the party cannot be held outside for some reason, make sure to pick a room that has good ventilation and open windows.
  After the celebration, the CDC suggests that all commonly used surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned and that the people who were at the party should stay home as much as possible and should quarantine for two weeks to keep others safe.
  With regards to  Halloween, masks worn as part of costumes are not sufficient for coronavirus safety. The only exception would be a mask made with at least two or more layers of breathable fabric. Also keep in mind that candy handed out has a high risk of being touched by someone who has Covid-19 and the wrappers should be cleaned before they are open and the candy is consumed.
  Hopefully people will make the right decisions and keep everybody safe so we can have Halloween.
 

My strange, wondrous, and short trip to Ireland

Meryl Callaway
Editor-in-Chief

Although it seems like ages, I left for Ireland about a year ago. It seems like I was younger then, more naive maybe; however, I was about to embark on the journey of a lifetime and I would never want to turn back.
  While in Ireland, I would live in the small community of Oughterard. It was located just north of Galway and was settled on the shores of Lake Lough Corrib. It was a small agricultural community in which everyone knew everybody else and that was the way they liked it.
  I learned a lot from this community. How to talk to many different types of people, how to appreciate the little things in life and the importance of family. When I left I never thought that I would find myself chasing wild ponies through the untame fields of Ireland, sipping tea and painting in the kitchen of a local artist with other exchange students from Germany, India, and Japan or that, when I returned home, that I would be returning to a completely different world.
  Unfortunately, after having endured the first two and half months of my journey I received word from the exchange agency that, because of the novel coronavirus, all exchange students were to return back to their home countries effective immediately. And, just like that, I was on a plane within 24 hours, on my way back to the United States.
  It was an eerie experience, flying in the midst of a pandemic. I was flying home the day after flight sanctions to the United States were imposed and so the airport was desolate. Buses and trains were no longer running and my returning plane, home to over 200 seats, were filled with 30 measly Americans, desperately trying to return home.
  Upon arrival I was treated like I was radioactive. Even my family, understandably, did not want to come near me and I spent the next two weeks of my life in quarantine with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs. It was even stranger being home. Believe it or not, once you have been away for so long there is a bit of a culture shock upon your return. They call this reintroduction shock. It was weird because nothing had changed and yet everything. The world had begun to shut down shortly after I had left so, my house (which is under construction) still had the kitchen cabinets hanging, removed from the wall, the stores had the same inventory and nobody had any new stories to tell; however, I was different. I had changed
  So, all in all, my experience in Ireland was incredible despite its disappointing end. I got to adventure outside of my little bubble, became a little wiser and at least I can say that I have a good story to tell.  

2020 hosts myriad changes to technology in our lives

Ian Mendola
Staff Writer

There have been many technological advancements made or soon to be made this year. These are some of the largest advancements in history as we now have the machines and parts for the latest and greatest improvements. These improvements and developments are going to change the way we work our everyday routines.
  Some of these advancements have yet to be released and are still in the works with hopes of being released later this year. These include un-hackable internet servers, quantum supremacy, and tiny AI embedded in the most obscure places one can imagine. With artificial intelligence emerging over recent years with hit tech like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, and Apple’s HomePod. There is an industry push to minimize the size of the “assistant” so it can be included in your glasses or your smart watch in the near future.
  There is also an increase in digital currency as it is effective and easy to use. The only issue with this is finding a way to stabilize the market and keep the currency value from fluctuating. As we saw with Bitcoin, there is plenty of work to be done there. This will allow for one of the greatest technological advancements as money is constantly used every day for essential needs in your home and for yourself.
  Finally, there will be advancements in medicines with hopes of an anti-aging drug that will preserve your looks as you age. Even hyper-personalized medicines that use your genetic makeup to quickly and effectively treat illnesses you might develop.
  iPhones and smartwatches as well as Android devices have made significant improvements as the iPhone Xr and Xs as well as the 11 and 11 pros have come out with their dual and triple-camera setups. This is revolutionary for the quality and effectiveness of taking photos. There is no need for a Canon or Nikon camera as iPhone quality has greatly improved this year.
  Although we may be seeing a lot in terms of civil unrest and coronavirus, tech is still trying to march on into a brighter future.

Spanish households given minimum income guarantee

Olivia Hiriak
Staff Writer

The Spanish government approved an emergency relief package that provides around 850,000 households with a minimum income guarantee to lessen the economic blow caused by the coronavirus blockade. The poverty alleviation package, which will cost Spain around €3 billion or $3.3 billion annually, enables eligible households to receive between €62 and €1015 a month, or about $515 to $1,130 a year, which will be crucial for families if the country’s economy is expected to go into recession.
  Aid has been accelerated by the left coalition government, but is in line with the poverty reduction plans outlined by the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who committed to redistribute the tax burden when he took office in January. Iglesias leads the United We Can party, which is Sanchez’s coalition partner and is pushing for taxes for the rich to cover the high cost of Covid-19. The Bank of Spain recently predicted that the Spanish economy could shrink by up to 13 percent by 2020.
  The lines in the main food banks and social assistance centers in Spain have been accumulating since mid-March when Spain was closed. Raúl Flores, technical director of the Foessa Foundation, which is part of the aid organization Cáritas, told the New York Times that almost six million of the 47 million people living in Spain left “with a tightrope walk”. The minimum income guarantee is the first such system at national level in Spain, where most of the welfare programs have been managed by regional administrations.
  The program will be implemented next month and, according to the government, is expected to reach around 2.3 million people. The beneficiaries must be younger than 65, the age at which the Spaniards stop paying the pension system, and their eligibility is determined on the basis of recent tax returns and other assets. The daily cases in Israel are increasing and are calling for the possible reinstallation of a blockade.

Prime Day Postponed

Ian Mendola and Evan Menz
Staff Writers

Amazon’s Prime day has been a staple of online shopping days where tech giant Amazon releases hundreds of thousands of deals throughout the site. Usually, it happens in late July where shoppers can buy anything from a toothbrush to a boat. There are deals and discounts that many would love to come to buy.
  Amazon has been struggling for months to respond to a rush of customer orders during the public health crisis and had to institute many new safety protocols and shipping restrictions to be able to continue delivering food and basic needs.
  The world’s largest online store is only now starting to bring itself back to regular operations and faster shipping times.  Preparation for Prime Day and the holiday season takes months of planning so that work has taken a backseat to more immediate needs.
  The coming of Prime Day would likely be a huge benefit not just for Amazon but for retailers overall, many of which have been under serious pressure during the pandemic, with many forced to close stores and even lay off their employees.
  This year, Prime day is officially happening in September 2020. Since the outbreak many events and places have shut down and it would be best to help contain the disease to move it to a safer time for everyone.

Our fading 2020 summer

Delaney Cullura
Staff Writer

What’s happening with summer?
  No one really knows what summer 2020 will hold. Most of us hope that stuff starts opening up. Many summer classes for colleges are going to be online. Beaches are only open for some people, and only some food places are open for takeout. Vacations are getting cancelled everyday as borders close and air travel is limited due to health and safety concerns.
  I don’t think any of us thought that we would be in quarantine for so long. The seniors going away to college are starting to buy things for their dorm even though the fall semester might be online. All we want to do is to see our friends and family and head to college like every other graduating class. Unfortunately, we are going to have to make the best of what we get for the summer of 2020.

Japan’s economy in jeopardy

Olivia Hiriak
Staff Writer

For the first time in five years, Japan has fallen into a recession. It’s already weakened economy has been impacted by the effects of the coronavirus on companies both domestic and abroad.
  The world’s third economy shrank 3.4 percent annually after the United States and China in the first three months of the year. It is the largest economy officially entering a recession, often defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. Other major economies around the world are expected to follow the stream of outbreaks around the world. The companies had already stalled before the outbreak of the coronavirus. Consumer spending declined after the Japanese government raised a tax on consumption from eight to 10 percent in October. According to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government, this would help reduce public debt--the highest among industrialized nations--and the growing demand for social services to finance the country’s older workers.
  The efforts in the health sector seem to have paid off. COVID-19 cases rose shortly before the withdrawal. The total number of deaths due to the outbreak was under 750 on Sunday, which is lower than other large industrialized nations. However, each of these decisions had a keen economic impact.