Pen Pusher Hackette

NYC can feel chaotic, but that’s the magic. If you want a warm, honest, relatable guide that feels like advice from a friend, this one’s worth reading: 👉 https://questionmiles.com/new-york-city-usa-travel-guide-your-friendly-real-life-no-filter-walkthrough/

NEW DELHI: With Covid-19 vaccine development process progressing at a fast pace globally, the Centre has asked all states and UTs to formulate a robust plan to ensure adequate storage capacity for vaccines and maintenance of cold chain. The idea is to ensure that once the vaccine is approved for use, it reaches the masses even in remote areas of the country. “One of the intervention for mitigating the Covid-19 pandemic is effective immunisation against it and robust mechanism for storage of vaccines and maintenance of the cold chain are imperative for ensuring the same,” the health ministry said in a letter to states and UTs. Currently, there are three vaccine candidates under human trials in India. Of these, the one developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca has entered phase 3. Pune-based Serum Institute is conducting local trials of the vaccine and is also the manufacturing partner of AstraZeneca for low and middle income countries. There are also two locally developed candidates by Bharat Biotech and Cadila Pharmaceuticals that are completing phase 2 trials. “Preparing the vaccine logistics is going to be a crucial part of preparing for the launch and administration of Covid-19 vaccine. Read the full article

NEW DELHI: Stepping up the pressure on ruling BJP over controversial farm laws, Congress has drafted a model Act to be adopted by states where it is in office to overrule the central legislations. The model bill will be circulated to states ruled by Congress and will also be offered to other non-BJP states. The move comes four days after Congress president Sonia Gandhi urged party’s chief ministers to explore ways of overriding the recently promulgated farm reforms that have sparked off agitations and attracted allegations that they will end the MSP regime and put farmers at the mercy of corporates. Called the “Protection of farmers interest and farm produce (special provisions) bill”, the model law, finalised by in-house legal expert Abhishek Singhvi, says that in case of inconsistency between the provisions of the three central laws and state law, the latter will prevail. “This Act will nullify the central laws,” a senior Congress member said. Under the provisions of the Constitution, however, such a law passed by a state legislature must recieve the assent of the President, which in this case may not be forthcoming. The said Act spells out that three central farm laws have sparked outrage among a section of farmers. It says the laws would endanger 86% of the farming community who own less than five acres of land and need state protection for fair price contracts. Read the full article

Talk about an October surprise! Donald and Melania Trump are going to self quarantine after his close aide Hope Hicks tested positive for COVID-19 and has been in close contact with the president. Maybe President Donald Trump‘s hatred of wearing masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19 will come back to haunt him. Now that his close aide Hope Hicks has tested positive for the virus, Trump and wife Melania, 50, said they will go into quarantine until the couple gets the results back from new COVID-19 tests. The 74-year-old tweeted on Oct. 1, “Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!” Now the world waits to see if the President of the United States has COVID-19. Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020 Hicks travelled with Trump on Tuesday aboard Air Force One to Ohio for his first presidential debate against Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden, which took place on Sept. 29.  Hope was with him the following day on a campaign stop in Duluth, MN and began feeling symptoms on the flight back to Washington D.C. Read the full article

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19, the president tweeted early Friday morning. It was an earth-shattering announcement mere weeks from Election Day.  Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020 The positive tests came just hours after it was reported that Mr. Trump's top aide Hope Hicks had tested positive for the virus. Mr. Trump said he and the first lady would begin quarantining immediately. Mr. Trump is 74 years old and has at least one underlying condition, placing him at a higher risk for complications, according to Centers for Disease Control guidance. The White House physician issued a memo confirming the positive tests, and saying the president and first lady were doing well and planned to remain at home. "Rest assured I expect the president to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments," wrote Sean Conley, physician to the president.  The strength of the entire country is with President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS.America stands united. Our country stands strong. Read the full article

The Minimal Rubik's Cube, billed by maker MegaHouse of Japan as the smallest working Rubik's Cube in the world, is seen in a promotional image. MegaHouse Tokyo — A Japanese company has created what it's billing as the world's smallest working Rubik's Cube. Measuring a mere 0.39 inches and weighing less than a tenth of an ounce, the "ultra-precision" aluminum toy, which comes with its own pedestal, is tiny enough to fit on a penny or a postage stamp. "We sought to create an exact tiny reproduction of a Rubik's Cube," said Kensuke Tsuchiya, a University of Tokyo expert on "micro manufacturing" who appears in a promo video for the tiny cube. "Making something that was impossible until now… was fun and exciting." Japanese toymaker MegaHouse began taking orders last week for the product, which is going for a bit more than its larger predecessor. The mini cubes are priced at about $1,900. The Japanese were early and enthusiastic Rubik's Cubers. Since the original six-sided cubes debuted here in 1980, over 14 million have been sold — 4 million within the first eight months alone. Local reports say MegaHouse anticipates 500 orders for the doll-sized cubes by Christmas. While the Lilliputian toy was issued to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Rubik's Cube in Japan, its launch during the pandemic has also proven timely. Read the full article

‘Botched’ is taking a trip down memory lane! HL has an EXCLUSIVE preview featuring ‘Human Ken Doll’ Justin Jedlica, who reveals he will have undergone 1,000 cosmetics procedures by the end of the year. Justin Jedlica, 40, also known as the “Human Ken Doll,” is a fan-favorite from the very first season of Botched. At the time, he’d already had a number of cosmetic procedures, including a nose job, tricep implants, forehead implants, and more. Dr. Paul Nassif and Dr. Terry Dubrow catch up with Justin in this EXCLUSIVE preview of the Sept. 28 special episode of Botched. “Today, I’ve had about 950 cosmetics procedures, and I’m easily on my way to 1,000 within the year. That’s definitely a goal of mine,” Justin tells the Botched doctors. He’s not slowing down when it comes to plastic surgery whatsoever. ‘Human Ken Doll’ Justin Jedlica in the special episode of ‘Botched.’ (E!)Justin reveals that he’s had buttock liposuction and had the fat transferred to his temples, and he’s also had buttock injections on the top. He also got a face-lift along with his mother. On top of that, Justin’s undergone full torso recontouring with injectables. Dr. Nassif and Dr. Dubrow are stunned by what Justin’s had done over the years. But Justin’s not finished. In addition to micro-needling on his face, he’s had micro-needling on his penis and scrotuck! Dr. Dubrow asks Justin what micro-needling of the penis does. Dr. Dubrow and Dr. Nassif check in on ‘Botched’ fan-favorites in a special episode. Read the full article

New Coronavirus Strain Found It has actually been verified today that a new version of coronavirus has actually spread from Europe to the United States, and may spread to neighboring nations in the future, as well as is much more transmittable than the initial. Currently, the inquiry that many of us want to know about is: Just how do we understand we are infected by it? Specialists think that the response is complex and simple both at the same time. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({}); According to study information published in the medical journal, the just significant distinction in between the old coronavirus and also the brand-new coronavirus is that the new version of the coronavirus is more likely to contaminate individuals. Nevertheless, there is no distinction when it comes to signs as well as their seriousness. All signs and symptoms (consisting of shortness of breath, completely dry coughing, frustration, fever, and exhaustion) remained the exact same. According to experts, if you experience any of the above-mentioned signs, you are in fact infected with the brand-new variation of coronavirus. Read the full article

Jordyn Woods confirmed she’s dating Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns while on vacation! The duo stunned as they shared a cuddle on a picturesque beach. Jordyn Woods, 23, just made it Instagram official with NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns, 24! The couple posed up a storm on a beach in Mexico — where Jordyn celebrated her 23rd birthday — and looked so in love. In one photo, Jordyn cozies up to Karl-Anthony while standing barefoot on the sand, and in the next, they shared a snuggle as they sat in front of the ocean. “I found you, then I found me,” she captioned the photos along with a white heart emoji, shared on Saturday, Sept. 26. How sweet! Jordyn and Karl-Anthony twinned in Versace swimwear, making the moment even cuter! The FRSTPLCE Fitness founder rocked the $575 “Acanthus” print one-piece, while Karl-Antony sported the matching $485 men’s swim trunk. The print features Versace’s signature gold leaf accent with a subtle leopard, similar to the brand’s “Barocco” swimsuit and matching pool float Jordyn rocked on Instagram earlier this week. Jordyn also accessorized with two of Cartier’s $6,300 “Juste Un Clou” nail bracelets, which she’s been sporting all trip long. Her mom Elizabeth Woods couldn’t be happier about the romantic post! “Ok I’m crying,” the momager gushed. Read the full article

Exclusive Justin Bieber and Chance the Rapper certainly put their money where their mouths are ... and the loot's going a long way to help hundreds of people from all walks of life who are in desperate straits. As we reported ... Justin and Chance announced a surprise collab Thursday -- teaming up to dole out $250,000 on CashApp to people affected by these hard times, to say thanks for the support on their musical collab, "Holy." Thousands of fans shared their stories online -- along with their $cashtags -- with the hope of receiving some money, and the singer and rapper spent the day giving ... in $500 increments. We did some digging, and the winners include students, teachers, artists, cashiers, people who lost loved ones to COVID, people taking care of sick parents, people dealing with immigration issues, and in general ... people who help people, people who need help, or both. Hoping to be noticed @justinbieber @chancetherapper! Please help this teacher get items needed for school & buy some furniture! We are moving into a new place after an apartment fire back in May.. during the pandemic! (Not our fault)🔥 🤦‍♀️ $itscortknee #JBChanceHoly pic.twitter.com/guj9btYcgi— Mrs. Richardson (@CortneyRichar15) September 25, 2020 @CortneyRichar15 For example ... Cortney -- a teacher looking to buys supplies for her class after suffering damage in an apartment fire earlier this year, during the pandemic. Read the full article

NEW DELHI: China may be one of the first countries to emerge from Covid-19, but the pandemic promises to fundamentally change Beijing’s biggest geopolitical and geo-economic project— the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). Two new reports point to an ongoing recalibration of BRI, and specifically its flagship project — China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Andrew Small of German Marshall Fund (GMF) in his study says: “Even before the pandemic, CPEC had stalled. Not only are the figures commonly cited for the total package of projects under this framework since its launch in 2015 — which run as high as $62 billion — no longer accurate, investments of that magnitude are not under consideration either.” He quotes a Chinese official describing the downsizing of the CPEC vision from “rocks to peanuts”. Another detailed report by Manoj Kewalramani and Agastya Bhatia in Takshashila Institution says China has, in response to the pandemic and global geopolitics, begun to “readjust its priorities” on BRI. Small is careful to point out that CPEC is unlikely to prove to be a debt trap for Islamabad even if it isn’t a game-changer for Pakistan. “The two sides have so far been more cautious on debt-financing than has been seen elsewhere on BRI,” he said. Small tweeted: “Scored against the original objectives set by the Chinese and Pakistani governments, CPEC is a disappointment. Read the full article

NEW DELHI: Former India wicket-keeper Farokh Engineer has come out in support of Sunil Gavaskar, who faced backlash on social media for his comments on Anushka Sharma, wife of current Team India skipper Virat Kohli. Gavaskar faced a lot of ire on Twitter for a remark he made on Anushka helping Kohli with his practice during the Covid-19 induced lockdown, with the actress herself demanding an explanation from the legendary cricketer. "We, Indians lack a sense of humour. If Sunil had indeed said so about Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, it must have been in a humorous tone and not in the bad or derogatory taste," Engineer said while speaking to Pakistan Observer. "Knowing Sunil Gavaskar well, I am sure he would have said it jokingly. Even in my case, people took it very seriously with the result that Anushka had to come out with her statement," said Engineer, who during 2019 ICC World Cup, had found himself in a similar controversy after he reportedly said all that the Indian selectors were doing in England was getting Anushka "cups of tea". Gavaskar himself has issued a clarification, saying his comments were misinterpreted. "As you hear from the commentary, Aakash (Chopra) and I were doing commentary for a Hindi channel. And Aakash was talking about the fact that there has been very little chance for proper practice for everybody. That has actually shown in the rustiness of some of the players in their first matches," Gavaskar told India Today. Read the full article

This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it weekdays. The pandemic has made it more clear that millions of Americans are falling behind in work, school and life because they don’t have or can’t afford decent internet access. I’ve written about one proposed Big Government solution: for the United States to spend tens of billions of dollars or more to bring internet lines to every American, as it did to wire electricity everywhere. But Apjit Walia, the global head of technology strategy at Deutsche Bank, has a more free market suggestion: Big technology companies should pay for millions of lower-income Americans to get what they need to go online. And not out of the goodness of their heart. In Walia’s view, it would be a smart business decision to reach new customers and repair Big Tech’s reputation. “Rarely in my investment career do I see what’s good for society is also good for investment returns,” Walia told me. Walia is far from the first person to highlight the digital divide along race and income lines. But the messenger and his proposed way of tackling the problem are an unusual combination of the cold language of return on investment and outrage about racial inequality. Walia’s proposal also points to the reality that to get an essential service to more Americans, we might need a scattershot approach with both more effective government policies and actions by self-interested corporations. Read the full article

The postponement of the UN climate summit hasn't stopped countries, from slowly sinking island nations to parched African ones, from speaking out. Johannesburg: In a year of cataclysm, some world leaders at this week's annual United Nations meeting are taking the long view, warning: If COVID-19 doesn't kill us, climate change will. With Siberia seeing its warmest temperature on record this year and enormous chunks of ice caps in Greenland and Canada sliding into the sea, countries are acutely aware there's no vaccine for global warming. “We are already seeing a version of environmental Armageddon,” Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said, citing wildfires in the western US and noting that the Greenland ice chunk was larger than a number of island nations. This was meant to be the year “we took back our planet,” he said. Instead, the coronavirus has diverted resources and attention from what could have been the marquee issue at this UN gathering. Meanwhile, the UN global climate summit has been postponed to late 2021. That hasn't stopped countries, from slowly sinking island nations to parched African ones, from speaking out. “In another 75 years, many ... members may no longer hold seats at the United Nations if the world continues on its present course,” the Alliance of Small Island States and the Least Developed Countries Group said. The main goal of the 2015 Paris climate accord is to limit the rise in global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Read the full article

Rebel Wilson & her hot new man Jacob Busch appeared to be having the time of their lives together in Italy! An international romance has begun for funny lady Rebel Wilson, 40, and new squeeze Jacob Busch! The Pitch Perfect star appears to be having the time of her life with her handsome guy especially during their down time overseas in Italy. Jacob, 29, posted the cutest Instagram story of them cuddled up outside their villa on Friday, September 26, where he left little to the imagination by going shirtless next to his gorgeous gal. Rebel, meanwhile, struck a slight smile for the camera while rocking a light green top during their beautiful day. Rebel looks to be having a phenomenal 2020. She’s taken fans on her weight loss journey where the Aussie babe has lost 40 pounds already and now things have gotten even better for her in the romance department with Jacob! They made their social media debut on Thursday, September 24, after Rebel shared a photo of them boarding a helicopter with fellow A-list stars Helen Mirren & Kate Beckinsale. People officially broke the news about them being a couple where things appear to be going swell for them so far. “They are officially boyfriend and girlfriend,” their source revealed. “He’s a gentleman, has very old school manners and treats her well. He is also very health conscious and they’ve been motivating each other with their health journeys.” Jacob, Read the full article

NAPLES, Italy — Ludovica Tomaciello had never shopped on Amazon before being trapped at her parents’ house in March during Italy’s coronavirus lockdown. Bored one afternoon scrolling TikTok, she spotted hair scrunchies that she then tracked down and ordered on Amazon. When the package arrived, she was hooked. She soon signed up for Amazon Prime and turned to the site to buy a tapestry and neon lights to decorate her bedroom; halter tops, jeans and magenta Air Jordan sneakers; and a remote to wirelessly take selfies for Instagram. “My mom was like, ‘Can you stop this?’” Ms. Tomaciello, 19, who is pursuing a language degree, said while at a cafe near her home in Avellino, about 20 miles east of Naples. When stores reopened in May, Amazon remained her preferred way to shop because of the convenience, selection and prices, she said. One friend even asked her to use it to discreetly order a pregnancy test. Amazon has been one of the biggest winners in the pandemic as people in its most established markets — the United States, Germany and Britain — have flocked to it to buy everything from toilet paper to board games. What has been less noticed is that people in countries that had traditionally resisted the e-commerce giant are now also falling into its grasp after retail stores shut down for months because of the coronavirus. The shift has been particularly pronounced in Italy, which was one of the first countries hard hit by the virus. Read the full article

WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan on Saturday said that one million deaths 'is a terrible number and we need to reflect on that before we start considering a second million' Representational image. AP Geneva: Coronavirus deaths could more than double to two million without collective action against the pandemic, the World Health Organization has warned, as Australia's prime minister urged any nation that develops a vaccine to share it with the world. The number of cases worldwide has soared past 32 million, with deaths approaching one million, the global economy devastated, and major cultural and sports events disrupted. But despite the pandemic showing no signs of slowing, Japan's new prime minister Yoshihide Suga struck a defiant note on Friday, saying his country was determined to hold the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021. "One million is a terrible number and we need to reflect on that before we start considering a second million," the WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan told reporters on Friday when asked how high the death toll could go. "Are we prepared collectively to do what it takes to avoid that number? "If we don't take those actions... yes, we will be looking at that number and sadly much higher." The pandemic has spurred worldwide efforts to develop a vaccine to help defeat Covid-19, as well as efforts to try to ensure fair and widespread distribution. "Whoever finds the vaccine must share it... Read the full article