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Version 3 Version 4
No Graduation Ceremony? You Get Oprah! No Graduation Ceremony? You Get Oprah!
(about 16 hours later)
They will not get to share in the memories synonymous with college graduation — the collective tossing of caps, the hugs from friends and the walk across the stage to get their diplomas.They will not get to share in the memories synonymous with college graduation — the collective tossing of caps, the hugs from friends and the walk across the stage to get their diplomas.
But millions of college and high school seniors across the United States, who have had to leave campus during the coronavirus pandemic, will not get short shrift on a commencement speaker.But millions of college and high school seniors across the United States, who have had to leave campus during the coronavirus pandemic, will not get short shrift on a commencement speaker.
They will get Oprah Winfrey, who Facebook said this week will address graduates in a virtual commencement ceremony on May 15.They will get Oprah Winfrey, who Facebook said this week will address graduates in a virtual commencement ceremony on May 15.
“This is a bittersweet time for the Class of 2020,” Marne Levine, a Facebook vice president, wrote on the social media platform on Tuesday. “They are commencing at a time of great uncertainty. But graduating is a tremendous achievement, and worth pausing to celebrate even in these circumstances.”“This is a bittersweet time for the Class of 2020,” Marne Levine, a Facebook vice president, wrote on the social media platform on Tuesday. “They are commencing at a time of great uncertainty. But graduating is a tremendous achievement, and worth pausing to celebrate even in these circumstances.”
Graduates will also get LeBron James, whose foundation is organizing a prime-time special that will feature musicians, cultural icons, and athletes including Megan Rapinoe, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas Brothers and Bad Bunny.Graduates will also get LeBron James, whose foundation is organizing a prime-time special that will feature musicians, cultural icons, and athletes including Megan Rapinoe, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas Brothers and Bad Bunny.
“This will be a moment to come together — as one nation — to applaud this rite of passage,” the organizers of “Graduate Together: America Honors the Class of 2020,” said in a statement. The organizers also include Entertainment Industry Foundation and the XQ Institute.“This will be a moment to come together — as one nation — to applaud this rite of passage,” the organizers of “Graduate Together: America Honors the Class of 2020,” said in a statement. The organizers also include Entertainment Industry Foundation and the XQ Institute.
In a statement, Mr. James said he wanted to help create a show that would help ease the pain the coronavirus has had on the more than 3 million seniors who will be missing out on a traditional graduation ceremony and their families.In a statement, Mr. James said he wanted to help create a show that would help ease the pain the coronavirus has had on the more than 3 million seniors who will be missing out on a traditional graduation ceremony and their families.
“These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized,” he said. “While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it.”“These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized,” he said. “While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it.”
The special will air on May 16 on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC and on social media.The special will air on May 16 on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC and on social media.
Ms. Winfrey’s commencement speech will be broadcast at 2 p.m. Eastern time, or 11 a.m. Pacific time, a day earlier on Facebook and Instagram, which are part of the same social media company.Ms. Winfrey’s commencement speech will be broadcast at 2 p.m. Eastern time, or 11 a.m. Pacific time, a day earlier on Facebook and Instagram, which are part of the same social media company.
It will be a busy season of virtual appearances for Ms. Winfrey, 66, who has also agreed to be a virtual commencement speaker for all high schools in Chicago, where she lived for many years and hosted her daytime talk show.It will be a busy season of virtual appearances for Ms. Winfrey, 66, who has also agreed to be a virtual commencement speaker for all high schools in Chicago, where she lived for many years and hosted her daytime talk show.
Oprah will also be joining hundreds of other celebrities starting Friday evening — including Julia Roberts, Quincy Jones, Yo-Yo Ma, Naomi Campbell, Alanis Morissette and former President George W. Bush — who will gather online for “The Call to Unite,” a 24-hour charity event to raise money for Covid-19 relief.Oprah will also be joining hundreds of other celebrities starting Friday evening — including Julia Roberts, Quincy Jones, Yo-Yo Ma, Naomi Campbell, Alanis Morissette and former President George W. Bush — who will gather online for “The Call to Unite,” a 24-hour charity event to raise money for Covid-19 relief.
Ms. Winfrey is not the only celebrity who has been enlisted to give students a proper send-off.Ms. Winfrey is not the only celebrity who has been enlisted to give students a proper send-off.
Simone Biles, the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the all-around gymnastics competition, will also take part in the Facebook virtual graduation, as will the actresses Awkwafina and Jennifer Garner and the musicians Lil Nas X and Miley Cyrus.Simone Biles, the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the all-around gymnastics competition, will also take part in the Facebook virtual graduation, as will the actresses Awkwafina and Jennifer Garner and the musicians Lil Nas X and Miley Cyrus.
The radio giant iHeartMedia is also choreographing a series of star-studded graduation speech podcasts that will feature Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Fallon, Chelsea Handler and others.The radio giant iHeartMedia is also choreographing a series of star-studded graduation speech podcasts that will feature Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Fallon, Chelsea Handler and others.
Updated June 30, 2020
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
Even the Anheuser-Busch-owned beer brand Natural Light is getting involved in the virtual festivities. The brand announced that it would hold a virtual commencement ceremony on May 14, headlined by the billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the actress Jane Lynch and the sports commentator Stephen A. Smith.Even the Anheuser-Busch-owned beer brand Natural Light is getting involved in the virtual festivities. The brand announced that it would hold a virtual commencement ceremony on May 14, headlined by the billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the actress Jane Lynch and the sports commentator Stephen A. Smith.
Oprah is not the only Chicagoan who has been highly sought as a graduation speaker. So has former President Barack Obama, whom one graduating senior, in a widely shared tweet, tried to recruit to give a national commencement address.Oprah is not the only Chicagoan who has been highly sought as a graduation speaker. So has former President Barack Obama, whom one graduating senior, in a widely shared tweet, tried to recruit to give a national commencement address.
It drew nearly 50,000 retweets, but no public response from the former president.It drew nearly 50,000 retweets, but no public response from the former president.