Tag Archives: Arguing

‘Rust’ armorer Hannah Gutierrez’s trial begins with each side arguing over safety on set – ABC News

  1. ‘Rust’ armorer Hannah Gutierrez’s trial begins with each side arguing over safety on set ABC News
  2. Rust armourer on trial after Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins BBC
  3. ‘Rust’ Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s “Unprofessional & Sloppy” Conduct Caused Halyna Hutchins’ Death, Prosecutor Tells Jury In Trial Opening Day Deadline
  4. ‘Rust’ armorer on trial in Alec Baldwin’s shooting case The Associated Press
  5. Jury Seated in ‘Rust’ Trial as Opening Statements to Begin Thursday Variety

Read original article here

Ron DeSantis wants to strip Disney workers of free passes and discounts, arguing it sucks millions from Florida’s economy – Fortune

  1. Ron DeSantis wants to strip Disney workers of free passes and discounts, arguing it sucks millions from Florida’s economy Fortune
  2. DeSantis asks Florida IG to probe former Disney-appointed board for dropping $2M on perks — including $500K on tickets New York Post
  3. DeSantis’ tourism district wants to end Disney ‘perks’ for workers Yahoo News
  4. Ron DeSantis’ ethics chair either has to give that up or his $400,000 salary as Disney’s administrator, judge rules Fortune
  5. DeSantis-appointed board asks state to probe $2M paid to Disney for perks WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

Read original article here

Ron DeSantis wants to strip Disney workers of free passes and discounts, arguing it sucks millions from Florida’s economy – Fortune

  1. Ron DeSantis wants to strip Disney workers of free passes and discounts, arguing it sucks millions from Florida’s economy Fortune
  2. DeSantis asks Florida IG to probe former Disney-appointed board for dropping $2M on perks — including $500K on tickets New York Post
  3. DeSantis’ tourism district wants to end Disney ‘perks’ for workers Yahoo News
  4. Editorial: Gilzean conflict creates Florida’s Ethics Commission mess Orlando Sentinel
  5. Ron DeSantis’ ethics chair either has to give that up or his $400,000 salary as Disney’s administrator, judge rules Fortune

Read original article here

The student who caught Beyoncé’s sunglasses during her show is auctioning them off for a hopeful $19,000, arguing the singer ‘would want’ him to ‘take this opportunity’ – Yahoo Entertainment

  1. The student who caught Beyoncé’s sunglasses during her show is auctioning them off for a hopeful $19,000, arguing the singer ‘would want’ him to ‘take this opportunity’ Yahoo Entertainment
  2. TikToker who caught Beyoncé’s sunglasses at concert auctions them for $15,000 USD Dexerto
  3. Beyonce Fan Auctions Off “Renaissance” Tour Sunglasses For £15K HotNewHipHop
  4. Fan places shades gifted by Beyoncé on auction site REVOLT
  5. Beyoncé tossed me her sunglasses — I’m auctioning them for $20K for my family New York Post
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

Read original article here

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit gets very angry arguing about the Reds with The Athletic reporters on Twitter – Yahoo Sports

  1. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit gets very angry arguing about the Reds with The Athletic reporters on Twitter Yahoo Sports
  2. Kirk Herbstreit Gets Into It With Baseball Writers Over Cincinnati Reds, Top Prospect Elly De La Cruz OutKick
  3. Kirk Herbstreit Gets Heated in Twitter Feud for the Strangest Reason Sports Illustrated
  4. Former Buckeye Kirk Herbstreit seems agitated by Ohio State Football fans Scarlet and Game
  5. Twitter Wars: ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit vs. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal & C. Trent Rosecrans Awful Announcing
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

Read original article here

Twins manager ejected for arguing after Yankees pitcher stays in game following lengthy sticky-stuff check – CBS Sports

  1. Twins manager ejected for arguing after Yankees pitcher stays in game following lengthy sticky-stuff check CBS Sports
  2. Yankees SP Domingo Germán stays in bid for perfect game after ump appears to say ‘you have to wash your hands’ Yahoo Sports
  3. Domingo German checked twice by umps during five perfect innings, Twins manager ejected New York Post
  4. Twins’ Rocco Baldelli Tossed After Yankees’ Domingo German’s Sticky Substance Check Sports Illustrated
  5. Twins’ Baldelli reacts to gutsy win over Yankees Bally Sports North
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

Read original article here

Why are Ukraine’s allies arguing about tanks?

Western capitals are at odds over sending modern heavy battle tanks to Ukraine, an item until recently considered taboo for Kyiv’s allies.

Such tanks are deemed essential for Ukraine’s efforts to retake territory from Russia, which has mobilised 150,000 troops for a renewed offensive. Moscow has also put the country’s defence industry on to a war footing in order to refit and rearm its forces. The next six months are critical, for both sides.

Why are some countries ready to send modern battle tanks?

In short, to help Ukraine break the deadlock on the battlefield and retake its territory from Russian occupying forces.

Western tanks — such as the US M1 Abrams, Britain’s Challenger 2 or the German-built Leopard 2 — would give the Ukrainian army additional firepower to smash through Russian defensive lines and seize the military initiative before Moscow can. They would also be needed to defend Ukrainian lines against a possible renewed Russian offensive later this year.

Tanks are a crucial element in so-called combined arms manoeuvre — mobile operations involving infantry and artillery — to take territory. Moreover, western tanks would give Ukraine an advantage over Russian ones because they have superior armour, more accurate cannon and better control and navigation systems — enabling night-time operations, for example.

Why is the Leopard 2 tank on top of Kyiv’s wishlist?

Germany’s Leopard has similar capabilities to the US-made Abrams or UK’s Challenger, but also presents some advantages, according to military experts. It is lighter and easier to fuel than the American tank, which is powered by a thirsty turbine engine. It is deemed more reliable than the Challenger.

But the crucial advantage is its availability. Thirteen European armies operate some 2,000 Leopard 2 tanks, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. It is unclear how many of these are battle-ready and how many would require refurbishment. But it is a large pool for Ukraine to draw on. There are also multiple sources of spare parts and maintenance experts.

Does Ukraine have tanks already?

Yes, lots. It had its own fleet of Soviet-era tanks. It has captured more than 500 tanks from Russian forces since their full-scale invasion last February. It has also been supplied with 240 T-72s from Poland and the Czech Republic. But it is losing a lot of tanks to enemy fire — possibly as many as 130 a month, according to Gustav Gressel of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Ukraine has been supplied with 240 T-72 tanks from Poland and the Czech Republic © Oleg Petrasyuk/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Only a few sources of ammunition and spare parts are available for Soviet-era tanks among Ukraine’s allies. So, as with artillery, Ukraine needs to shift to western-standard equipment or risk running out of shells, replacement barrels and other spare parts.

That is another advantage of the Leopard 2: if its potentially large stock is made available, that would simplify logistical support for the Ukrainian forces as repairs, spare parts and ammunition would be the same.

Nato allies have sent armoured vehicles. Why the hesitation on tanks?

Multiple governments, including the US, Germany, Britain, France and Sweden have pledged infantry fighting vehicles and other combat armoured vehicles to Ukraine.

The US has said it will donate at least 59 Bradleys and 90 Strykers, while Germany is providing Marders. These armoured personnel vehicles also have powerful guns, which will give Ukraine an additional offensive capability.

France this month said it would send an unspecified number of AMX-10 “tank killer” armoured vehicles, which are regarded by some analysts as light tanks.

However, western main battle tanks, with their chain tracks and sophisticated fire control systems and heavy guns, provide a level of firepower that western allies have been reluctant to grant Kyiv.

The UK sought to break that mental barrier last week when it said it would send 14 Challenger tanks to Ukraine. The numbers are not militarily significant, but the decision set a precedent that Britain hoped would encourage other countries to do the same, soon.

However, the US has said it will not send its Abrams tanks, because they are too hard for Ukraine to maintain and other suitable options in the region abound, namely the Leopard. The German government has balked at sending its Leopards given the risk that Russia would see the move as an escalation that could drag Nato into the conflict.

Why is Germany’s role so pivotal?

Under the terms of its export contracts, Berlin’s approval is required if other governments want to donate Leopard tanks to Kyiv.

Germany has about 350 of its own Leopard 2s, although it is unclear how many of them are fully operational. Boris Pistorius, Germany’s new defence minister, on Friday said the military would begin technical assessments of the tank fleet’s readiness for combat pending a final decision on whether to send them.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz is worried that, because Leopard tank supplies to Kyiv in effect hinge on his backing, any green light would be regarded by Moscow as a Berlin-led escalation. That is why Scholz wants the US to agree to send tanks before he gives his approval.

Read original article here

‘The lies have to stop’: Britney Spears’ ex Kevin Federline posts videos of her arguing with sons

Britney Spears’ ex-husband has posted a series of clips of their young sons arguing with their mother, as the warring parents step up their increasingly acrimonious fight.

Kevin Federline, 44, revealed last week that their sons Sean, 16, and 15-year-old Jayden no longer wish to spend time with Spears, 40.

The singer was devastated by Federline talking about the family rift, and posted a series of angry messages on Instagram, including one accusing Federline of exposing the teenagers to marijuana.

On Wednesday night Federline re-activated a long-dormant Instagram account to retaliate by posting the clips of their sons, which were filmed four years ago.

‘I can not sit back and let my sons be accused in this way after what they’ve been through,’ the father of six wrote. 

The first clip shared by Federline appears to be filmed in a bedroom, with Spears berating her sons – then aged 11 and 12 – for lacking respect

Federline and Spears are pictured in 2006, at an after party for the Grammys. The pair were married from 2004 through 2007

‘As much as it hurts us, we decided as a family to post these videos the boys took when they were 11 & 12. 

‘This isn’t even the worst of it. The lies have to stop. 

‘I hope our kids grow up to be better than this. #NeverFearTruth’

The first clip seems to be filmed by one of the boys inside their bedroom, as Spears walks in and berates them for failing to respect her.

The boy says: ‘You come in here, when we’re trying to go to bed, and you say…’ 

Spears cuts him off, replying: ‘It’s my house.’

Raising her voice, she continues: ‘This is my house. If I want to come in here and give you lotion for your face, because it is coarse, and you tell me “no, it’s fine, it’s fine” – well, it’s not fine.

‘You better all start respecting me, are we clear?

‘You all need to start treating me like a woman with worth. I am a woman, ok? Be nice to me. Do you understand?’ 

The second clip is filmed inside a car, with Spears in the passenger seat and the two boys behind.

In the second clip, Spears, in the passenger seat of a car, tells her son Sean, 12, off for refusing to put his shoes on in an ice cream parlor

The singer says she is ‘shocked’ by his behavior, and confiscates his phone as punishment

Spears with her sons Sean, 16, and Jayden, 15. The boys have now chosen to stay apart from their mother

Spears has confiscated 12-year-old Sean’s phone because he refused to wear shoes when they went to an ice cream parlor.

‘Have you lost your f****** mind?’ she yells at them. 

One of the boys retorts: ‘Have you lost yours?’

He adds: ‘You don’t care.’ 

Spears says: ‘I do care, and I am shocked. I am shocked as f*** with you. And I don’t know what to do.

‘And I’m scared of you, because you’re weird, because you’re going through puberty.’ 

Sean grumpily tells her: ‘If you really cared you wouldn’t take my phone away.’ 

The latest ugly twist in the story came as Spears was accused of racism after she said that her teenage sons were growing up in a house with more marijuana than a slew of famous faces – all of them black.

Spears, in a lengthy retort on Instagram, attacked Federline’s parenting and claiming the boys were being raised in a household ‘has more weed than Ludacris, 50 Cent, Jay Z and Puff Daddy combined.’

It was quickly noted that all four people she cited as marijuana smokers were black, and several people pointed out that former dealer 50 Cent is now avowedly clean-living. 

‘Britney was WRONG for this and it wouldn’t be the first time she’s made questionable comments about black artists. End of,’ said one.

‘So everyone is just ignoring how #BritneySpears assumed a bunch of black rappers are smoking weed and compared successful black millionaires to her sperm factory, no job having baby daddy?’ one person said.

‘Britney Spears named a bunch of black rappers to make a comparison about weed,’ another pointed out.

‘Why those particular people? And they’re all black,’ said one woman, writing on an online discussion board.

‘I don’t like that at all. It’s giving she assumes every black rapper smokes weed.

‘And when she thinks of weed she thinks of black people. Interesting.’

Another said: ‘Jay Z and 50 have famously said they don’t do drugs. The only reason she named them is because they’re black.’

One commented: ‘The racism jumped out,’ while another said: ‘This seems racially motivated…..’

Yet another sarcastically stated: ‘So she didn’t know any white people who smoke weed?’

‘She could have at least through Willie Nelson in the mix,’ one replied.

Not easy: Britney Spears admitted that parenting her teenage sons has not been easy in a long-winded post on her Instagram account, shared on Wednesday; Pictured 2016

The Louisiana-born singer said in her lengthy post that the situation with her sons ‘breaks my heart.’

She said the teenagers acted in a ‘hateful’ way to her during some of their visits and didn’t want to spend time together.

Spears added that her children’s indifference was frustrating, writing: ‘I want to shake their shoulders and say wake up I’m here too!!! The teenage age is weird, I don’t know what’s going on in their heads!!!’ 

She begun the four-page social media post discussing her new ‘adorable neighborhood’ and admitted that though her new home is beautiful, she misses her old house, adding, ‘It’s hard for me to let go of things I truly love… like my kids.’

She then condemned Federline for participating in the interview, saying: ‘The situation should have 100 percent been dealt with privately and definitely not online!!!’

 

 

 

She defended her household while taking issue with Federline’s wife Victoria Prince, 39, and her ‘goal’ which is ‘to keep the children away from all of the controversy and trauma’ in Spears’ home.

‘I have love in my home and I have blessings from the people I allow in and out of my home,’ said Spears.

‘I looked forward to seeing my kids every week… It was 2 days a week but I asked him to ask to stay for more days…. maybe 3… but then the next week they stayed for only one day.

‘Yeah, I know that teenagers are just hard to deal with with at that age… but COME ON, there’s being rude then there’s being HATEFUL… They would visit me, walk in the door, do straight to their room and lock the door!!!’ she wrote. 

‘The MONITOR would tell me that he just likes to be in his room… I’m like why come visit if they don’t even visit me!!!’

She added: ‘It hurts and I want to scream!!!

‘I can’t process how I dedicated 20 years of my life to those kids… everything was about them!!! For them to knock the breath out of me.’ 

Mysterious: Britney added three more mysterious posts to her feed on Wednesday

A game of chess: Another post featured an online chess board with an interesting message in the caption

Strange: She followed it up with yet another post of herself covering her face with a towel, writing, ‘I’d rather go blind!!! What’s worth a shot??? Just saying’ 

‘We would always do prayer time, not really prayer time, that sounds silly but it’s called ‘devotion’… where you read two or three pages in a prayer book and talk about it,’ she went on.

‘I always TRIED and TRIED and maybe that’s why they stopped coming here!!! I wanted them to love so much that I might have overdone it!!!’

‘This summer, they told me ‘we may come here less’ and I was like that’s fine. I called they dad and I told him that it seems the boys are wanting to stop coming here as much, which I get because they have their own thing going on but I feel like they are being pretty harsh!!!’

Chaos: It comes after Federline has broken a near decade-long silence in a wide-ranging, moving TV interview in which he talks openly about his ongoing battle to keep the chaos that surrounds his former wife as far removed from his sons as possible

‘It’s tough’: Kevin indicated that their sons are embarrassed by the former Mouseketeer’s frequent posts of herself nearly nude

‘His words were ‘I would never let them make that decision on their own… I would never do that to you’!!! Well after that, I haven’t seen them since!!!’

Spears then lashed out at Federline’s attorney, saying: ‘He wants to bring up my past with that bald-headed peckerhead face Kaplan and circle back to that hard time in my life!!! That was almost 20 years ago… their game doesn’t work anymore!!!’ 

She concluded her message by writing: ‘You can’t fix me !!! No therapy or sense of worship can fix my heart !!! I will forever have trauma and I know this, I’ve accepted it.’ 

She concluded: ‘Either way, I have a beautiful pool, a supportive husband, and 5 dogs.’ 

‘100% I feel like he saved her back then’: Kevin also defended Britney’s estranged father Jamie (pictured in 2008) who controlled every aspect of her life during a 13-year conservatorship, which ended on November 12

On Wednesday, she appeared to continue venting her frustration. 

One post featured a painting of a woman by an artist known as @carriedraw, an illustrator from Hong Kong. 

The caption read: ‘I need to OPEN my EYES ??? Then you’ll explain things to me ??? Can you explain to MY A**??? Psss portrait of a lady!!!!’

Another post featured an online chess board, with the caption: ‘I’ve been so so so so safe mamma!!! Finding out the truth … IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME FOR ME!!! Is it kinda cool out here??? The famous game of chess goes like THIS … CHECK MATE!!! ‘F*** YOU, YOU CAN’T DO THAT’ I JUST DID!!!” 

She followed it up with yet another post of herself covering her face with a towel, writing: ‘I’d rather go blind!!! What’s worth a shot??? Just saying’ 

‘One word – hurtful’: On Saturday night, Spears said it ‘saddened’ her to hear Kevin speaking so publicly about private family matters

Short-lived: Kevin’s two-year marriage to Britney ended in July 2007, and just six months later she was put on 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold (pictured in 2006) 

Federline, in a series of interviews, said their sons are embarrassed by Spears’ frequent posts of herself partially clothed. 

‘I try to explain to them, ‘Look, maybe that’s just another way she tries to express herself,” said Federline – who’s said to receive $20,000 a month in child support.

‘But that doesn’t take away from the fact of what it does to them. It’s tough. I can’t imagine how it feels to be a teenager having to go to high school.’

In 2019, Federline was granted 70 percent custody of their sons while Spears was downgraded to 30 percent, according to TMZ.

Federline also defended Spears’ estranged father Jamie – a former building contractor who controlled every aspect of her life during a 13-year conservatorship, which ended on November 12.

Defending his wife: Earlier on Saturday, Britney’s new husband Sam Asghari responded harshly to Kevin’s claims about his sons’ relationship with their mother; Pictured 2019

Photos: He wrote a series of rebuttals to Kevin in his Instagram Stories, in which he returned to Kevin’s claims that his sons were disturbed by censored nude photos that Britney posted to social media

‘100% I feel like he saved her back then,’ Federline said. 

‘I saw a man that really cared, and wanting everything to be okay…I would absolutely welcome Jamie Spears back in the boys’ lives.’

Federline’s two-year marriage to Spears ended in July 2007, and six months later she was placed under an involuntary psychiatric hold.

Earlier on Saturday, Spears’ new husband Sam Asghari responded harshly to Federline’s claims about his sons’ relationship with their mother.

The 28-year-old actor shared a lengthy message to his Instagram Story in an effort to express his feelings about the statements made by his wife’s former husband.

Asghari tied the knot with Spears in a wedding ceremony this past June.

Read original article here

10-year-old Orlando girl arrested, accused of shooting woman arguing with her mom

Placeholder while article actions load

Lashun Rodgers, a 41-year-old grandmother and local volunteer in Orlando, was at a Memorial Day barbecue in her apartment complex’s courtyard when a woman arrived with her daughter — sparking an altercation that quickly turned deadly, witnesses told police.

The two women began yelling at each other — apparently airing grievances over a prior dispute related to a social media post, according to an arrest affidavit. But witnesses say the shouting turned physical after the woman punched Rodgers, who hit her in return.

At one point in the fight, the second woman, 31-year-old Lakrisha Isaac, handed her daughter a purse that contained a pistol, according to the affidavit. As the altercation continued, police say, the 10-year-old fired two shots, striking Rodgers in the head.

A witness told police Isaac yelled, “You done shot the lady!” Then the witness heard the child scream: “You shouldn’t have messed with my momma!”

Mother charged after 2-year-old finds gun, fatally shoots his father

Rodgers died in the shooting, which has left prosecutors grappling with how to proceed because of the suspect’s age.

“This shooting is an unimaginable tragedy that defies easy solutions,” Florida Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique H. Worrell said in a statement Tuesday. “Our office will proceed with care, and our primary focus will be on doing whatever we can to support Ms. Rodgers’s family, protect the public, and improve the health of this child going forward.”

The girl — who hasn’t been publicly named because of her age — was reportedly arrested Tuesday and could face a charge of second-degree murder, according to ClickOrlando.com, although Worrell made clear that prosecutors have not yet decided whether they will proceed with a case against her. Isaac, who’s still in custody, is also facing a slew of charges, including manslaughter by culpable negligence, aggravated assault with a firearm, child neglect and negligent storage of a firearm, according to an arrest affidavit.

Latisha George, Isaac’s lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post early Wednesday. It’s not immediately clear whether a lawyer is representing Isaac’s 10-year-old daughter.

The Memorial Day celebration was cut short by the fatal altercation shortly before midnight on May 30. After the 10-year-old allegedly fired the gun, Isaac took the weapon from the girl and “showed no remorse or care for the injury sustained by Rodgers” as Isaac and her daughter walked back to their residence, police wrote in the affidavit.

‘When it’s a shooting on a city street, nothing happens’

When officials arrived, they “observed a pool of blood on the ground and two spent shell casings.” Rodgers was transported to the Orlando Regional Medical Center, but she died shortly after midnight. Police then tried to piece together the story by interviewing neighbors, the little girl and her mother.

The child told officers her mother “wanted to approach [Rodgers] to speak ‘woman to woman,’ ” according to the affidavit. She said she had seen Rodgers cut her mother’s head with a rock during the fight, though Isaac later told police she hadn’t been struck or cut. The girl added that she had heard Rodgers threatening to “bring her family to jump” Isaac.

“When [the 10-year-old] heard this, she said she became angry, due to having anger issues,” the affidavit states. “She shot one time and saw Rodgers fall down. [The girl] knew she struck Rodgers in the head and stated she was aware Rodgers was deceased after the shooting.”

In the community, the shooting — compounded by the alleged involvement of a child — has reverberated deeply.

The shooting took place just days after the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida said a 2-year-old fatally shot his dad. The toddler’s mother was charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence, as well as possession of a firearm by a felon.

A vase filled with pink flowers, a candle, a cross and a slew of messages mark the spot where Rodgers, also known as “Bones,” was shot and killed. The night of her death, Rodgers’s family and friends gathered at that makeshift memorial, ClickOrlando.com reported, to grieve the loss of “an awesome woman,” her best friend, Stacey Johnson, told the outlet.

“I know multiple constituents who personally knew both the young girl and [Rodgers],” Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill said, according to the news site. “And everyone’s heart is broken.”

The girl’s age and the circumstances leading to Rodgers’s death will be taken into account when making a charging decision, Worrell, the state attorney, said in her statement. Whatever the decision, she wrote, it “will ensure she receives the interventions necessary to address her behavior, help her change and grow, and ensure the public’s safety going forward.”

“This is one of the most tragic cases I have seen in my 22-year career,” Worrell added.

Read original article here

Face masks: Why the world is still arguing about them, 20 months into the pandemic

Spikes in transmission were met with lockdowns; international travel was heavily restricted; and though domestic constraints frequently proved controversial, hygiene measures like social distancing, hand-washing and mask-wearing were strongly encouraged — if not legally mandated.

Yet debates still rage in multiple countries over their use, and some regions have recently removed mandates that people wear them in crowded spaces.

“Masks remain a symbol of a divided society — between those who feel we have restricted too much and those who feel we have not intervened enough during the pandemic,” Simon Williams, a senior lecturer on Covid-19 behaviors at Swansea University in Wales, told CNN.

With the prospect of another winter pandemic brewing, some countries are grappling with calls to return to mask use. But they face resistance from people fatigued by endless mixed messaging — and many experts fear that in countries where rules have been relaxed, reimposing mandates could be complicated.

Different approaches

The first days of the pandemic saw early hesitance over the use of face masks from governments and the World Health Organization (WHO), amid fears that a rush for masks would leave frontline workers without enough protective equipment. But that as the world learned more about Covid-19, their use became commonplace by the middle of 2020.

“Masks help to filter out aerosol that is generated in our respiratory tract when we breathe or speak. (They) are most effective at filtering out larger aerosol particles and less effective at filtering out the smallest ones,” said Bryan Bzdek, research fellow at the University of Bristol’s Aerosol Research Centre, summarizing the scientific mechanism behind mask use.

“This is conceptually similar to driving a car when there are a lot of insects about — the large ones tend to impact against the windshield whereas the small ones follow the air flow around the car,” he said.

Outside parts of south-east Asia, where mask-wearing had become common after the SARS outbreak in 2002, few countries were used to covering their faces in public. But the unique shock of the Covid-19 outbreak meant behaviors quickly changed, experts say.

“Behavioral scientists and policymakers were quite surprised at how quickly people adopted masks once they were required,” WIlliams said.

“The biggest development in mask perceptions over the pandemic has been an acceptance generally that they protect others as much, if not more, than the wearer,” he added.

“The exact benefits in terms of cases prevented and lives saved are still being studied — but even marginal gains are worthwhile when masks are relatively low-cost interventions, in that they are much easier for us than things like distancing or isolating.”

But now, despite the body of scientific research into face masks only expanding, countries are heading in various directions.

In the US, President Joe Biden has made masks a key pillar of his Covid-19 response. His administration has followed guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on mask recommendations, imposing them on federal property and encouraging schools to use them.

But he’s faced obstacles from several states. Most recently, Biden’s Department of Education has become embroiled in a battle with Florida’s Education Department after it decided to reduce funding for certain school districts for requiring people wear masks.

In Europe, mask mandates have become the norm even as several countries saw their Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations come under control, with stricter rules for unvaccinated people attending indoor spaces like restaurants and bars.

Spain, for instance, requires masks indoors when social distancing is not possible. France recently lifted its requirement to wear a mask outdoors, but the rule remains in place for enclosed spaces. And Italians are still required to cover their faces inside or on public transport (the outdoor mask mandate has now been lifted).

However, England, in spite of a stubborn surge in cases since the summer, no longer requires people to cover their faces anywhere — with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaving it up to “personal choice.”

The psychology behind masks

Experts say that whether most people will wear masks depends largely on the rules that are in place.

“The single biggest influence across all reason of face mask wearing appears to be the law,” said Ivo Vlaev, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Warwick. He cited data from Imperial College London’s Covid Behaviour Tracker, the largest rolling study of the societal impact of Covid-19 in the world.

“(Mandating) a behavior helps send out the signal that it is important,” Williams added. “Mask wearing is a behavior that is really influenced by social norms — or peer pressure — and so in a setting where masks are no longer mandated, this might influence others not to wear theirs.”

“This is well illustrated by the inflection point in the UK when compulsory mask wearing was announced,” Vlaev said, noting a quick pick-up in mask use last year, and an equally sudden drop since July when the rule was removed. According to the Office for National Statistics, nearly one in five Brits no longer say they wear a face covering outside their home, compared to just 4% in mid-June when they were still mandated.

But when the public takes their cues from the law, unclear messaging can be costly.

Williams said he was initially “surprised” by how quickly people stopped wearing masks in the UK in recent months. “It is really down to the mixed messages that many people feel government have been passing on,” he added.

“Many countries in Europe have had a more consistent policy on masks and so this makes it become more of a habit over time.”

Britain’s government now faces a test as it attempts to encourage mask-wearing again, without the backing of a law, as cases rise in the run-up to winter.

The UK’s health secretary, Sajid Javid, recently urged people to wear masks in certain situations to avoid future restrictions. But he was forced to admit it was “fair” of the public to wonder why they are now being encouraged to do so, when lawmakers had hours earlier appeared in the House of Commons without face coverings.

Experts doubt whether such guidance will carry as much weight as it did during previous stages of the pandemic.

“As the number of mask wearers falls off, the ability of authorities to enforce mask mandates falls away,” said Robert Dingwall, a professor of social sciences at Nottingham Trent University.

It’s that thinking that has led most EU countries to impose longer, and occasionally stricter, mask measures.

“People will have learned a new behavior — wearing masks — before ‘unlearning it’, and then having to re-learn it,” Williams said. “This could prove challenging — many people may have gotten used to life without masks.”

Read original article here

The Ultimate News Site