Categories
Politics

Twitter Suspends Marjorie Taylor Greene for Posting Coronavirus Misinformation

SAN FRANCISCO – Twitter announced Monday that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene would be suspended from her duty for 12 hours after posting news that violated her policy on disclosing misleading information about the coronavirus.

Ms. Greene, a Republican from Georgia, was a staunch opponent of vaccines and masks as a means of containing the pandemic. In tweets on Sunday and Monday, she argued that Covid-19 is not dangerous for people unless they are obese or over 65 and said vaccines shouldn’t be required.

But coronavirus cases are on the rise, and the highly contagious Delta variant accounts for more than half of new infections in the U.S., federal health officials said this month. In Ms. Greene’s home state of Georgia, new cases have increased 193 percent in the past two weeks.

Twitter said Ms. Greene’s tweets were misinformation and banned her from duty until Tuesday. “We have taken enforcement action against the @mtgreenee account for violating the Twitter rules, in particular the misleading Covid 19 information guidelines,” said a Twitter spokesman. The company also added labels to Ms. Greene’s posts about the vaccines, calling them “misleading” and pointing out information about the safety of the vaccines.

In a statement, Ms. Greene said Silicon Valley companies are working with the White House to attack freedom of expression. “These big tech companies are doing the Biden regime’s commandments to restrict our voices and prevent the distribution of messages that are not state-approved,” she said.

Twitter took action after President Biden urged social media companies to do more to combat the spread of vaccine misinformation on their platforms. On Friday, Mr Biden said sites like Facebook “kill people” by allowing misinformation to flourish freely, adding, “Look, the only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated, and that – and they are killing people . “

His statement ended weeks of frustration in the White House over the spread of online misinformation that resulted in hesitant vaccination, health officials say.

Facebook, which took the brunt of the criticism, argued that Mr Biden’s testimony was unfounded. “The Biden government has chosen to blame a handful of American social media companies,” said Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president of integrity, in a blog post on Saturday. “The fact is that the adoption of vaccines by Facebook users in the US has increased.”

On Monday, the president softened his criticism, saying that it was not Facebook but certain users who were responsible for the spread of misinformation. The company should do more to combat “the outrageous misinformation” spreading on its platform, rather than taking what he said as a personal insult, added Mr Biden.

Twitter has long banned users from sharing misinformation about the coronavirus that could cause harm. In March, the company introduced a policy outlining penalties for sharing lies about the virus and vaccines.

Updated

July 19, 2021, 9:32 p.m. ET

“We have seen the emergence of persistent conspiracy theories, alarmist rhetoric that is unfounded in research or credible reporting, and a wide range of unfounded rumors that, out of context, can deter the public from making informed decisions about their health and individuals, Families and communities at risk, “the company said in its policy against the disclosure of Covid misinformation.

Individuals who violate this policy are subject to escalating penalties known as strikes and could face a permanent ban if they repeatedly spread misinformation about the virus. A twelve-hour ban, as Ms. Greene learns, is Twitter’s response to users who have either two or three strikes. After four strikes, Twitter bans users for seven days, and after five strikes, Twitter bans the user altogether.

Other Republicans who have been banned from Twitter have complained that the social media company is censoring them.

In January, Twitter banned President Donald J. Trump after the company found his social media posts played a role in inciting violence during the riot in the U.S. Capitol. Mr Trump has argued that Twitter and Facebook, which also blocked his account, censored him, saying the companies need government oversight.

Ms. Greene had previously been banned from Twitter in April, but the company said it was a bug caused by one of its automated spam and abuse detection systems.

“Everyone knows this is a LIE and it wasn’t a mistake,” Ms. Greene tweeted after her suspension was lifted.

Categories
Business

Nucor CEO expects sturdy 2021 after posting document quarterly revenue

Leon Topalian, CEO of Nucor, told CNBC on Friday that he expected the good times to continue for the rest of the year after the steelmaker reported record results in the last quarter.

“Nucor expects the next quarter to be strong, but honestly, for all of the indicators we look at, we assume that 2021 will remain strong all year round,” he said in an interview with Jim Cramer “Mad Money”.

The Charlotte, North Carolina-based company announced Thursday that it had posted earnings of $ 942.4 million, or $ 3.10 per share, for the first three months of 2021. The company had $ 7 billion in revenue, up 25% year over year and up 15% over the same quarter before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Strong demand and rising prices are a boon for Nucor’s steel mill segment. Steel making accounted for almost two thirds of the company’s sales.

The results cap a nearly $ 4 billion investment strategy that spans Nucor’s nine projects over several years, Topalian said.

Much of that investment went into building a plate mill in Brandenburg, Kentucky. The factory in which Nucor intends to produce steel plates for the end market of wind farms is scheduled to go into operation at the end of next year.

“This investment is incredibly strategic and positioned not only where it is in the geography but also when we think about what is happening in the renewable offshore wind market,” said Topalian.

“This mill will be a unique, differentiated value supplier for our customers now and in the future. We are therefore geared towards the long term, we will continue to invest and continue to grow.”

Nucor’s shares rose 2.29% to trade at $ 77.83.

Categories
Health

Medical doctors Are Investigated After Posting Organ Pictures On-line as ‘Value Is Proper’ Sport

A Michigan health network said it was investigating after some doctors in the operating room posted photos on social media last week of themselves as part of a game they compared to “The Price Is Right.” a surgically removed organ and tissue material.

Doctors who work as medical residents at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, asked people how much an unidentified organ weighed, according to one of the Instagram posts posted by NBC – Daughter WOOD were received – TELEVISION.

The station said it blurred part of the picture so people couldn’t tell what type of organ was featured in the post, which was publicly shared.

The broadcasts appeared to show at least one patient in the background, the broadcaster reported. They were dismantled shortly after the station contacted medical residents on Friday.

“The other game we play in the operating room is guessing that weight,” the post said. “It applies to a lot more than just babies. As always, the rules for “the right price” apply. So if you think about it, you are out! “

The doctor was referring to the television game show’s long-standing rule that contestants who overestimate the value of a prize are disqualified.

Spectrum Health, which operates 14 hospitals in West Michigan, three of which are in Grand Rapids, said in a statement Sunday evening that patient confidentiality is of the utmost importance.

“We were shocked and dismayed to learn that surgical images were posted on an Instagram account that is not officially affiliated with Spectrum Health and was used by a group of medical residents,” the statement said. “This unacceptable behavior in no way reflects our organization, the outstanding professionalism of our medical staff or our practicing doctors in private practice.”

It wasn’t immediately clear which hospital or how many doctors were involved in the episode. None of the doctors involved were identified. The Instagram handle used by the medics was @grandrapids_obgyn_residency.

“We are actively and fully investigating this unfortunate incident,” said Spectrum Health. “These contributions are not in line with our Code of Excellence, our values, or our expectations of team member behavior. We value our patients’ trust in us very much and work every day to strengthen this bond. “

Another photo shared publicly by the medical professionals on Instagram shows a doctor pointing to a strand of tissue after a patient underwent surgery to remove uterine fibroids, which are usually benign tumors, but which are hide a dangerous type of cancer.

The doctor had just completed a procedure known as morcellation, in which a surgeon extracts tissue through small incisions.

The doctor wrote that medical residents could be a little competitive if the attending doctor challenged them in morcellation, the station reported.

“Longest wins!” The broadcaster quoted the post as saying. “Good work.”

Arthur Caplan, professor of medical ethics at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, said in an interview on Sunday that the social media posts could prompt serious disciplinary action against the doctors, which could potentially result in the loss of their license .

“It is certainly a serious violation of ethics,” he said. “There is absolutely no excuse for turning something that should be treated seriously and with respect into some kind of silly carnival.”

Many patients still view tissues or organs that have been surgically removed as part of themselves, especially female reproductive organs, said Dr. Caplan. Posting a photo with a patient, partially visible in an operating room, crossed a line.

“We try to explain that a key aspect of professionalism is always respecting the patient and understanding that patients have a strong sense of their body and intimacy,” he said.

At least one person complained about the Instagram posts before they were removed.

“And do you think the patient would appreciate it if you post that?” The TV station quoted the person in a comment under the organ photo. “Has she agreed to have her body featured on social media as part of your ‘game’?”

Categories
Politics

Feinstein’s Future May Swing on Husband’s Potential Posting Abroad

According to White House staff, Mr. Biden is open to appointing Mr. Blum as an ambassador who is among the most desirable positions in any administration. After prioritizing the appointments of their West Wing and Cabinet staff, the President and his top advisors have only recently considered who to send overseas.

A potential ambassador, speaking on a sensitive subject on condition of anonymity, said Mr Biden himself wanted to think about the list of potential candidates and did not feel rushed.

There is, however, an increasing impatience among potential envoys. Former Senators, including some who have served in the Senate with Mr. Biden, are trying particularly hard to clarify and have noted how few in their ranks have joined the administration, according to a prominent Democrat who spoke to them .

The President, himself a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is attempting a delicate balancing act: He rewards loyal donors and former colleagues without flooding the diplomatic corps with political representatives, as some of his staff do for former President Donald J. Trump had held.

Former senators who could be named ambassadors include Jeff Flake, the Arizona Republican who supported Mr. Biden; Joe Donnelly from Indiana; Heidi Heitkamp from North Dakota; Ken Salazar from Colorado; and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut.

It’s not just former members of Congress looking for positions. A handful of current lawmakers are still hoping to join the government but are waiting based on Mr Biden’s own deliberations and the narrow Democratic majority. For example, Nevada representative Dina Titus, an early Biden supporter, is hoping for a message, but currently there are three Democratic posts in the House where the party has a slim majority.

However, Mr Blum’s wish for a message could prove to be a consequence. California Governor Gavin Newsom promised in an interview with MSNBC’s Joy Reid Monday night that he would appoint a black woman to replace Ms. Feinstein. He admitted that he had “multiple names in mind” for a vacancy that didn’t exist.