The Daily Populous

Friday December 25th, 2020 day edition

image for Leaked Documents Show How China’s Army of Paid Internet Trolls Helped Censor the Coronavirus

In the early hours of Feb. 7, China’s powerful internet censors experienced an unfamiliar and deeply unsettling sensation.

The orders were among thousands of secret government directives and other documents that were reviewed by The New York Times and ProPublica.

They lay bare in extraordinary detail the systems that helped the Chinese authorities shape online opinion during the pandemic.

Though China makes no secret of its belief in rigid internet controls, the documents convey just how much behind-the-scenes effort is involved in maintaining a tight grip.

It is much more than simply flipping a switch to block certain unwelcome ideas, images or pieces of news.

China’s curbs on information about the outbreak started in early January, before the novel coronavirus had even been identified definitively, the documents show.

But the documents indicate that Chinese officials tried to steer the narrative not only to prevent panic and debunk damaging falsehoods domestically. »

Colorado’s two In-N-Out locations declared COVID-19 outbreaks as 80 employees test positive

Authored by denverpost.com

In-N-Out Burger’s two newly opened Colorado restaurants each have active COVID-19 outbreaks with 80 staff members having tested positive for the virus between the two locations, according to state data.

Both restaurants remain open, and state health officials generally do not require restaurants or other retail locations with outbreaks to close.

All employees who tested positive and those who had close contact with them “have been excluded from the workplace,” Warinck said. »

The Remarkable Story Behind David Bowie’s Most Iconic Feature

Authored by steamregister.com

Many aspects of the life and incredible achievements of David Bowie will be considered in the weeks and months ahead following the news of his death.

Over time, Bowie apparently thanked his friend for his notorious eye injury, telling Underwood that it gave him “a kind of mystique”.

This mystique helped fuel some of Bowie’s greatest creations and enhance iconic images, such as the album cover for Heroes (1977). »

‘Poverty line’ concept debunked by new machine learning model

Authored by aston.ac.uk

Can predict future poverty levels based on interventions – providing a useful tool for policymakers in tackling extreme poverty.

Mathematicians have used machine learning to develop a new model for measuring poverty in different countries that junks old notions of a fixed ‘poverty line’.

“Current thinking on poverty is highly subjective, because ‘poverty’ will mean different things in different countries and regions,” added Dr Chattopadhyay. »