Stream this playlist via Spotify or Apple Music.

Music affords an escape, takes us back in time to reflect on the present, mirrors our aches and joys and offers serenity. As relentless news about the coronavirus continues, these songs were gifts during difficult times.

This month, that included one of many disco bops from Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia, an industrial-metal anthem by Code Orange and Kelsea Ballerini's thoughtful country ballad about a divided America.

Below you'll find an alphabetized list of NPR Music's top 20 songs of March 2020. Be sure to check out our top 11 albums from the month, too.

Clem Snide, "Roger Ebert"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Eef Barzelay's stirring remembrance of the late film critic Roger Ebert suggests this mysterious human experience – this mortal world – is not what it appears to be. — Robin Hilton

Code Orange, "The Easy Way"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Industrial electronics glitch and pulse in this soaring, metallic anthem calling out those who take the past most-traveled. — Lars Gotrich

Dua Lipa, "Good in Bed"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

With fun and unexpected flourishes, Dua Lipa reimagines the mid-2000s piano-pop jaunt with a wink towards saucy jazz standards. — Cyrena Touros

HAIM, "The Steps"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Love is messy and so is this dusty garage-rocker from LA's sunny sisters. Danielle Haim leans into that baaaaby like her life depends on it. — Lars Gotrich

Hayley Williams, "Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Hayley Williams' skittering, botanical tribute to choosing cooperation and self-love over external comparison sagely enlists the help of boygenius, a supergroup whose very existence echoes the same thesis. — Marissa Lorusso

Jacaszek, "November Early"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

With its clipped opening – like a distant radio signal crackling – "November Early" slowly intensifies with strings, keys and treatments, offering another spectacular fever dream from Poland's premiere electro-acoustic composer. — Tom Huizenga

Kelsea Ballerini, "Half of My Hometown (feat. Kenny Chesney)"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

America feels divided in so many ways; this tender ballad from one of country's most thoughtful young stars considers how those divisions play out within one person's heart, and how to bear them. — Ann Powers

Kenny Barron/Dave Holland Trio, "Without Deception"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Two NEA Jazz Masters — Barron, a pianist, and Holland, a bassist — bring easy erudition to Without Deception. Barron's title track is a smart, Monk-ish swinger. — Nate Chinen, WBGO

Kim Jinmook, "Misty Mountain/Sarod Sanjo"

♬ BANDCAMP

In the early '90s, Kim Jinmook spearheaded a series of collaborations between traditional Korean and Indian musicians, discovering that a distinct, uncanny valley of expression lay between the two practices; ineffable, deep and arresting. — Andrew Flanagan

Lakecia Benjamin, "Om Shanti"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

An Alice Coltrane chant turned Afrofuturist soul jam, with Benjamin's saxophone and Meshell Ndegeocello's bass backing Georgia Anne Muldrow's authoritative vocal. Peace, meet Power. — Nate Chinen, WBGO

Lucinda Williams, "You Can't Rule Me"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Powered by Stuart Mathis' gutbucket guitar, this politicized declaration of independence from Americana music's leather-jacketed queen is the Rolling Stones song we didn't know we needed. — Ann Powers

Meredith Monk & Bang on a Can All-Stars, "Memory Song"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Propelled by tinkling chimes and gentle oscillations, this ode to remembering planet earth ("trees," "coffee," "candlelight"), from Monk's dystopian opera The Games, strikes a surprisingly pleasant tone, closing with a cacophony of caterwauling animals. — Tom Huizenga

Mickey Guyton, "What Are You Gonna Tell Her?"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

The most powerful feminist and anti-racist song by a country artist in recent years is a cry of the heart by a remarkable singer and writer who deserves to be a full-on superstar. — Ann Powers

R.A.P. Ferreira, "Noncipher"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

The Wire and OutKast's Aquemeni get tangled up in a jumbled jazz, boom-bap non-sequitur that somehow rings true when little else does right now. — Lars Gotrich

Roger Eno & Brian Eno, "Spring Frost"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

"Spring Frost" opens brothers Roger and Brian Eno's Mixing Colours, an ambient album perfect for these times. — Bob Boilen

Rosalía, "Dolerme"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Self-quarantine allows a lot of time for thinking about old wounds, as in "Dolerme," a long exhale grieving the loss of an old flame's equal investment in love and pain. — Stefanie Fernández

Swamp Dogg, "Billy"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Still in great, soulful voice, the 77-year-old Jerry Williams Jr. offers a heartrending country-soul weeper about a father mourning his lost wife. If you like classics like "Patches," you'll love this. — Ann Powers

Tineke Postma, "In the Light of Reverence"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Dutch saxophonist Tineke Postma has a modern ear, and on this flowing ballad she brings out the best in peers like pianist Kris Davis and trumpeter Ralph Alessi. — Nate Chinen, WBGO

Waxahatchee, "St. Cloud"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

In a flurry of turning pages, Katie Crutchfield chooses forgiveness, delicately preserving an image of her past self as a young woman ablaze with promise. — Cyrena Touros

Yael Naim, "Daddy"

♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

On this delicate and heartbreaking lullaby, the Israeli-French artist reflects on her father's death. "I'm trying my best," she sings, as the tears begin to fall. — Robin Hilton

Stream this playlist via Spotify or Apple Music.

When Phony Ppl and Megan Thee Stallion debuted "Fkn Around" live at the Tiny Desk, we just knew it was going to be an instant hit. Now the studio version is out and, of course, it's made NPR Music's best songs of the month, along with new tracks from Thundercat, Waxahatchee and Marcus King.

Below you'll find an alphabetized list of NPR Music's top 20 songs of January 2020. Be sure to check out our top 10 albums from the month as well.

Cable Ties, "Sandcastles" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Mission-driven Australian trio stages a hypothetical argument with self-righteous naysayers by first listening to complaints ("I partly agree"), then by locating a message worth repeating until it builds to a roar. — Jacob Ganz

Dan Deacon, "Become a Mountain" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Dan Deacon shows an unusually vulnerable side of himself and expresses that with a more stripped-down sound. "I was feeling emotionally very raw," Dan says, "and I wanted the music I was writing to reflect that." — Bob Boilen

FACS, "Teenage Hive" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

If FACS' first record was a bold step through the door, and its second a pensive, deep breath, then the third is shaping up to be the spittle-scream that followed. Chaos in a bottle. — Andrew Flanagan

Forest Drive West, "Parallel Space" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

A full-time dad and computer science teacher, the artist behind Forest Drive West blends old-school breakbeat with the spirit of Aphex Twin ambience for a new, never ending groove. — Tom Huizenga

Hayley Williams, "Simmer" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Paramore's powerhouse singer sheds her skin for something darker and stranger; her dynamism bleeds through an ominous cloud. — Lars Gotrich

Kasa Overall, "Show Me a Prison" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Listening to the powerful tribal-like trance pulsating through this meditation on injustice in the U.S. prison system feels like being on lock down, until activist Angela Davis, at the end, offers a ray of hope. — Suraya Mohamed

Marcus King, "Beautiful Stranger" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

South Carolina's 23-year-old guitar slinger reveals himself as a love man who truly understands Al Green's legacy on this worthy throwback to the soul greats. — Ann Powers

Oded Tzur, "Here Be Dragons" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

This, the title and opening track of Tzur's upcoming debut for the highly regarded label ECM, is a beautiful (and lovingly recorded) introduction to the Israeli saxophonist's curious whispers. — Andrew Flanagan

Phony Ppl, "Fkn Around (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

While you decorate your desk with Megan's mantras for independence, beware: the secret sauce of this infectious single — that bubbling bass and Elbee Thrie's smooth hook — will seep into your brain. — Cyrena Touros

Rafiq Bhatia, "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face (feat. Cécile McLorin Salvant)" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

From his fascinating project reinventing jazz standards, this duet shows how one of the most sublime pop hits ever was always a call to prayer. — Ann Powers

Rosalía, "Juro Que" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

The global pop star was in festival mode last year, leaning into beats and collabs. "Juro Que" re-centers the flamenco at the heart of Rosalía's music. — Cyrena Touros

Soccer Mommy, "Circle the Drain" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Humans have been writing about hearts for ages: breaking, aching, eclipsing, soaring. Soccer Mommy coins a new one on this dreamy, bummer-rock romp. — Cyrena Touros

Thundercat, "Black Qualls (feat. Steve Lacy & Steve Arrington)" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Somewhere deep in a P-Funk wormhole, our cat-obsessed bass guru got very worried about his Instagram and wrote this brilliant bounce of a tune. — Mano Sundaresan

Tõnu Kõrvits, "Tears-Fantasy" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

A supremely lyrical sensualist, Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits makes the orchestra sing in wistful sighs and luminous, falling figures while channeling England's Renaissance lutenist John Dowland. — Tom Huizenga

Too Free, "ATM" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Arthur Russell-inspired, avant-disco realness hits the ballroom floor in a minimalist bop that both flirts with that cutie across the dance floor and elevates visibility, "to be seen by you." — Lars Gotrich

Torres, "Good Grief" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

In the middle of Torres' heady album about fear and desire comes this blistering avowal of the right to sullenness (which also serves as a reminder of Mackenzie Scott's forceful skill as a guitarist). — Marissa Lorusso

Ultraísta, "Tin King" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Nigel Godrich and Joey Waronker work up a hypnotic groove here, but singer Laura Bettinson remains Ultraísta's secret weapon, cramming tons of personality into a deadpan, texture-first performance with just a few notes. — Daoud Tyler-Ameen

Waxahatchee, "Fire" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Written on a drive over the Mississippi River, the first single from Waxahatchee's forthcoming Saint Cloud pulses with palpable warmth and radiates self-acceptance. — Marissa Lorusso

Wilma Archer, "Last Sniff (feat. MF Doom)" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

Archer wraps a classic turn from MF Doom in a joyful, funky, rich, orchestral soul. And this is just one of the standouts from his brilliant upcoming album, A Western Circular. — Andrew Flanagan

Yoshinori Hayashi, "Bit of Garden (Prins Thomas Remix)" ♬ APPLE / SPOTIFY

One of Japan's most exciting auteurs of dance, reinterpreted by one of Norway's. Both play in the disco sandbox, and here Thomas helps Hayashi's somewhat sleepy original become a montage-worthy driver. — Andrew Flanagan


"To fight for, to die for" "To fight for, to die for"

It was the late Senator Dominador Aytona, who before being elected to the Senate, was the chief budget officer of the Republic, and briefly Central Bank governor, who defined the General Appropriations Act or the national budget as “the economic program of the country in pesos and centavos.” As such, it can be argued that passing the budget is the most important piece of legislation for Congress to enact each year. It was during the martial law period that the Budget Commission was re-engineered into the Ministry of Budget and Management through the Budget Reform Decree issued by President Ferdinand Marcos, which strengthened the planning, programming and budgeting linkages of the office, with monitoring offices in every administrative region of the country. At the time, the legislature, Batasang Pambansa, was a mere rubber stamp of the Executive, further neutered by Amendment No. 6 of a Constitution “ratified” by the people under authoritarian rule. But with the re-birth of a system of checks and balances as provided for in the 1987 Constitution, congressional power of the budgetary system returned, and the House Committee on Appropriations, with its counterpart Finance Committee in the Senate, became the most highly-prized committees in Congress. Essentially, the budget process begins each year with the Development Budget Coordination Committee issuing guidelines to the different agencies of government as early as the last quarter of the preceding year. For the first three to four months of the year, agencies submit their proposed expenditure programs, which are then synthesized into what is called the National Expenditure Program. The proposed program of expenditures along with sources of financing, then goes to the President for final approval before presentation to the legislature. Submitted right after the President’s State of the Nation Address, Congress then reviews and goes through the process of enacting the General Appropriations Act based on what is referred to as “The President’s Budget.” It has the power to reduce and re-align the items in the President’s Budget. From the House, the appropriations bill goes to the Senate, even if simultaneous hearings on the expenditure program are held by both chambers to be able to enact the law within the year. Conflicting versions are reconciled in a bicameral conference committee where both houses meet to hammer out a final version, which is then passed by their respective chambers to become the General Appropriations Act for the succeeding year. The bicameral conference committee is thus labelled the “third house” of Congress. It is becoming increasingly clear, or in the parlance of the lawyers, abundantly clear, that the brouhaha in the lower House last week, which resulted in the surgical removal of the appropriations committee chairman, Isidro Ungab, replaced by a neophyte party list congressman, was all about control of the budget for the next fiscal year—2021. From the very beginning of his ascent to the speakership, Alan Peter Cayetano named 24 deputy speakers, many of them ceremonial, but for some who exercise “oversight” powers super-imposed over regular committee chairs. One such deputy speaker is the gentleman from Camarines Sur, who was also its former governor, and whose son is the current provincial chief executive—LRay Villafuerte, who I refer to as El Rey.El Rey is one of the more innovative local government officials under whose nine-year reign Camarines Sur displayed tremendous progress. He represents a new breed of dynamic local executives whose governance practices are anchored on vision rather than mere re-election. Because they produce results, the Villafuertes have been re-elected continuously from grandpa Luis to El Rey to Migz, the current governor who is El Rey’s son. But he can also be quite acerbic in language, “palaban” in the native patois, which he has been amply displaying in interviews now that he is a congressman. That made for interesting “sabong” coverage of the events of the last week in the HoR. Because of the importance of the appropriations committee, its chairmen are normally given presidential nihil obstat before the Speaker gets his House to approve of their designation. That the first committee chair in the present Congress is a veteran legislator from Davao City was thus presumably with palace blessings, or at the least, without objection. Little is known about the new appropriations committee chairman, who, while a businessman from the same southern city, is a newbie in legislation if not in government service altogether. But the fact that he was chosen clearly means that he should be able to work well with the Speaker and his alter ego on budgetary matters, El Rey. The other perspective one needs to scrutinize when the Magellan formula takes shape is the date of reckoning. The Lord Allan camp simply says it is October this year, a scant seven months from now. The Alan Peter camp strictly defines the timeline as beginning from July 22, 2019, the day Congress elected him. Fifteen months should therefore mean October 21, 2020, which is under normal timetable just a week before Congress adjourns for the Dia de Los Muertos holidays, and by which time, the House shall have passed its version of the GAA. Which means the Alan Peter camp shall have control of the most important piece of legislation prior to the presidential and national elections of 2022. If it had been an even split of the 36 months of the 18th Congress, then clearly Speaker Alan would helm the House until the end of 2021. But one could surmise that the Lord Allan faction wanted to have a major say in the 2021 GAA, and thus haggled for a Magellan formula, the now famous 15-21 split. The 2021 budget is the election budget. It will be the last time the members of both houses can partake of the bag of goodies so important for them to tout district achievements by way of “projects.” It also is the big scooper of election campaign funding for those so inclined, the kind Ping Lacson has been excoriating against for years and years on end. The 2022 budget is virtually useless for the re-election purpose of legislators, or for their passing the baton to their family herederos. By the time the appropriations are up for taking courtesy of the DBM’s notice of cash allotment, the ban on “project” spending begins. Hence, the 2021 budget is to fight for, and to die for.

As our communities deal with the spread of the coronavirus, federal leaders must take bold steps to ensure the safety of the public, particularly the most vulnerable among us. While this virus will hit communities regardless of race, income, or zip code, this pandemic will cause both health and economic disruptions that exacerbate the existing disparities for low-income people and communities of color that have long harmed our nation.

CALL YOUR SENATOR

Please call your senators and ask them to pass the emergency House bill to help us navigate this public health and economic crisis.

Early Saturday morning, the House passed an emergency bill that would allocate billions of dollars for paid sick leave, unemployment insurance, free testing, and other measures to help those impacted by this crisis. This is a necessary starting point that the Senate must pass now.

Unfortunately, these measures are narrow in scope, leaving 80 percent of workers unprotected. While some large employers are doing the right thing and giving employees sick leave, a national policy is the most effective measure in this time of unprecedented national crisis. We need comprehensive legislation to follow this initial bill to protect all people, especially those with the greatest health and economic risks.

We Need Comprehensive Public Health and Economic Supports

Today, 100 million people — one in three people in the US — live in or on the brink of poverty where an illness, job loss, or unexpected expense can be financially insurmountable. At a time when officials are urging the public to stay home when they fall ill, millions of people lack paid sick leave and can’t afford to miss work to care for themselves or a loved one. This puts many people at risk for being the vector of an illness that can prove deadly for the elderly and immunocompromised. And as businesses take precautions or are forced through social-distancing norms to close, the resulting loss of income for workers and owners will cause increased numbers of people to fall behind on bills and risk their housing, health, utility, and food security.

We must plan and act with the most vulnerable in mind to both stop the spread of this virus, and ensure that weeks and months of addressing this public health crisis don’t turn into years of economic hardship.

Specifically, we are calling on federal leaders to champion the following policies:

Pass a Paid Leave Policy for All Workers – Low-wage workers who cannot afford to lose a day's wages because of illness are less likely to seek medical care (for themselves and for their families) than workers who do have paid sick leave, and are 1.5 times more likely to go to work with contagious illnesses. This means that lack of paid sick leave is not only a problem for individual workers, but also a public health threat. Building on the House-passed version, a paid sick leave policy that covers all workers is urgently needed to address the new coronavirus outbreak and beyond to help protect the health and safety of the population.

Ensure Emergency Income During Work Disruptions – We need to provide guaranteed income to help those facing disruptions to their income due to lost opportunities, funding streams, or customers. This includes small business owners and their employees, community-serving nonprofits, freelancers and artists, and workers in a gig economy who are not eligible for unemployment benefits but still must make their rent or mortgage payments.

Place a Moratorium on All Evictions and Foreclosures and Ensure Housing Stability – We are in the midst of a housing crisis – We are in the midst of a housing crisis where 21 million renters and 17 million homeowners pay more than a third of their income on housing bills, making them extremely vulnerable to income disruptions. We need a moratorium on all evictions and foreclosures to prevent the economic fallout of the virus. We must also provide emergency housing vouchers for all unhoused people, and those facing eviction. And at a minimum, we need to stop displacing homeless encampments, and take measures to increase access to water, hand-washing stations, and sanitation at current encampments to support critical health outcomes.

Prevent Utility Shut-Offs and Restore Water Service to All Households – Loss of income for households, workers, and small businesses will cause increased numbers of people to fall behind on bills and face utility services shut-offs. – Loss of income for households, workers, and small businesses will cause increased numbers of people to fall behind on bills and face utility services shut-offs. Over a third of US households are already at risk of inability to pay rising water bills. This is particularly concerning as washing our hands is our first line of defense against the virus. All public and private utilities should halt any utility shut-offs during this crisis, restore service to households currently experiencing a shutoff, and provide water delivery to all households with contaminated water systems.

Ensure Hospitals and Health-Care Centers Are Safe Places for Immigrants and Anyone Seeking Care – We must eliminate all barriers to people seeking proper medical attention, regardless of insurance or lack thereof. This also includes ensuring no one’s immigration status will be questioned when seeking assistance. Hospitals and health-care facilities must make it clear in all languages that immigration status will not be questioned, and should take steps to ensure immigration enforcement officials are not permitted in buildings.

Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 Through the Incarcerated Population – In the US, – In the US, 2.3 million people are exposed to overcrowded and unsanitary conditions in prisons and jails, which will contribute to the spread of the coronavirus as the incarcerated population interacts with staff and other visitors. At a minimum, we must ensure incarcerated people have access to medical care and personal hygiene products; release elderly people with underlying medical problems to parole supervision; and release those who have an anticipated release date in 2020 and 2021 to parole supervision.

We are heartened by the swift actions that leaders in cities across the country are taking, proving once again that local leaders are national leaders. But we need policymakers at all levels to urgently address the threat of this current pandemic while ensuring we protect all struggling communities beyond this crisis.

CALL YOUR SENATOR

Please call your members to make sure they act without delay and strengthen the policies to help us navigate this public health and economic crisis.


Coronavirus updates: San Francisco case count jumps to 105

Few tourists visit the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Calif. on March 20, 2020. The Bay Area is under a shelter-in-place order due to the the COVID-19 coronavirus. Few tourists visit the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Calif. on March 20, 2020. The Bay Area is under a shelter-in-place order due to the the COVID-19 coronavirus. Photo: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate Photo: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate Image 1 of / 60 Caption Close Coronavirus updates: San Francisco case count jumps to 105 1 / 60 Back to Gallery

LATEST, March 22, 10 a.m.: The San Francisco Public Health Department reported Sunday morning that the city now has 105 cases of coronavirus. The city didn't release more details on the 21 newly identified patients.

March 22, 8 a.m. The greater San Francisco Bay Area endured its first weekend under stay-at-home orders issued by both local and state government as the number of cases continued to climb.

As of Sunday morning, the number of cases in Alameda County rose to 71, Monterey to 7, San Francisco to 84, San Mateo to 110, Santa Clara to 263, Santa Cruz to 15, Solano to 15 and Sonoma to 23.

Where cases have been confirmed in the greater Bay Area:

ALAMEDA COUNTY: 65 confirmed cases*

Fore more information on Alameda County cases, visit the public health department website.

*Number excludes infected patients in City of Berkeley, which has six cases

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY: 51 confirmed cases, 1 death

For more information on Contra Costa County cases, visit the public health department website.

LAKE COUNTY: 0 confirmed cases

For information on Lake County and coronavirus, visit the public health department website.

MARIN COUNTY: 38 confirmed cases

Fore more information on Marin County cases, visit the public health department website.

MONTEREY COUNTY: 7 confirmed cases

For more information on Monterey County cases, visit the public health department website.

NAPA COUNTY: 0 cases

For more information on Napa County cases, visit the public health department website.

SAN BENITO COUNTY: 5 confirmed cases, 1 death

For more information on San Benito County cases, visit the public health department website.

SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY: 105 confirmed cases

For more information on San Francisco County cases, visit the public health department website.

SAN MATEO COUNTY: 110 confirmed cases, 1 death

For more information on San Mateo County cases, visit the public health department website.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY: 263 confirmed cases, 8 deaths

Fore more information on Santa Clara County cases, visit the public health department website.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: 15 confirmed cases

For more information on Santa Cruz County cases, visit the public health department website.

SOLANO COUNTY: 14 confirmed cases

For more information on Solano County cases, visit the public health department website.

SONOMA COUNTY: 23 confirmed cases, 1 death

For more information on Sonoma County cases, visit the public health department website.

In California, 24 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported, according to Johns Hopkins University.

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here.

Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.

Mar. 19–Scroll through the gallery above to see images of the San Francisco Bay Area that’s under a shelter-in-place order to prevent COVID-19 spread.

March 19, 9:45 a.m. UC San Francisco announced Thursday it’s working to increase COVID-19 testing capacity in coming weeks.

Since March 9, UCSF Health has been testing about 60 to 100 inpatients a day with a test using “a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique” that’s similar to the one administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“PCR allows scientists to detect very small amounts of virus in a sample obtained with a swab from a patient’s nose and throat,” UCSF said in a statement. “The technique depends on the availability of special substances known as reagents (“ree-AY-gents”), which are in very short supply nationwide, as are the swabs used to obtain patient samples. UCSF is making every effort to ensure we have a robust and reliable supply chain for all the materials we need to maintain and expand our testing capacity.”

UCSF is expanding its laboratory and as long as the medical center has access to testing reagents, it is on track to increase testing capacity to as many as 1,000 inpatients and symptomatic outpatients per day over the next few weeks.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and CZ Biohub are helping support the effort.

March 19, 7:30 a.m. Three residents of the Atria Burlingame assisted living facility in San Mateo tested positive for COVID-19, according to ABC 7. The facility is now closed to visitors and the three residents are all hospitalized. KRON 4 reports that two additional residents are under hospital quarantine. San Mateo County Health Department and CDC are investigating the situation.

Atria Burlingame wasn’t immediately available for comment on this story.

Where cases have been confirmed in the greater Bay Area:

ALAMEDA COUNTY: 31 confirmed cases

Fore more information on Alameda County cases, visit the public health department website.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY: 41 confirmed cases

For more information on Contra Costa County cases, visit the public health department website.

LAKE COUNTY: 0 confirmed cases

For information on Lake County and coronavirus, visit the public health department website.

MARIN COUNTY: 15 confirmed cases

Fore more information on Marin County cases, visit the public health department website.

MONTEREY COUNTY: 2 confirmed cases

For more information on Monterey County cases, visit the public health department website.

NAPA COUNTY: 0 residents, 2 patients treated in Napa, then transferred out of county

For more information on Napa County cases, visit the public health department website.

SAN BENITO COUNTY: 5 confirmed cases

For more information on San Benito County cases, visit the public health department website.

SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY: 51 confirmed cases

For more information on San Francisco County cases, visit the public health department website.

SAN MATEO COUNTY: 80 confirmed cases, 1 death

For more information on San Mateo County cases, visit the public health department website.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY: 175 confirmed cases, 6 deaths

Fore more information on Santa Clara County cases, visit the public health department website.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: 9 confirmed cases

For more information on Santa Cruz County cases, visit the public health department website.

SOLANO COUNTY: 8 confirmed cases

For more information on Solano County cases, visit the public health department website.

SONOMA COUNTY: 6 confirmed cases

For more information on Sonoma County cases, visit the public health department website.

In California, 14 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

Sign up for ‘The Daily’ newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here.

–A full list of online coronavirus resources: Where to get your questions answered

–What you need to know about Bay Area shelter in place orders due to coronavirus?

–How ‘flatten the curve’ works in the coronavirus pandemic

–How a mild case of the novel coronavirus can quickly turn deadly

–Study shows how easily coronavirus can potentially spread

–The two most common symptoms in coronavirus patients

–Does smoking/vaping put you at a higher risk of coronavirus?

–How coronavirus compares to epidemics of the past

–Photos show empty US tourist attractions amid coronavirus crisis

–How to tell if you have a cold, the flu, or coronavirus

–6 things travelers should know in the age of coronavirus

–The worst myths and misinformation about coronavirus

–Out of hand sanitizer? Here’s how to make your own

–Are children at a lower risk for coronavirus complications?

–Are the elderly at a greater risk for coronavirus complications?

–Why Taiwan’s COVID-19 death rate is shockingly low

Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: [email protected].

(c)2020 the San Francisco Chronicle

Visit the San Francisco Chronicle at www.sfchronicle.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Tesla Autopilot death: Final report blames Tesla, Apple, and NHTSA Watch Now

Tesla CEO Elon Musk today announced that the company has made its millionth Tesla electric car, some 12 years after it released the Roadster for consumers.

Musk posted a photo of a red Model Y Tesla on Twitter announcing the milestone along with a group shot of the Tesla Factory workers responsible for manufacturing it. Musk's announcement was first reported by Electrek.

Congratulations Tesla team on making our 1,000,000th car!! pic.twitter.com/5M99a9LLQi — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 10, 2020

The Model Y will be Tesla's fourth electric car line, following the Model S, Model X, and the cheaper Model 3, which made up most of its production and deliveries in Tesla's fourth-quarter earnings report.

Tesla reported that it produced 17,933 Model S and X vehicles in the quarter and delivered 19,450. It produced 86,958 Model 3 vehicles and delivered 92,550. It delivered 367,500 vehicles for the full year.

Tesla is expecting deliveries in 2020 to exceed 500,000 units and for production to outstrip deliveries thanks to Model 3 production in Shanghai and Model Y production in Fremont, California. Model Y production in Shanghai is scheduled for 2021.

Tesla says its Model 3 and Model Y production capacity in Fremont is 400,000 units per year, while its Shanghai factory can produce 150,000 Model 3 cars per year.

It's also developing new facilities in Berlin to manufacture Model 3 and Model Y electric cars, which should start rolling out in 2021.

Musk today suggested the Berlin Gigafactory should have a "mega rave cave" under the facility with an "epic sound systems & woofers the size of a car".

Tesla should have a mega rave cave under the Berlin Gigafatory — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 10, 2020

Given Musk's taste for audacious publicity stunts, there's a chance he could build a Tesla underground club in a nod to Berlin's rave culture.

SEE: The new commute: How driverless cars, hyperloop, and drones will change our travel plans (TechRepublic cover story) | Download the PDF version

Musk posted the one million Tesla production milestone a few hours after Tesla shares fell 13.6% to $608 per share as investors fretted over oil output increases announced by Saudi Arabia and Russia this week. The prospect of cheaper petrol over the long term could dampen enthusiasm for electric vehicles in general.

The other major concern is the impact of the COVID-19 virus on Tesla's Shanghai plant, which the Chinese government ordered to be shut for 10 days from 29 January.

More on Elon Musk and Tesla electric vehicles

By Express News Service

Electric Vehicle (EV) maker Tesla has announced that it has produced its one millionth electric car, thus becoming the first auto manufacturer to reach the milestone. It is a significant moment for the company that was founded only in 2003. CEO Elon Musk made the announcement by sharing a picture of the car — a red Model Y — on Twitter. The firm released its first consumer car, the Roadster, back in 2008, meaning it’s taken a little over 12 years to hit this million-car milestone.

In its January earnings report, the company said it hopes to ship over 5,00,000 cars worldwide in 2020. Established automakers like Toyota or the Volkswagen Group each produce over ten million vehicles every year. Nevertheless, Tesla’s milestone is a tremendous accomplishment for an auto start-up that only produces electric vehicles and is indicative of how Musk says he works — building companies to solve problems based on their importance, not on his likelihood of success.

Furthermore, the EV maker is also expected to start shipping its latest car, the Model Y, months ahead of its original “fall 2020” estimate. The Model Y will be Tesla’s fourth electric car line, following the Model S, Model X, and the cheaper Model 3, which made up most of its production and deliveries in Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings report.

The company said it produced 17,933 Model S and X vehicles in the quarter and delivered 19,450. It produced 86,958 Model 3 vehicles and delivered 92,550. It delivered 367,500 vehicles for the full year. It’s also developing new facilities in Berlin to manufacture Model 3 and Model Y electric cars, which should start rolling out in 2021. Tesla says its Model 3 and Model Y production capacity in Fremont is 4,00,000 units per year, while its Shanghai factory can produce 1,50,000 Model 3 cars per year. Meanwhile, Tesla’s Cybertruck is due to go into production in late 2021.


With 2019 finally behind us – along with its glut of year- (and decade-) end lists of the best in music – it’s time at last to turn our attention to the sounds in store for 2020. And what better way to do that than with … a list!? Here’s a rundown of 13 albums to look forward to over the next few months, with release dates included when known.

Selena Gomez, “Rare” (Jan. 10)

Selena Gomez will release "Rare" on Jan. 10. (Photo: Chris Pizzello, Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

The onetime Disney Channel star has never quite gotten the credit she deserves for her adventurous record-making. Sure, her and DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki” was a shameless Latin-pop play complete with a regrettable “fiesta”/”siesta” rhyme. But before that she turned the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” into the sinuous “Bad Liar,” while her last album, 2015’s “Revival,” feels now like a precursor to Billie Eilish’s whispery ASMR-core. Preceded by a No. 1 single in the grandly emotional “Lose You to Love Me,” Gomez’s new one promises more ear-grabbing textures, as well as her intimate thoughts on her breakup with the Weeknd and her recent health troubles (including a much-publicized kidney transplant).

Halsey, “Manic” (Jan. 17)

Heed that album title: Along with the country-ish “Finally / Beautiful Stranger” and the chart-topping EDM ballad “Without Me,” the latest from this style-hopping streaming native features far-flung hookups with Alanis Morissette (a clear influence), Dominic Fike and Suga of BTS (with whom she teamed for last year’s sprightly K-pop hit “Boy With Luv”).

Pop Star Halsey will release a new album "Manic" on Jan. 17. (Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images)

Green Day, “Father of All…” (Feb. 7)

The pop-punk veterans will play stadiums this summer as part of a rock’s-not-dead package that also includes Fall Out Boy and Weezer. (Called the Hella Mega Tour, it’s scheduled to stop at Dodger Stadium on July 25.) Yet what’s appealing about the short and snappy songs on Green Day’s 13th studio album is that they sound like they were born in a tiny club.

Tame Impala, “The Slow Rush” (Feb. 14)

In the works since well before his headlining performance at Coachella last year, Kevin Parker’s fourth full-length as Tame Impala is his most painstakingly detailed yet, with trippy guitar lines and delicate vocal melodies over buoyant grooves that reflect his recent studio work with the likes of Mark Ronson and Kali Uchis. You’d call the result obsessive if it didn’t just make you want to dance.

Grimes, “Miss Anthropocene” (Feb. 21)

The Canadian singer and producer has spoken expansively about her oft-delayed follow-up to 2015’s “Art Angels,” most recently saying it’s “about a modern demonology or a modern pantheon where every song is about a different way to suffer,” as she put it in a published conversation with Lana Del Rey. But even Grimes knows that many listeners will be scrutinizing “Miss Anthropocene’s” knotty electronic pop for clues about her unlikely romantic relationship with Tesla’s Elon Musk.

Dua Lipa, “Future Nostalgia”

Last year’s Grammy winner for new artist has had disco and house music on her mind, to judge from “Electricity” and “One Kiss” – a pair of excellent collaborations with Silk City and Calvin Harris, respectively – and from “Don’t Start Now,” the delightfully rubbery lead single from her sophomore solo disc set for release sometime this year. The throwback sound suits Lipa’s throaty vocals, which have grown more soulful since her catchy but faceless 2017 debut.

Ozzy Osbourne, “Ordinary Man”

The 71-year-old heavy-metal pioneer found himself in the middle of the pop conversation last year when Post Malone recruited him for “Take What You Want,” their pitch-perfect power ballad from Malone’s smash “Hollywood’s Bleeding” album. Now, Osbourne is readying a record of his own that he made with Malone’s producer Andrew Watt; bassist Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith are also in the mix.

Young Thug

Hip-hop’s boldest dresser – not to mention one of its most distinctive vocal stylists – has several projects reportedly in the pipeline, including an album with the tantalizing title “Punk” and a full-length collaboration he’s said to have made with Juice Wrld, who died last month at age 21.

Frank Ocean

The elusive R&B auteur hasn’t revealed anything official about his feverishly anticipated follow-up to 2016’s “Blonde.” But if he’s truly set to headline Coachella, as is widely rumored, then Ocean seems all but certain to time his new album to the April mega-festival (as Kendrick Lamar did a few years ago with “Damn”). Then again, Ocean’s recent string of singles led many to expect him to show up at November’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival – and we all know how that turned out.

Haim

L.A.’s premier sister trio isn’t making it easy to predict where the three will go on their third studio album. “Summer Girl,” the first of three 2019 singles, was a stripped-down Lou Reed-style jam, while “Now I’m in It” was classic uptempo Haim and “Hallelujah” a folky acoustic tune.

Dixie Chicks, “Gaslighter”

The outspoken country trio – whose last album, “Taking the Long Way,” came out in 2006 (and won Grammys for album, record and song of the year) – returned to the studio in 2019 for a guest appearance on Taylor Swift’s “Lover.” Now they’re working with Swift’s right-hand man, Jack Antonoff, on a divorce-inspired record that lead singer Natalie Maines has described as “10 times” more “personal and autobiographical” than “Taking the Long Way.”

Justin Bieber

With appearances on tracks by a diverse array of acts including Luis Fonsi, DJ Khaled, Ed Sheeran, Gucci Mane, Billie Eilish and Dan & Shay, Bieber hasn’t exactly been hard to hear in the half-decade since his last solo record, 2015’s Christian-themed “Purpose.” But this year, he’ll be nearly impossible to escape, with a comeback single, “Yummy,” set for release on Friday, followed by the late-January premiere of a YouTube reality series, a world tour that kicks off in May and an album that the now-married man says will be “different than the previous albums just because of where I’m at in my life.”

Rihanna

The wait for “R9,” as fans refer with increasing impatience to Rihanna’s upcoming ninth studio album, has become an internet joke – so much so that Rihanna herself got in on it recently with an Instagram post in which the singer (who’s been spending her time on acting, her clothing and beauty lines and a coffee-table book) captioned a video of a dancing puppy like so: “update: me listening to R9 by myself and refusing to release it.”

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January is always an exciting time for music fans.

Fresh from trawling the end-of-year lists, now it’s all about the best of what’s to come, with countless new albums on the horizon.

As is always the case at this time of year, the rumour mill is in full motion — Frank Ocean, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, My Bloody Valentine, The Cure, Haim, Cardi B and many, many more are among the artists on the brink of releasing new music in 2020, depending on who you believe.

Here, we’ve cut through the noise to pick out 10 artists who almost definitely will come through with the goods — five of them have confirmed dates, others are sure to deliver within the next 12 months and the rest have dropped extremely strong hints that albums are on the way.

Halsey — Manic (January 17)

(Getty Images) More

A worldwide arena filler, Ashley “Halsey” Frangipane might still be better known as the voice of other people’s songs. Her two UK number ones have been on Closer by The Chainsmokers and Benny Blanco’s Eastside. But her third album should cement her status as a queen of dark pop, containing hits of her own including Without Me.

Kesha — High Road (January 31)

(Getty Images) More

Before her 2017 comeback Rainbow, Kesha Sebert couldn’t release music for five years due to a legal battle with her former producer. Finally she’s busy again, with her fourth album on the way. Her big voice wraps itself around rowdy pop with a country feel, with plenty of plucked guitar and cameos from Sturgill Simpson and Brian Wilson.

Green Day — Father of All Motherf***ers (February 7)

(Getty Images) More

Story continues


Ask mayors or city managers of any coastal city in Florida what the No. 1 neighborhood issue is in their community, and they are not likely to say sea-level rise or crime.

It’s vacation rentals.

Indeed, go ask that question among St. Armands Key residents, on Longboat Key and especially on Anna Maria Island.

It’s a national issue. Everywhere, elected leaders are struggling with how vacation rentals should be regulated and who should regulate them.

Should Airbnb homes be required to meet all of the safety and licensing standards and regulations as hotels? Who should have jurisdiction, local governments or the state government?

Once again in Tallahassee, the issue is on lawmakers’ agendas.

Senate Bill 1128 and House Bill 1011 are proposing what former state Sen. Greg Steube of Sarasota (now Congressman Steube) tried for two years. That is have the state preempt local governments and rule all vacation rentals.

This is a conundrum, to be sure. Government is best closest to the people. Citizens incorporate precisely to have control over their communities, not be ruled by the far-away state.

But at the same time, you can make an argument that NIMBYism is so pervasive that vocal neighbors want their cities to ban vacation rentals altogether. In the process, they are forgetting all about property rights. Why should you be allowed to have 10 relatives stay with you but your neighbor be prohibited from renting his home to 10 of his old college friends?

SB 1128 and HB 1011 are indeed flawed — mostly on the regulations they would create for those advertising vacation rentals. Both bills should be tabled.

At some point, to craft a balanced law, legislators must realize this is an issue that requires thoughtful, rational examination and study outside the emotional and horse-trading confines of the annual legislative session.

EDITOR: I have watched as these so-called vacation rental properties destroy neighborhoods, but the Republican-controlled legislature in Tallahassee seems bound and determined to push forward on House Bill 1011 and Senate Bill 1128 in their quest to take all control away from municipalities.

EDITOR: I have watched as these so-called vacation rental properties destroy neighborhoods, but the Republican-controlled legislature in Tallahassee seems bound and determined to push forward on House Bill 1011 and Senate Bill 1128 in their quest to take all control away from municipalities.

These are for the most part party houses put into residential neighborhoods. I'd bet my house that Ronnie May (quoted in a Jan. 22 Page 1A Record story), who has four of these vacation houses, lives in a gated community where they are not allowed.


On Friday, Feb. 21 at 12 a.m. PST, Disney+ dropped the season seven premiere of Dave Filoni’s epic animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” which premiered over a decade ago in 2008. The season is Disney’s latest success with the rights of “Star Wars,” after season one of its series “The Mandalorian” became the most-streamed show in the world. However, where “The Mandalorian” thrives due to creating new, original characters, “The Clone Wars” must rely on the main characters of the prequel trilogy to tell its story. The critical reception to the episode and rallying of fan support proves that Filoni mastered the art of building on existing characterization.

During its original run from 2008 to 2014 on Cartoon Network, “The Clone Wars” was one of the most highly-rated shows ever on the network, received widespread acclaim for improving the characters of the franchise, and won multiple Daytime Emmy awards. While originally marketed as a children’s series, the seasons became darker as the audience aged, delving into the repercussions of war and the balance of good and evil in the Force. However, in 2013 the show was effectively canceled, and the remaining episodes that would tie up the war were scrapped. It was not until the acquisition of the series by Disney, with the creation of its streaming service, that a final season of 12 episodes to officially end the series was announced.

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” takes place inside the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy, which tells the story of Anakin Skywalker’s downfall from a Jedi Knight to Darth Vader after serving in a three-year war known as the Clone Wars. The Clone Wars take place before “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,” during a period when both Skywalker and his master Obi-Wan Kenobi are generals in the war, and Skywalker is secretly married to Luke and Leia’s future-mother Padmé Amidala. When the series premiered in 2008 after a theatrical film release served as its pilot, supervising director Filoni juggled the narrative themes of Skywalker’s future fall and the villainy of Palpatine while also taking on the challenge of doing the impossible: making the Clone Wars interesting.

The war is fought between a robot droid army called Separatists and an army of cloned men created by the Republic to be expendable soldiers with an enhanced aging process to ensure the maximum number of bodies. In every battle fought in this literal ‘star war’ droids and clones become blaster-fodder on alien planets while the Jedi are essentially a metaphor for the United Nations: attempting to create peace but with no ability to enforce it. The prequels were heavily criticized for the soulless nature of the war and the lack of stakes involved, as well as the ineffective portrayal of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala.

By contrast, in each 22-minute animated episode of “The Clone Wars,” Filoni took the time to flesh out these characters and explore the depth of the narrative themes at stake. In order to effectively portray Anakin’s growth into a Jedi master that takes place off-screen in “Revenge of the Sith,” Filoni created the character of Ahsoka Tano, a young female Jedi who becomes Anakin’s apprentice. Although initially seen as bratty, Ahsoka’s bravery, skill, and determination to do the right thing in wartime ultimately made her one of the most popular characters in “Star Wars” and a feminist figure.

Ahsoka Tano also serves as an excellent sounding board for Anakin and the viewer as she questioned her master about the nature of the Jedi Council that requires them to be both soldiers and peace-keepers. In several episodes, Ahsoka questions these contradictions while Anakin is struggling to reconcile his marriage with his duty. By its very nature, the series has to balance foreshadowing what’s to come, but by choosing to focus on this reality Filoni ultimately paved the way for Luke Skywalker’s arc in “The Last Jedi,” where he states: “At the height of [the Jedi’s] powers, they allowed Darth Sidious to rise, create the empire, and wipe them out.”

All main characters in the original series get arcs to develop their characters, but further fleshed out than any other characters, however, are the clones.

The clone characters name-dropped in the saga (Cody, Rex, Fives, and Echo to name a few) are soldiers desperate to do their duty with a sense of individuality, formulating a culture of brotherhood among one another and using what little tools they have– hairstyles, tattoos, and body armor– to distinguish themselves from the masses. At first, the clones are passionate about the war they were created for. However, the longer all the dying stretches out the more disillusioned everyone becomes.

The season seven premiere, 12 years after the first season began, returns to this formula by focusing on the clones and Anakin Skywalker. The episode, titled “The Bad Batch,” features the clones on a mission with several noticeably mutated clones whose glaring uniqueness serves as their strength, and Anakin watches as Rex lets his emotions fuel his mission– the same thing Anakin is constantly criticized for by his superiors throughout the series. By jumping back into the thematic plots that are its greatest strength, the premiere received widespread acclaim and the series was called “better than ever” by USA Today.

The series does not pause to remind viewers of the events and characters they watched during the six-year break, instead of trusting (rightfully) that its fanbase will remember. Where so many other entries in the “Star Wars” franchise lead to frustration and discourse (i.e. the sequel trilogy), “The Clone Wars” has found a method that appeases “Star Wars” fans and actually builds on what people love about this fictional story. The series also proves that fans are willing to wait indefinitely to have closure.

Season seven of “Star Wars:The Clone Wars” is released weekly on Disney+. Episode 2 will air on Friday, Feb. 28 at 12am PST.

Sources: Observer, USA Today

It took six years, but fans of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" will finally be getting the show's long-awaited seventh and final season.

The six-year wait for “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Season 7 is nearly over. The first episode of the series’ final season will premiere on Disney+ on Friday, February 21, and Disney has unveiled a new clip and several images to hype up the beginning of the end.

Like the show itself, Season 7 will focus on the end of the galaxy-spanning Clone Wars that defined much of the franchise’s mythology. The new clip from “The Bad Batch” teases a team-up with a squad of “favorably mutated” clone troopers, who will kick off the season with a mission behind Separatist lines.

Per Disney: “The forces of darkness have amassed great power in their bid to transform the Republic into the Galactic Empire. With the Republic on a losing streak, Captain Rex fears the Separatists are using stolen data to help predict the Grand Army’s every move. As the threat of defeat looms, Rex teams up with experimental Clone Force 99, also known as the Bad Batch. Together, they embark on a high-risk mission behind enemy lines to uncover the truth behind the Separatist victories.”

While the series’ new clip is focused on the Clone Troopers, plenty of fan-favorite Force users will be returning throughout the upcoming season, including Anakin Skywalker, Darth Maul, and Ahsoka Tano.

Disney

“The Bad Batch” was intended to kick off Season 7 several years ago before production on the series was stopped. The episode would’ve been part of a four-episode arc. One of the series’ writers released plot details about the story arc in 2014, when the series’ future was uncertain — and unfinished story reels were also released — but only time will tell how the experimental Clone Troopers play into the overall series.

The seventh season of “The Clone Wars” will premiere a few months after Dave Filoni’s Disney+ tentpole “The Mandalorian” hit the streamer. Filoni served as creator and showrunner on “Star Wars Rebels” and is the showrunner for “The Clone Wars.” Like his animated series, “The Mandalorian,” which will return for a second season in October, enjoyed stellar fan reception.

“The Mandalorian” Season 1 finale teased that the Darksaber, a black-bladed lightsaber that originated in “The Clone Wars,” would play a significant role in future installments. Given the interconnected nature of recent “Star Wars” projects — and Disney’s need to keep the franchise in the public eye — don’t be surprised if similar teases pop up in the upcoming “The Clone Wars” season.

Check out the clip from “The Bad Batch” below:

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On Sunday, March 22, Canada officially pulled out of the Olympics. Soon other nations such as Australia and Brazil followed suit, pulling out of the Olympics and urging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to make a decision on the postponement of the 2020 Games.

RELATED: Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls react to Canada pulling out of the 2020 Games

Monday, March 23, longtime IOC member Dick Pound told USA Today Sports that the event would be postponed. The IOC refused to confirm the postponement.

Finally, on Tuesday, March 24, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he and the head of the IOC, Thomas Bach, had come to an agreement during a phone call. The Olympics will be postponed and held ‘at the very latest’ summer 2021.

After his telephone talks with IOC President Bach, PM Abe spoke to the press and explained that the two have agreed that the Tokyo Olympic Games would not be cancelled, and the games will be held by the summer of 2021. pic.twitter.com/ihe8To2g3R — PM's Office of Japan (@JPN_PMO) March 24, 2020

“Considering the current situation, in regards to the Tokyo Games,” said Abe, “as the host nation, in order to ensure that athletes from all over the world are able to compete in their best condition, and also in order to ensure the utmost safety for the spectators, I have asked him to consider postponing the games by about a year.”

The IOC and Japanese government agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan, as a “beacon of hope”. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

The Olympics was set to run from July 24 through Aug. 9, and the Paralympics from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6. This will be the first time the IOC has rescheduled an Olympics due to health threats.

Tokyo: Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hinted at the postponement of Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games may become “inevitable”.

The comments from Abe were his first acknowledgement that the 2020 Games may not open as scheduled on July 24, as the coronavirus marches across the globe causing unprecedented chaos.

Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic committees meanwhile announced they will not send teams to the Games if they are held this summer, citing the health of their athletes and the general public.

And Australia’s Olympic committee told athletes to prepare for a Tokyo Olympics in the northern-hemisphere summer of 2021.

The IOC has also shifted its position on the Games, issuing a statement on Sunday saying it was stepping up planning for different scenarios, including postponement.

The coronavirus has already had an impact, with qualifiers cancelled and events to celebrate the Olympic torch arrival and relay scaled back.

Despite the measures, tens of thousands of people flocked to a cauldron displaying the flame in northeastern Japan, raising fears about whether the relay can be held safely.


At least one person has been confirmed dead, following Saturday’s fire that gutted the Mgbuka Obosi Spare Parts Market in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra.

The deceased, identified simply as G.O.D and Chairman of Zone 11 in the market, did not die in the inferno.

He was said to have slumped in the market “after seeing that his five shops were completely destroyed by the fire.”

He was reportedly rushed to a private hospital in the area but was said to have died later.

It was gathered that the fire, which destroyed goods valued at millions of naira, started at about 1:30 am.

Mr Edwin Okadigbo, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Anambra command, confirmed the incident in Awka.

Okadigbo, an Assistant Superintendent, said that nobody died in the fire because it occurred in the night when traders had all retired to their homes.

He said: “No life was lost in the fire, but the chairman of Zone 11, one Mr G.O.D, slumped after seeing his five shops razed down by the fire.

“He was rushed to the hospital but later gave up the ghost.”

He said that the fire destroyed so many shops and goods because of the highly inflammable nature of the goods sold in the market.

The NSCDC spokesman said that the fire was put out by men of the Anambra State Fire Service, assisted by operatives of other sister security agencies.

He said that the cause of the fire had yet to be ascertained but suspected it could either come from electrical fault or wildfire from the neighbourhood.

Meanwhile, the state Commandant of the corps, Mr David Bille, has expressed his condolences to the leadership of the market and traders, who lost their goods and other valuables, as well as the bereaved family.

At least, one person has been confirmed dead, while four others escaped with varying degrees of injuries in a road mishap that involved a commercial bus and a motorcycle in Mbosi junction, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State on Tuesday.

The incident which happened at about 12:30hrs on Tuesday, saw a crash involving the shuttle bus with registration no. WER 858 ZS and a motorcycle with registration no. MGD-708 QJ ridden by a man who is popularly known as ‘Action’ in the area.

Spokesperson of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in Anambra State, Edwin Okadigbo said preliminary investigation revealed that over-speeding and loss of control on the part of both the bus driver and the motorcyclist may be the reason.

He said, “The bus was approaching from Orlu direction and the motorcyclist known as “ACTION” from Uli was approaching from Total filling station, Ihiala direction, when both of them, while trying to avoid the pothole close to Mbosi Junction collided.

“The motorcyclist smashed the front glass of the bus with his head. The victim and the driver and passengers of the bus were rushed to our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Ihiala where the motorcyclist was confirmed dead while the bus driver is currently receiving treatment.”

Okadigbo said the NSCDC in Ihiala, led by Divisional Officer SC Chinweze Chinenye and his personnel with other sister security agencies helped cordon off the area, and assisted in taking the victims to the hospital, and controlled traffic to allow free flow of vehicles.

He added that the state commandant of NSCDC, Comdt. David Bille has ordered an investigation to ascertain other circumstances surrounding the incident.


BHOPAL: As many as 8 lakh employees of BHEL, Railways, Post Office, BSNL, Banks, Income Tax, CPWD and others stood at par with the nationwide strike by 10 trade unions against privatisation and mergering of banks, in Bhopal on Wednesday.

Demonstration and march (procession) marked the strike in the state capital. Bankers demonstrated at Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), Press Complex, impacting banking services in the region.

They also put up 12-point demands including minimum wage of Rs 21,000 and pension of Rs 10,000 among all departments.

The National Open Mass Convention of Workers organised by the ten Central Trade Unions namely INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC, independent federations and associations of various sectors including some independent unions called for a nationwide general strike against the anti-worker, anti people, anti-national policies of the Modi-2 Government.

Western central Railways (WCR) Employees Union Philip Oommen said, “We have supported the strike on the basis of demands which are well justified. We hold demonstration to extend moral support to strike which was against central government anti-employees policies.”

INTUC (BHEL) president RD Tripathi said, “All the trade unions were on strike in BHEL in response to the nationwide strike call against central government anti-employees policies. It was big strike against union government.”

All India Postal Department Employees Association general secretary RN Parashar said, “It was successful nationwide strike against union government anti-employees policies especially economic policies. Employees from all the branches joined the strike.”

As per protesters, the national economy is slowing down. The adverse effects are already being felt by the workers in unorganised as well as organised sectors in the form of large scale retrenchment and closures. In the name of the recession, the Central Government is taking steps such as reducing corporate taxes, and giving them big bonanza from the national exchequer while not a single penny is spent to ensure job security or employment allowance to the workers.

Govt Warns PSU Employees Of Action As About 25 Crore People Set To Participate In Bharat Bandh

Govt Warns PSU Employees Of Action As About 25 Crore People Set To Participate In Bharat Bandh

The government has asked public sector undertakings to dissuade their employees from participating in the 'Bharat Bandh' called on Wednesday and advised them to prepare a contingency plan to ensure the smooth functioning of the enterprises.

According to news agency PTI, ten central trade unions have said around 25 crore people will participate in the nationwide strike to protest against the government's "anti-people" policies.

Trade unions INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC along with various sectoral independent federations and associations had adopted a declaration in September last to go on the nationwide strike on January 8.

"Any employee going on strike in any form, including protest, would face the consequences which, besides deduction of wages, may also include appropriate disciplinary action," said an office memorandum issued by the government."

Don't Miss 33 K SHARES 14.7 K SHARES 4.8 K SHARES 7.7 K SHARES 5 K SHARES

Suitable contingency plan may also be worked out to carry out the various functions of the ministry/department," it added.

It also issued instructions not to sanction casual leave or another kind of leave to employees if applied for during the period of the proposed protest or strike and ensure that the willing employees are allowed hindrance-free entry into the office premises.

The instructions issued by the Department of Personnel & Training prohibit the Government servants from participating in any form of strike, including mass casual leave, go-slow and sit-down, or any action that abet any form of strike. Besides, pay and allowances are not admissible to an employee for his absence from duty without any authority.

The central trade unions are protesting against labour reforms, FDI, disinvestment, corporatisation and privatisation policies and to press for 12-point common demands of the working class relating to minimum wage and social security, among others.

About 60 organisations of students and elected office-bearers of some universities have also decided to join the strike with an agenda to raise voice against increased fee structure and commercialization of education.

The trade unions condemned the JNU violence and similar incidents in other university campuses and expressed their solidarity with students and teachers all over India.

With PTI Inputs/Image Credit: Reuters/AFP


Campenaerts, Vorster win Nedbank Cycle Challenge Staff Reporter Sports Khomas

Maurice Kambukwe

Belgian cyclist Victor Campenaerts and Namibia’s top female rider Michelle Vorster were yesterday crowned champions of the 2020 Nedbank Cycle Challenge after winning their respective categories of the annual road racing event.

Campenaerts completed the men’s 100-km road race in a time 2 hours, 11 minutes and 35 seconds to emerge victorious. The visiting Belgian finished eight minutes ahead of Nedbank Cycle Challenge two-time winner Dan Craven and Martin Freyer, who both clocked 2 hours, 19 minutes and 5 seconds.

Meanwhile, local top female cyclist Michelle Vorster won the elite women 100-km race after completing the race in 2 hours, 39 minutes and 31 seconds ahead of second-placed Jagau Imke and Dreyer Risa who both finished with a time of 2 hours, 44 minutes and 55 seconds.

Speaking to New Era Sport after the prize giving ceremony, Compenaerts, who travelled from Belgium to be part of this massive event, said the purpose of him being part of the race was to win.

“The race was intense in the beginning but as it was going, I managed to get a chance to move and stretch my lead – that’s when I got a chance to go for a kill. My purpose for taking part in this competition was because the atmosphere of the race is great and that drove me to take part. My objective to take part was to win the competition,’’ said Compenaerts.

On her part, Vorster said “I felt it was a relief after coming to the finishing line; it’s a great feeling after various years of working hard just to become number one. It’s a feeling that’s hard to explain. And also, it’s nice to see so many women take part in this competition”.

Meanwhile, the Physically Active Youth (PAY) after-school programme yesterday received a massive boost when the winners and sponsors of the men’s 100-km race donated N$54 000 to the institution.

Campenaerts said he was donating his winning prize money of N$12 000 to PAY as he was impressed with what the programme does to develop cyclists.

“Dan (Craven) told me about the project; I said I do not have any jerseys that I can give to the kids. He said I should not worry about that. So, he took me to the project and I immediately fell in love with it. So, I decided that if I win this race today, I will donate my cheque to them,” he explained.

He added that he hopes his donation will change lives at PAY, as he saw they are doing wonders in helping children with their education, while at the same time helping them enjoy their favourite sport.

Not to be outdone, Craven also donated his second prize monetary winnings of N$9 000, with third-placed Martin Freyer also adding his N$6 000. With N$27 000 donated by the winners, Nedbank Namibia Managing Director Lionel Matthews doubled the donation, saying they are inspired by what the cyclists had done.

- mkambukwe@nepc.com

2020-02-17 08:12:58 | 2 days ago

Nedbank Cycle Challenge done and dusted

LIMBA MUPETAMI

Belgian cyclist Victor Campenaerts and Michelle Vorster made easy work of the Nedbank Cycle Challenge in Windhoek yesterday.

Campaenaerts broke away early from the rest of the pack to win in a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 35 seconds.

Namibian cyclist Dan Craven beat Martin Freyer in the sprint for second place in a time of 2 hours, 19 minutes. The cyclist said he knew that he was going to win and thus cycled on his pace without any real threat from the rest of the contenders.

Right after the race Campenaerts said he would donate his N$12 000 winnings to the organisation Physically Active Youth (PAY), which he visited last week.

He said he was impressed with the work they are doing and knew from the start that he had to win the race in order to give them the money.

Craven and Freyer also announced at the prize-giving that they would donate their N$9 000 and N$6 000 winnings to the same organisation, which is an after-school centre in Katutura that provides a safe and nurturing learning environment for youngsters from disadvantaged communities.

The women’s 100 km race was easily won by Michelle Vorster (2 hours, 39 minutes, 31 seconds), who also on Saturday won the Nedbank Mountain Bike Challenge.

In second place was Imke Jagau (2 hours, 44 minutes and 55 seconds), and in third was Risa Dreyer. Their winnings are the same as the men’s.


Iraqi counter-terrorism forces stand guard in front of the US embassy in the capital Baghdad on January 2, 2020.

Two rockets hit the Green Zone in Iraq's capital of Baghdad, a day after Iran launched missile attacks on U.S. and other coalition targets at bases in Iraq, according to a report Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average pared gains on the heels of the reports of an explosion in Baghdad. The Dow Jones closed 161 points higher, but about 80 points lower than it had been just before the news.

Iraq's military said that two Katyusha rockets fell inside the Green Zone, the section that contains the U.S. Embassy, other embassies of western nations and foreign businesses, according to Reuters.

There were no casualities, according to the statement from Iraq's military.

The White House and Pentagon had no immediate comment.

The rockets were fired several hours after President Donald Trump declared that Iran appeared to be standing down from the U.S. — remarks that sent stock indices surging higher.

On Tuesday night eastern time, Iran fired missile attacks against two Iraqi bases that house U.S. military and coalition forces.

The barrage was retaliation for the killing a week earlier of Iran's top military leader, Gen. Qasem Soleimani, in an U.S. airstrike in Baghdad.

Trump on Wednesday defended the decision to target Soleimani, who has been blamed for the deaths of hundreds of Americans in the Middle East.

Two rockets fell on Wednesday inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign missions, but caused no casualties, the Iraqi military said.

Police sources told Reuters at least one of the rockets fell 100 meters from the U.S. Embassy.

"Two Katyusha rockets fall inside the Green Zone without causing casualties. Details to follow," the military said.

Witnesses confirmed to Reuters that two loud blasts followed by sirens had been heard in Baghdad early Wednesday local time, though there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The blasts come at an especially fraught time, as Iran launched missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq overnight. That attack was in retaliation for the killing by the United States last week of Iran's Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and raised concerns about a potential wider war in the Middle East.


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A mum has been praised by fellow parents after she posted a list of rules she believes all young women should follow.

The 36 bullet points of tips and tricks are aimed to help to female get through life and has hit home with mums and dads, one of whom called it "excellent advice".

With some practical things to do, like make your bed every day, and don't walk through alleys alone, they are listed alongside more mantras for life like: never lie to yourself and reserve "I'm sorry" for when you truly are.

The list has been shared online more than 25,000 times, with more than 2,000 people commenting too.

It ends with: "If in doubt, remember whose daughter you are and straighten your crown".

One fellow mum said: "This is gooooood and I really like 23 and 28... and they are all things I wish I had been taught when I was little. Nicely done."

Another woman added: "I truly loved this one, but the only one that hurts the most is knowing that I can't come home anymore... Because you're resting now Mommy, but when I could I definitely did. With my girls in tow."

(Image: Getty Images)

RULES TO TEACH YOUR DAUGHTER

1. Make your bed every day, even if it’s right before you get in it.

2. Don’t wear holey underwear…in case you’re in an accident and they cut your clothes off.

3. Travel light through life. Keep only what you need.

4. It’s okay to cry when you’re hurt. It’s also okay to smash (some) things; but, wash your face, clean your mess, and get up off the floor when you’re done. You don’t belong down there.

5. If you’re going to curse, be clever. If you’re going to curse in public, know your audience.

6. Seek out the people and places that resonate with your soul.

7. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

8. 5-second rule. It’s just dirt. There are worse things in a fast food cheeseburger.

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

9. Happiness is not a permanent state. Wholeness is. Don’t confuse these.

10. If you’re staying more than one night, unpack your bag.

11. Never walk through an alley alone.

12. Be less sugar, more spice, and only as nice as you’re able to without compromising yourself.

13. Can’t is a cop-out.

14. Hold your heroes to a high standard. Be your own hero.

15. If you can’t smile with your eyes, don’t smile. Insincerity is nothing to aspire to.

16. Never lie to yourself.

17. Your body, your rules.

18. If you have an opinion, you better know why.

19. Practice your passions.

(Image: Getty)

20. Ask for what you want. The worst thing they can say is no.

21. Wish on stars and dandelions, then get to work to make them happen.

22. Stay as sweet as you are.

23. Fall in love often. Particularly with ideas, art, music, literature, food and far-off places.

24. Fall hard and forever in love with nothing but yourself.

25. Say Please, Thank You, and Pardon Me, whenever the situation warrants it.

26. Reserve “I’m sorry” for when you truly are.

27. Naps are for grown-ups, too.

28. Question everything, except your own intuition.

29. You have enough. You are enough.

30. You are amazing! Don’t let anyone ever make you feel you are not. If someone does….walk away. You deserve better.

31. No matter where you are, you can always come home.

32. Be happy and remember your roots, family is EVERYTHING.

33. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

34. No one will ever love you more than I do.

35. Be kind; treat others how you would like them to treat you.

36. If in doubt, remember whose daughter you are and straighten your crown.


CLAIMED sightings of UFOs reported to the RAF by terrified members of the British public are to be published online for the first time.

The RAF ran a UFO unit for five decades but chose to shut it down in 2009 after it concluded none of the reports sent in offered evidence of a potential threat.

2 Claimed sightings of UFOs reported to the RAF are to be published online Credit: Workbook Stock - Getty

Previously, records from the unit were given to the National Archives, often initially classified before being released after a specific number of years.

But the most recent reports received by the RAF will be placed online, the PA news agency revealed following a Freedom of Information Act request.

Members of the public reporting alleged UFO sightings are now directed to their local police force.

A spokesman for the RAF said that "it had been assessed that it would be better to publish these records, rather than continue sending documents to the National Archives, and so they are looking to put them on to a dedicated gov.uk web page".

2 Drawing of an 'alien spacecraft' spotted by two US servicemen during an unexplained incident in the Suffolk countryside in 1980 Credit: Alamy

A clearance process for the documents is currently under way before publication, which is expected to take place "some time within the first quarter of 2020".

In response to the FOI request, the RAF described the files it held as "comprising entirely of correspondence with members of the public".

It added: "The MoD has no opinion on the existence or otherwise of extra terrestrial life and does not investigate UFO reports."

Nick Pope, who used to investigate reports of UFO sightings for the MoD, welcomed the move.

"Given the massive public interest in this subject, I'm pleased that these files will be released and made available online," he told the PA news agency.

"The MoD have previously claimed that all the files have been released - only to find additional ones - so this latest move is bound to start a few conspiracy theories.

"When I worked on the MoD's 'UFO desk' we didn't find definitive proof of extraterrestrial visitation, but there were so many bizarre and unexplained sightings that we didn't entirely rule it out.

"I'm glad the public are to be given further insights into our work on these real-life X-Files."

The Rendlesham Forest incident: Britain’s most famous UFO sighting The Rendlesham Forest incident took place in December 1980 over a series of at least two nights. On December 26, 1980, military personnel at the twin bases of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk saw a strange light in Rendlesham Forest, which lies between the two bases. Three men were sent out to investigate where two of them encountered a small, triangularshaped craft. One man, Jim Penniston, got close enough to touch the side of the object. He and another of the airmen present, John Burroughs, made sketches of the craft for witness statements. Two nights later Deputy Base Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Halt and his team then encountered the UFO. He said later: "Here I am, a senior official who routinely denies this sort of thing and diligently works to debunk them, and I'm involved in the middle of something I can't explain."

Despite an MOD investigation the Rendlesham Forest incident remains unexplained.

Ex UFO-chief claims he quit US government over alien encounter 'cover-up'

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In other news, a researcher claimed earlier this month that the discovery of alien life was not only "inevitable" but also "imminent".

One Nasa scientist has admitted it's entirely possible that aliens have already visited Earth – and we simply never noticed.

And, here are the mysteries we need to solve in order to prove the existence of extraterrestrials.

Do you believe in extraterrestrials? Let us know in the comments!

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk

HUGELY popular viral video app Vine is back as 'Byte' – four years after being unexpectedly killed off.

Byte is hoping to regain the popularity of Vine, which was loved for its rule of only allowing 6-second looping videos.

3 Byte is a new app designed to replace the void left by Vine Credit: Byte

The mind behind Byte is Vine co-founder Dom Hofmann, who has been working on the new app for two years.

Just like Vine, Byte limits videos to six seconds in length – and loops them after they've finished.

"Today we're bringing back 6-second looping videos and a new community for people who love them," Byte's creators wrote.

"It's called Byte and it's both familiar and new. We hope it'll resonate with people who feel something's been missing."

3 Users will be limited to uploading videos no longer than six seconds – which will loop after finishing Credit: Byte

It was originally supposed to launch in spring 2019, but was delayed for unknown reasons.

Now the app is free to download and is available on iPhone and Android phones.

Vine was founded back in June 2012, and was bought up by Twitter in October that same year – in what's believed to have been a $30million (£22.9million) deal.

The app shot to popularity due to its short clips, with successful users often focusing particularly on comedy videos.

It was free to download, and was available on phones, computers and even game consoles.

But on October 27, 2016, Twitter announced that the Vine mobile app would be discontinued.

In December 2016, it was confirmed that the Vine app would remain operational, but videos would be published directly to Twitter.

A month later, Vine's community website was shut down and the app was renamed to Vine Camera – which was largely deemed a flop.

3 Byte was created by Vine co-founder Dom Hoffman Credit: Twitter

In January 2017, Twitter launched an archive of all Vine videos, but there was no way to upload new content to the service.

Many Vine videos still prove popular on YouTube today, and there's been significant interest in a reboot of the app.

But Vine now faces stiff competition from rival app TikTok, a video app that's hugely popular with teens.

Byte – will it be the next hit app? Here's what industry expert Paolo Pescatore, of PP Foresight, told The Sun... "Video is the next battle ground and is fast becoming a crowded place with too many services chasing few dollars.

"There are some opportunities to be novel that will resonate with viewers.

"Everyone wants to jump on the new thing but making money and attracting top quality content will represent the biggest test.

"For now new services need to have eyeballs and content."

Former Vine celebrities who have since transferred to TikTok are already turning up on Byte too.

They include Lance Stewart, Chris Melberger and Josh Darnit.

These online stars are likely attracted by the fact that Byte has vowed to start paying creators immediately – despite having only just launched.

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In other news, teens were recently panicking over rumours that TikTok is shutting down.

Experts this week warned TikTok users not to participate in a "stupid and dangerous" trend that saw teens upload videos of themselves blowing up iPhone chargers.

And Instagram influencers are being propositioned with huge sums of money for sex on a daily basis.

Will you be signing up to Byte, or has the moment passed? Let us know in the comments!

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk


Sarah Adina Smith’s latest will be of special interest to fans of “Black Swan” and “Bunheads”: the writer-director of “Buster’s Mal Heart” is working on a ballet drama. This calls for a celebratory plié. A press release announced that Amazon Studios and Anonymous Content have kicked off principal photography on Smith’s “Birds of Paradise.” Kristine Froseth (“The Assistant”) and Diana Silvers (“Booksmart”) star in the feature.

An adaptation of A.K. Small’s 2019 novel “Bright Burning Stars,” “Birds of Paradise” takes place at “a prestigious ballet school in Paris, where the new girl (Silvers) befriends a grieving dance prodigy (Froseth) as the dancers compete for the school’s ultimate prize: to receive a contract to join the Parisian Opera’s ballet company,” the pic’s synopsis details. “As the pressure mounts and the girls are pushed to their physical and emotional limits, their bond is tested and they’re forced to ask themselves just how far they are willing to go to win.”

Smith, who signed a first-look deal with Amazon Studios last year, penned the script.

“Sarah is a talented, visionary filmmaker who we’re so happy is part of the Amazon family, and we can’t wait to bring her next story to life with ‘Birds of Paradise,'” said Julie Rapaport, Co-head of Movies at Amazon Studios. “We’re also thrilled to be working with stars Diana Silvers and Kristine Froseth who are both on the path to becoming the next household names with their undeniable talents.”

Added Smith, “I wrote these roles specifically for Kristine Froseth and Diana Silvers, who I believe are going to take the world by storm. I’m honored to take this journey with them and so thrilled to be partnering with Amazon Studios once again in pursuit of bold, unapologetic filmmaking.”

Smith’s debut feature, 2014’s “The Midnight Swim,” took home the breakthrough audience award from AFI Fest. Her follow-up, 2016’s Rami Malek-starrer “Buster’s Mal Heart,” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. On the small screen, her credits include “Hanna,” “Legion,” and “Room 104.”

“I suspect that directing movies might be a lot like being a professional athlete,” Smith told us. “You have to keep your head in the game and your eye on the ball. And you can’t waste time mourning losses or celebrating wins — at least not until the game is over. Stamina, patience, precision of judgment — these are all the things I love about the job!”

When asked what advice she’d give other women directors, she said, “I would tell them to do things their own way and don’t feel like you ever have to conform to the system, because the system was largely built by men. We need to take all the good lessons from the past and from those existing systems but also not be afraid to make our own rules,” she emphasized.

Diana Silvers (“Booksmart”) and Kristine Froseth (“Sierra Burgess Is a Loser”) will star in the ballet drama “Birds of Paradise” by writer and director Sarah Adina Smith (“Buster’s Mal Heart”).

Amazon Studios and Anonymous Content have started principal photography on the feature, which is currently shooting in Budapest. Anonymous Content’s Trevor Adley and Dara Gordon are producing alongside Jonako Donley at Everything Is Everything.

“Birds of Paradise” is based on the novel “Bright Burning Stars” from A.K. Small, and is set in a prestigious ballet school in Paris, where a new girl (Silvers) befriends a grieving prodigy (Froseth). The dancers must compete for the school’s biggest prize, to receive a contract to join the Parisian Opera’s ballet company.

Also Read: Sam Claflin to Star Opposite Riley Keough in 'Daisy Jones & the Six' at Amazon

“Sarah is a talented, visionary filmmaker who we’re so happy is part of the Amazon family, and we can’t wait to bring her next story to life with ‘Birds of Paradise,'” Julie Rapaport, Co-head of Movies at Amazon Studios, said. “We’re also thrilled to be working with stars Diana Silvers and Kristine Froseth who are both on the path to becoming the next household names with their undeniable talents.”

Smith added, “I wrote these roles specifically for Kristine Froseth and Diana Silvers, who I believe are going to take the world by storm. I’m honored to take this journey with them and so thrilled to be partnering with Amazon Studios once again in pursuit of bold, unapologetic filmmaking.”

Also Read: Tessa Thompson Sundance Film 'Sylvie's Love' Acquired by Amazon Studios

Smith’s credits including the pilot and second episode of “Hanna” for Amazon, as well as the first episode of Hulu’s “Looking for Alaska,” in which Froseth starred. Her other credits include “The Midnight Swim,” “Room 104” and “Legion.”

Smith is represented by WME and Artists First and Jon Van Schaik, while Silvers is represented by WME and Anonymous Content and Jackoway, Austen, Tyerman. Froseth is represented by CAA, Anonymous Content and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.


Jajpur/Kalinganagar: People’s demand for industrialisation in Jajpur district seems to be on the wane as two industrial units failed to lay their foundation stones over the last two weeks due to stiff opposition by locals, a report said.

The opposition of the residents stems from the fact that the firms were trying to take over the public land for establishment of their units and were ignoring employment of locals.

Reports said Kesika Metallics had planned for its ground breaking ceremony near the Biju Patnaik Park at Kalinganagar March 7 while Darcl Logistics had planned its foundation stone laying ceremony Tuesday.

Darcl Logistics had planned to establish its hub over 10 acre of land in Danagadi tehsil but its plan for laying the foundation stone was frustrated after locals opposed handing over the land, comprising a pastureland and playground, to the firm. This led to face-off between the locals and the police personnel present there.

Locals alleged that when the district administration had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc over coronavirus scare, the Dangadi tehsil officials carrying out measurement of the land and the foundation stone laying ceremony are in clear defiance of the collector’s order.

It is alleged that the firms overlooking the problems of the residents and the displaced has led to a sharp resentment among the locals.

Moreover, the chances of getting employment in these firms were getting slimmer by the day on account of which locals are no longer enthusiastic about industrialisation.

The firms which had earlier established their units here never tried to fulfill the aspirations of the local people on the fronts of employment and peripheral development. And this led to discontent among the people.

The state government has planned to build Kalinganagar as a mega industrial hub for which many downstream industries from in and out of the state have expressed their interests to establish their units here.

The locals were also annoyed on the construction of a logistics park on a forest land adjoining the land identified for Darcl Logistics.

A local environmental outfit, Kalinganagar Parivesh Surakshya Samiti, has filed a case (42.2019) in the National Green Tribunal on construction of the logistics park. The case is sub-judice.

Narayan Dixit, additional tehsildar of Danagadi, said they were measuring the land for handing it over to Darcl Logistics but postponed it due to opposition by locals.

As the country gears up to celebrate the much-awaited Holi festival on Tuesday, 10 March, the Delhi traffic police has come out with a special traffic advisory to ensure smooth traffic, and more importantly to curb rash driving and road accidents on the day.

It states, “ Delhi Traffic Police has made elaborate traffic arrangements to ensure safety of motorists on roads and check the incidents of drunken driving, over-speeding, reckless driving, zig-zag driving, dangerous driving, red light jumping, triple riding, driving by minor, driving/riding without helmet, performing stunts on two-wheelers, etc.”