CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,update

 

September 21, 2020 This message includes updates on the COVID-19 response from CDC. The COVID-19 Outbreak is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available.

COVID-19 Science Update To help inform the COVID-19 response and help stay up to date on the latest COVID-19 research, CDC has created a series called COVID-19 Science Update. The first of its kind for a CDC emergency response, this series provides brief summaries of new COVID-19-related studies on many topics, including epidemiology, clinical treatment and management, laboratory science, and modeling. These summaries are released Tuesdays and Fridays and include an overview of key findings, methods, and implications.

Read the Summaries

	After You Travel  Domestic or international travel may increase your risk of exposure to COVID-19. Travelers can pose a risk to family, friends, and the community for 14 days after exposure to the virus. This document outlines actions to protect others from getting sick after you travel.

Protect Others After Traveling

Considerations for Outdoor Learning Gardens and Community Gardens These recommendations are meant for managers of outdoor learning gardens, such as school and community gardens. These gardens provide outdoor learning and access to healthy, affordable fruits and vegetables within their communities. Garden managers can use the recommendations to help ensure a safe learning environment and access to healthy food, while helping prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Maintain Healthy Environments

	Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 CDC is actively working to learn more about the whole range of short- and long-term health effects associated with COVID-19. As the pandemic unfolds, we are learning that many organs besides the lungs are affected by COVID-19 and there are many ways the infection can affect someone’s health.

Learn More About Long-Term Effects

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.

As of September 21, 2020 In the United States, there have been 6,786,352 confirmed cases of COVID-19 detected through U.S. public health surveillance systems in 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Marianas Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands.  CDC provides updated U.S. case information online daily.

U.S. Cases

U.S. Small Business Administration,update

 

Get the Latest Small Business News in this Newsletter

The SBA is now on Instagram - @SBAgov   President Donald J. Trump has proclaimed September 20 through September 26, 2020, as National Small Business Week. "During National Small Business Week, we celebrate the resolve and ingenuity of American businesses, entrepreneurs, and workers. America’s small businesses are at the very core of our Nation’s identity and prosperity, and this week we pay tribute to these patriots for their contributions to our Nation’s economy and culture.  This year, as we collectively recover from an unprecedented pandemic, my Administration remains intensely focused on helping every American enterprise remain viable, recover, and once again, thrive at historic levels. Our Nation’s more than 30 million small businesses, which employ nearly half the private-sector workforce and create two-thirds of all net new jobs, are the key to propelling our economy to the prosperity levels America has enjoyed over the past 3 years. That is why, as part of our extraordinary, whole-of-government economic response to the coronavirus, we have placed the small business sector front and center. We have delivered nearly three quarters of a trillion dollars in timely, economic relief to distressed small business entrepreneurs and their employees throughout the country, including $525 billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, $190 billion in COVID‑19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), $20 billion in EIDL Advance grants, and additional healthcare funding." Read more    Join us tomorrow, September 22, as we kick off our free National Small Business Week virtual conference. The event will feature presentations by business experts, mentoring, and virtual networking all designed to help entrepreneurs retool, pivot, and come back stronger than ever before. We will also announce the National Small Business Person of the Year.  Register today Resilient and strong, small businesses take center stage this week By SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza In celebration of our American ideal that anyone, from anywhere in our great nation, can grow an idea and start a business, we kick off National Small Business Week. This year, as we all continue to navigate the economic impact and recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump Administration remains intensely focused on helping every American entrepreneur remain viable, recover, and once again, thrive at historic levels. As part of our extraordinary, whole-of government economic response to the coronavirus, this Administration has placed the small business sector front and center. We have delivered nearly three-quarters of a trillion dollars in timely, economic relief to millions of distressed small business enterprises and their employees. I am confident our nation’s more than 30 million small businesses, which employ nearly half the private-sector workforce and create two-thirds of all net new jobs, will once again propel our economy to the prosperity America has enjoyed the previous three years. Learn more U.S. Small Business Administration 409 3rd St, SW. Washington DC 20416 www.sba.gov

USDA,Foreign Agricultural Service...

 

The following Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) reports were released on Monday, September 21, 2020.     Australia: Sugar Semi-annual   FAS/Canberra’s sugar cane production estimate for Australia is revised down for MY 2020/21 to 31 MMT, from 32 MMT previously, as dry conditions had a greater impact than first considered on production volumes. In addition to lower-than-expected sugar cane production, sugar content of the cane this season is down due to a mild winter. This has resulted in a downward revision of sugar production for MY 2020/21 to 4.3 MMT. If realized this would be nearly the same as MY 2019/20. Australia’s sugar exports are also revised lower to 3.4 MMT in MY 2020/21, down from 3.6 MMT in MY 2019/20. India: COVID-19 in India - Weekly Port Situation Update Weekly report as of September 18, 2020, of COVID-19 impact on Indian port operations. Japan: Japan Proposes to Revise Eligibility for Biomass Feed-In Tariff Program Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) invites public comments on its proposal to shorten the eligibility window for previously approved and future biomass projects under its feed-in tariff (FIT) program. METI will accept public comments on the proposal submitted before October 6, 2020. Philippines: Livestock and Poultry Update   Post expects a larger drop in pork production of 20 percent in 2020 as African Swine Fever remains a major concern in Luzon and parts of Mindanao. Chicken production is also likely to decline by 15 percent this year, reversing the initially bullish outlook. Demand for beef, pork, and chicken remains weak due to limited operations of the food service sector and other COVID19 quarantine restrictions. Although shipments of chicken leg quarters and pork have slowed significantly, imports of mechanically deboned chicken meat remain strong due to the growing demand for processed meat products during the pandemic. Farm gate prices of meat and poultry continue to increase, but retail prices have remained relatively stable as a result of the Philippine Price Act. Beef and pork imports are forecast up in 2021, while chicken imports are expected to maintain their current level, as demand recovers and quarantine restrictions are loosened. Russia: Poultry and Products Annual   Steady demand for chicken meat and ample feed supplies are expected to lift production to 4.725 MMT (RTC) in 2021. Exports in 2021 are projected at 220,000 MT (RTC) with shipments to traditional and recently opened markets expected to grow at a slower rate than the 22 percent growth in 2020 driven by entry into the Chinese market. A weaker ruble will spur export initiatives but harm margins from domestic sales. In this environment, leading poultry companies are expected to increase their market shares at the expense of smaller players. Taiwan: Taiwan Eradicates Foot and Mouth Disease But Challenges Remain for Returning to Pork Export Market On June 16, 2020, Taiwan was officially recognized as free from foot and mouth disease (FMD) without vaccinations by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Taiwan has been shut out of the global pork market since a 1997 FMD outbreak. The loss of export markets forced Taiwan producers to focus on pork production for the Taiwan market, which resulted in the reemergence of more traditional swine production practices. While Taiwan now has an OIE-recognized FMD-free status, Taiwan remains as an epidemic area for classical swine fever (CSF). CSF will need to be addressed by Taiwan’s animal health regulatory authorities to enable Taiwan pork producers to fully participate in the global pork market.   For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.

NSF advances 25 projects to explore bold ideas for transformative research

 

ANNOUNCEMENT NSF advances 25 projects to explore bold ideas for transformative research   September 15, 2020 The U.S. National Science Foundation is always seeking to engage the most creative minds with innovative ideas that will help understand and surmount the world’s most difficult challenges. NSF 2026 is one of the agency's "10 Big Ideas for Future NSF Investments," intended to ensure continuous exploration at the frontiers of U.S. science and engineering. Previously, NSF invited the scientific community, industry, nonprofits and the public at large to participate in the NSF 2026 Idea Machine, a competition to help set the U.S. agenda for fundamental research in science and engineering. NSF received 800 ideas from nearly every state, with the potential to address grand challenges in fundamental research or in STEM education. All entries were reviewed by experts and 33 ideas were selected for their timeliness, ambition, potential scientific and societal impacts, and potential for interagency, international and public-private partnerships. Some of the themes that emerged include: How to design a resilient environment that will adapt to a rapidly changing world How to reduce waste and harness it for energy How to design new materials that mimic properties of living things How to expand artificial intelligence to incorporate empathy How to empower K-12 and other educators to engage all members of society in STEM literacy and to become the problem-solvers of tomorrow To further develop the themes, NSF invited proposals for conferences and early concept, exploratory research. NSF awarded 21 research and four conference projects totaling over $6 million. Scientists, engineers and educators from 27 institutions across the country will be involved in these highly interdisciplinary projects. "With the NSF 2026 Idea Machine, NSF ventured beyond our traditional paradigms to invite input from trusted stakeholders as well as new and unconventional partners. This ensures that our future research themes will bridge recognized gaps in existing knowledge and reflect the interests and priorities of the American people," says Suzanne Iacono, head of integrative activities. The funded projects focus on diverse topics, including artificial general intelligence, environmental sustainability, evolution and diversity of human cognition, biomaterials, emergence, diversification and enhancement of the STEM workforce, and others. All are designed to engage multiple science and engineering disciplines to develop the top-ranked Idea Machine themes into thoughtful, cross-cutting research agendas. Further information on the NSF 2026 Idea Machine and the list of awards is available at nsf.gov.

European Council Council of the European Union:weekly digest buletin

 

European Council Council of the European Union

Brussels, 20 September 2020 Weekly digest l 14/09/2020 10:06 | Media advisory | Foreign affairs & international relations Media advisory - EU-China leaders' meeting via video conference, 14 September 2020 EU and China leaders will discuss EU-China relations including climate change, economic and trade issues. They will also discuss international and other issues of concern and exchange views on responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full item 14/09/2020 17:54 | Statements and remarks | Foreign affairs & international relations Remarks by President Charles Michel after the EU-China leaders' meeting via video conference European Council President Michel, European Commission President von der Leyen, German Chancellor Merkel and Chinese President Xi met by video conference. They discussed EU-China relations including climate change, economic and trade issues. Leaders also discussed international and other issues of concern and exchanged views on responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full item 15/09/2020 17:35 | Statements and remarks | Home affairs Remarks by President Charles Michel after his visit to Moria Camp in Lesbos European Council President Charles Michel visited the Moria Camp on the Greek island of Lesbos and underlined the European solidarity for the migrants, for the people of Lesbos and for all the aid workers. Read the full item

Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο:Weekly Digest Bulletin

Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο Έγγραφα ολομέλειας: Προτάσεις ψηφίσματος 13-09-2020 ΠΡΟΤΑΣΗ ΨΗΦΙΣΜΑΤΟΣ σχετικά με τις προθεσμίες για την εκδίκαση υποθέσεων ενώπιον του Ευρωπαϊκού Δικαστηρίου Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων - B9-0239/2020 13-09-2020 11:20 PM CEST ΠΡΟΤΑΣΗ ΨΗΦΙΣΜΑΤΟΣ σύμφωνα με το άρθρο 143 του Κανονισμού σχετικά με τις προθεσμίες για την εκδίκαση υποθέσεων ενώπιον του Ευρωπαϊκού Δικαστηρίου Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων Viktor Uspaskich Πηγή : © Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, 2020 - EK ΠΡΟΤΑΣΗ ΨΗΦΙΣΜΑΤΟΣ σχετικά με τη βελτίωση της ενημέρωσης των πολιτών και τις δυνατότητες παροχής ανατροφοδότησης σχετικά με χάρτες πορείας - B9-0240/2020 13-09-2020 11:20 PM CEST ΠΡΟΤΑΣΗ ΨΗΦΙΣΜΑΤΟΣ σύμφωνα με το άρθρο 143 του Κανονισμού σχετικά με τη βελτίωση της ενημέρωσης των πολιτών και τις δυνατότητες παροχής ανατροφοδότησης σχετικά με χάρτες πορείας Bernhard Zimniok, Charlie Weimers, Peter Kofod, Jaak Madison, Rob Rooken, Harald Vilimsky Πηγή : © Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, 2020 - EK Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο Έγγραφα ολομέλειας: Τροπολογίες 14-09-2020 AMENDMENTS 122-122 - INTERIM REPORT on the proposal for a Council decision on the determination of a clear risk of a serious breach by the Republic of Poland of the rule of law - A9-0138/2020(122-122) 14-09-2020 10:34 AM CEST AMENDMENTS 122-122 INTERIM REPORT on the proposal for a Council decision on the determination of a clear risk of a serious breach by the Republic of Poland of the rule of law (COM(2017)0835 - 2017/0360R(NLE)) Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Rapporteur: Juan Fernando López Aguilar Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

U.S. Elections 2020:Countdown and Beyond...

 

U.S. Elections 2020:  Countdown and Beyond   Αθήνα 22.09.2020 Με επίκεντρο τις αμερικανικές προεδρικές εκλογές 2020 οι οποίες θα πραγματοποιηθούν τον Νοέμβριο, το Έλληνο-Αμερικανικό Εμπορικό Επιμελητήριο διοργανώνει αποκλειστική διαδικτυακή συζήτηση με τον ανταποκριτή του Λευκού Οίκου για το Fox News Radio, Jon Decker την Πέμπτη 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2020 στις 13:00-14:00 (ώρα Ελλάδος). Σε μια τόσο σημαντική συγκυρία και με τα  βλέμματα όλου του κόσμου στραμμένα στην 59η προεδρική εκλογή, που θα σηματοδοτήσει την αυριανή ημέρα των ΗΠΑ, κατά τη διάρκεια της εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρουσας διαδικτυακής συζήτησης θα καλυφθεί μια εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρουσα θεματολογία, που θα εξετάζει το προεκλογικό κλίμα στις ΗΠΑ και τα θέματα υψίστης σημασίας σε αυτές τις εκλογές. Ειδικότερα, θα δοθούν απαντήσεις, μεταξύ άλλων, σε ερωτήματα όπως, ποιες πολιτείες θα αποτελέσουν τα βασικά πεδία μάχης, ποιες είναι οι παράμετροι που θα επηρεάσουν την προοπτική επανεκλογής του Προέδρου Trump, το κατά πόσο η επιλογή της Αντιπροέδρου του Joe Biden θα ενισχύσει την υποψηφιότητα του για την προεδρία αλλά και σε ποιο βαθμό η ελληνική διασπορά θα διαδραματίσει ρόλο στο αποτέλεσμα των εκλογών. Μετά τη σύντομη παρουσίαση του Jon Decker, θα ακολουθήσει συζήτηση, την οποία συντονίζει η δημοσιογράφος και παρουσιάστρια του κεντρικού δελτίου ειδήσεων του ΣΚΑΙ, Σία Κοσιώνη. Ο Jon Decker είναι μέλος της ομάδας Τύπου του Λευκού Οίκου από το 1995. Έχει καλύψει τις προεδρικές θητείες των Clinton, Bush, Obama και Trump, καθώς και 23 Addresses State of the Union, 6 προεδρικές εκλογές και τη διαδικασία μομφής του Προέδρου Clinton. Είναι ο μόνος δικηγόρος στην ομάδα Τύπου και ήταν από τους λίγους πολιτικούς συντάκτες που προέβλεψαν σωστά το αποτέλεσμα των προεδρικών εκλογών το 2016. O Ηλίας Σπυρτούνιας, Γενικός Διευθυντής του Ελληνο-Αμερικανικού Εμπορικού Επιμελητηρίου δήλωσε: «Οι Αμερικανικές εκλογές έχουν μεγάλη σημασία όχι μόνο για τις ΗΠΑ αλλά για όλο τον κόσμο. Υπάρχουν πλείστα θέματα σχετικά με την οικονομία, την επιχειρηματικότητα, τις εμπορικές σχέσεις και συναλλαγές που διακυβεύονται, μεταξύ άλλων, στις φετινές εκλογές. Το Ελληνο-Αμερικανικό Επιμελητήριο επιθυμεί με τη διαδικτυακή αυτή συζήτηση να παρέχει μία ουσιαστική ενημέρωση, όχι μόνο για τις ιδιαιτερότητες του Αμερικανικού εκλογικού συστήματος, το κλίμα αλλά και τις προσδοκίες που επικρατούν στις διάφορες πολιτείες, αλλά ταυτόχρονα και τις όποιες κατευθύνσεις μπορεί να έχει η οικονομική, εμπορική και εξωτερική πολιτική των ΗΠΑ ανάλογα με το εκλογικό αποτέλεσμα. Ευχαριστούμε θερμά τον Jon Decker και τη Σία Κοσιώνη για τη συμμετοχή τους σε αυτή την ενδιαφέρουσα συζήτηση.» Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες δείτε ΕΔΩ: https://bit.ly/301Kqdc Για να παρακολουθήσετε ζωντανά την εκδήλωση πατήστε ΕΔΩ: https://bit.ly/3coYm62