Culture and Arts

December 2, 2014, President Obama: "There may and likely will come a time in which we have both an airborne disease that is deadly. And in order for us to deal with that effectively, we have to put in place an infrastructure -- not just here at home, but globally -- that allows us to see it quickly, isolate it quickly, respond to it quickly. And it also requires us to continue the same path of basic research that is being done here at NIH that Nancy is a great example of. So that if and when a new strain of flu, like the Spanish flu, crops up five years from now or a decade from now, we've made the investment and we're further along to be able to catch it. It is a smart investment for us to make. It's not just insurance; it is knowing that down the road we're going to continue to have problems like this -- particularly in a globalized world where you move from one side of the world to the other in a day." more »

FactCheck.org's Weekly Update: "In this video, we take a look at COVID-19 antibody tests, which can reveal whether someone was previously infected with the novel coronavirus — and explain why a positive or negative result may not always be so easy to interpret. President Trump falsely claimed that his administration was not initially able to meet the increasing demand for ventilators to treat COVID-19 patients because "we weren’t left ventilators by a previous administration." "FactCheck.org monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major US political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding." more »

"C-SPAN is committing to airing live each of the Supreme Court's just-announced schedule of oral arguments for May, which will be held by teleconference. The audio of the arguments will be accessible live via one of the C-SPAN TV networks, online via C-SPAN.org, and on the free C-SPAN Radio app, which will allow them to be heard via anyone's cell phone. Photo and name IDs of the justices and counsel will accompany the audio feed on television; name IDs will be provided on radio." Editor's Note: For those of you with children and grandchildren interested in science and the future, do not forget NASA station, NASA.gov! more »

"Nurses' roles are now more important than ever. Nurses are often the last thread of compassion for patients. They're the ones doing the screenings, taking care of the critically ill, implementing triage protocols, communicating to families, and attending to the dying. Nurses in every role are impacted. They're being asked to work in areas of the hospital that aren't their normal specialty. They're providing telehealth consultations. They're being redeployed to learn new skills and take new roles — as safety officers, and taking care of critically ill patients. They're making triage plans operational. We've had to reallocate our resources in profound ways, and nurses are innovating and leading in the midst of the crisis." more »