Good morning.
We’re covering arrests on the first day of Hong Kong’s security law, a Chinese program to track Uighur Muslims and challenges for Facebook as advertisers pull out.
Day 1 of Hong Kong security law: Hundreds arrested The Hong Kong police moved swiftly on Wednesday to enforce China’s new national security rules with the first arrests under the law. The chilling effect over the city has booksellers, professors and nonprofits questioning their futures.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets on the anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese control, but were corralled by the police using pepper spray and water cannons.
About 370 people were arrested, including 10 over new offenses created by the security law that takes aim at political dissent. One of the 10 was a 15-year-old girl waving a Hong Kong independence flag, the police said.
Quotable: “You can say this law is just targeting protesters and anti-Chinese politicians, but it could be anyone,” said Isabella Ng, a professor at the Education University of Hong Kong.
A police warning: The city’s police force deployed a new weapon in its running battle with protesters: a purple flag warning demonstrators that shouting certain slogans or carrying banners could now bring criminal charges.
Ripple effect: The security law is raising fears in Taiwan, which has long been pressured by Beijing to unite with the mainland.
Now, the U.S. might be the economic straggler The U.S. has outperformed Europe on the economic front for decades, but the coronavirus may be changing that.
In this crisis, the U.S. provided an early burst of funds for taxpayers and company support, but is leaving it up to the market to reallocate jobs. Experts say the European response, which froze the economy in place with wage subsidies, might work better.
Latest Updates: Global Coronavirus Outbreak Updated 2020-07-01T23:01:22.282Z
As the U.S. reports record numbers of new cases, states and localities halt reopenings. California closes indoor operations for restaurants for more than 70 percent of the state’s population. As cases surge, Trump says he believes the virus is ‘going to sort of just disappear.’ See more updates
More live coverage: Markets
Already the different approaches are yielding different outcomes, not only in terms of infections and deaths, where the United States leads the world, but also in terms of jobs. Unemployment is soaring in the U.S., while it remains largely stable in Europe.
In other developments:
Reversing course, New York City will not allow indoor dining to resume at restaurants next week, after officials became alarmed over the virus rising in other U.S. states. And California closed its indoor dining down for 70 percent of the population.
The European Union reopened its borders on Wednesday to visitors from 15 countries, excluding the United States, Russia and Brazil, and many European countries further eased pandemic restrictions.
Here are the latest updates and maps tracking the outbreak. (And read about it in our Back Story below).
How China tracked Uighurs for years Chinese hackers have been using malware to spy on Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang and abroad since as early as 2013 — and on a scale far larger than we knew, according to new research.
Lookout, a mobile security firm based in San Francisco, described a widespread phone hacking campaign in a report on Wednesday that it said may have been an early cornerstone in efforts to collect data on the Uighurs.
Those surveillance efforts later extended to collecting face scans, voice prints and other personal data. China’s government also went to great lengths to track Uighurs as they fled China for as many as 15 other countries, the report said.
Details: Lookout found links between eight types of malicious software that show how groups connected to China’s government hacked into Android phones used by the Uighurs.
How it works: The tools were disguised on special keyboards and in commonly used apps. They could remotely turn on a phone’s microphone, record calls or export photos, phone locations and conversations on chat apps.
Related: The Associated Press reports that federal authorities in New York seized a shipment of weaves and other beauty accessories suspected to be made out of human hair taken from people locked inside a Chinese internment camp.
If you have 6 minutes, this is worth it Bringing the Beijing treatment to Hong Kong
With the passage of a restrictive new national security law, activists in Hong Kong now face the same dilemma as their mainland counterparts: choosing between fear and their ideals. Pro-democracy supporters are already scrubbing their social media accounts as they weigh the possibility of jail time.
Our New New World columnist, Li Yuan, writes about the new climate of fear that is descending on Hong Kong. Above, people watching protests in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
Here’s what else is happening Facebook: The social network has tried to strike a conciliatory tone in the face of an exodus of at least 300 advertisers, who say Facebook needs to overhaul its hate-speech policies. But it’s having little effect, and more are expected to join the campaign.
US media in China: China is asking four U.S. news organizations to provide the government with information about their staffs, finances and real estate holdings inside the country, in retaliation for the Trump administration’s recent actions against Chinese news outlets in the United States.
Fox News: The cable network fired Ed Henry, a Washington correspondent and anchor, over a sexual misconduct claim.
Snapshot: Above, workers clearing out streets in Seattle’s protest zone on Wednesday, after police dismantled the “no cop” area. Demonstrators had set up the zone as a symbolic statement after the death of George Floyd.
What we’re watching: This video of a public health expert live on BBC and her adorable daughter puttering around in the background. “It’s the perfect encapsulation of our — and particularly women’s — messy working-from-home lives right now and it’ll make you smile,” says Alisha Haridasani Gupta, gender reporter for In Her Words.
Now, a break from the news
Cook: These gingery grilled chicken thighs with charred peaches are sweet-tart and irresistibly sticky. The yogurt adds a cool and creamy counterpart to the char and smoke.
The Coronavirus Outbreak
Frequently Asked Questions and Advice Updated June 30, 2020
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
What’s the best material for a mask?
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
Is it harder to exercise while wearing a mask?
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
I’ve heard about a treatment called dexamethasone. Does it work?
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
What is pandemic paid leave?
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
Does asymptomatic transmission of Covid-19 happen?
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
What’s the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface?
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
How does blood type influence coronavirus?
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
How many people have lost their jobs due to coronavirus in the U.S.?
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
How can I protect myself while flying?
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
What should I do if I feel sick?
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
Watch: Carl Reiner, the comedy master who died this week, excelled at spotlighting the unique comic gifts of Steve Martin and other actors. Here’s where to watch his best work.
Listen: Mozart, as the conductor Colin Davis once said, is “life itself.” We hope you find lots to discover and enjoy in this selection of his music.
Staying safe at home is easier when you have plenty of things to read, cook, watch and do. At Home has our full collection of ideas.
And now for the Back Story on … Tracking the outbreak The Times’s coronavirus tracking project started with a reporter’s spreadsheet, and grew into a go-to database for every coronavirus case and every death. Here’s a look at how it all came together. You can read the full story from Times Insider.
The data gathered by The Times’s coronavirus tracking team has been an engine for our coverage of the pandemic and has been used by medical researchers, federal offices, health care providers and nonprofit organizations.
As the first U.S. cases were being reported in late January, Mitch Smith, a national correspondent who covers the Midwest, and Monica Davey, the Chicago bureau chief, created a Google spreadsheet to keep track of confirmed cases across the country. At first, they documented cases in Washington State and on cruise ships.
“Every case was a news event then,” Mr. Smith said.
In those early days, Mr. Smith or a team member would note an infected person’s age, gender and condition, in addition to a few other details, and add them to the sheet. A map on the Times website, built by the Graphics desk, pulled data from the sheet to show where outbreaks were appearing.
By late February, with outbreaks popping up across the country, the team realized that its database had no equivalent in the public sector. “We had a level of detail and a level of immediacy that the federal government wasn’t providing,” Mr. Smith recalled.
The Times’s tracking project grew to keep up with an epidemic that was rapidly spreading. Reporters from all over the newsroom pitched in. To date, more than one hundred people have contributed to an effort that is active 18 hours a day.
As it became too difficult to count the cases manually, developers joined. A team led by Tiff Fehr wrote custom software that pulled confirmed case and death numbers from the websites of 56 states and territories every few hours and saved them to a Times database.
The Times is also counting cases around the world, and tracking how overall mortality has changed in 24 countries, with the hope that this data might provide a more accurate account of the virus’s toll where cases are underreported. All told, the coronavirus data collected informs over 70 different maps and articles live on the Times website. They are updated about every four hours.
That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.
— Melina
Thank you
To Melissa Clark for the recipe, and to Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh for the rest of the break from the news. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.
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