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Tesla CEO Elon Musk just unveiled the company’s first electric pickup truck, also known as Cybertruck, at an event in Los Angeles, California. The truck will come in three versions with 250 miles, 300 miles, and 500 miles of range, respectively. And it will start at $39,900, Musk said. The truck won’t be rolling off the assembly line until late 2021, but preorders can be made at tesla.com/cybertruck.

Always a showman, Musk put the truck through its paces in an effort to demonstrate its ruggedness. He had Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief of design, hit the door of the truck with a sledgehammer several times, claimed it was practically bulletproof, and showed the truck winning a tug-of-war with a Ford F150 and a drag race with a Porsche 911.

However, when he tried to show how shatterproof the “armored” glass was, things went awry. A metal ball thrown by Holzhausen shattered both the truck’s windows. “We’ll fix it in post,” a sheepish Musk quipped.

There are three versions of the truck available:

  • Single motor rear-wheel drive with 250 miles of range, 7,500-pound towing capacity, and 0-60 mph capabilities in under 6.5 seconds, for $39,900.
  • Dual motor all-wheel drive with 300 miles of range, 10,000-pound towing capacity, and 0-60 mph in under 4.5 seconds for $49,900.
  • Triple motor all-wheel drive with 500 miles of range, 14,000-pound towing capacity, and 0-60 mph in under 2.9 seconds for $69,900. (Though this version won’t start production until late 2022.)

The truck can seat a total of six adults, Tesla says. The body is made of ultra-hard 30X cold-rolled stainless steel. Musk had Holzhausen demonstrate the body’s strength by smashing it with the aforementioned sledge hammer. The payload has a 3,500-pound capacity, with 100 cubic feet of storage space. The truck’s vault length is 6.5 feet, and it will have 4-inch suspension in either direction. A 17-inch touchscreen sits in the center of the dashboard, though images of the interior look slightly unfinished. (Is that dashboard made of formica?)

Musk has spent the better part of a decade poking at the idea of a Tesla pickup truck. He tweeted in 2012 that he “[w]ould love to make a Tesla supertruck” with “crazy torque” and “dynamic air suspension.” By 2013, he told Business Insider that the company was actually planning to make one. The pickup was even featured in his second “master plan” for Tesla, which he published in 2016.


Musk continued to toy with the idea in public, saying in April 2017 that a reveal event would happen in “18 to 24 months.” In 2018 he said the truck had taken on a “futuristic-like cyberpunk, Blade Runner” design, and that he didn’t even care much if people didn’t like it. He’s since said the pickup truck is his favorite project out of all the ones Tesla’s working on.

While the pickup truck has obviously been a pet project for Musk, it could also be a great opportunity for Tesla’s business. Not only are pickup sales on the rise in the US, but trucks command high average selling prices and high profit margins.

“Pickup truck buyers spend a lot on their trucks,” says Tyson Jominy, vice president of data and analytics consulting at JD Power. “A $50,000 pickup truck is a very common occurrence now. People are willing to spend on this segment to haul their toys, to support a lifestyle.”


Tesla’s business could arguably use the bump. While the company squeaked out a $143 million profit in the past quarter, it only did so after including $164 million worth of regulatory credits and money that it’s banked from customers who’ve paid for the yet-to-be-released “full self-driving” version of Autopilot.

That said, a lot will happen between now and when the truck starts shipping. Not only will Tesla soon start producing Model 3s in China for that market, making it less of a burden to sell cars there, the company is also releasing the Model Y crossover at the end of 2020.

One of the only segments rivaling the growth of pickup trucks over the last few years is the SUV segment (and especially the small SUV segment). If things go according to plan for Tesla, the company’s business will already be in better shape by the time the Cybertruck ships, meaning whatever profit it can reap from the pickup will be gravy.

Tesla has led the charge into long-range electric vehicles, and there’s currently no mass-market electric pickup truck available for sale. But the landscape will change by the time the truck ships. Ford has an all-electric F-150 on the way, General Motors confirmed it will put an electric pickup on the market in 2021, and EV startup Rivian — which is now backed by both Ford and Amazon — is scheduled to release its electric pickup in late 2020.

Depending on how things shake out with all of these plans, Tesla could wind up releasing the Cybertruck into a market that’s already somewhat established — which would be an unfamiliar position for the company.

Source Article from https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/21/20975475/tesla-cybertruck-announcement-musk-electric-truck-pickup-features-range-price-release-date

Siete personas resultaron heridas por uno o más hombres armados con un hacha este jueves en la estación de tren de Düsseldorf, en Alemania.

Dos de los siete heridos tres están en estado grave y cuatro en leve. Uno de los atacantes huyó de la estación y se hirió de gravedad al saltar desde un puente antes de ser arrestado.

Se trata de un hombre de 36 años, originario de la antigua Yugoslavia y con problemas psíquicos. En un comunicado, la policía del estado federado de Renania del Norte-Westfalia informó de que el atacante, que se encuentra hospitalizado, residía en Wuppertal, ciudad situada a unos 35 kilómetros de Düsseldorf.

Los videos de seguridad de la estación muestran a otra persona que huyó rápidamente del lugar pero al momento la Policía no sabe si pretendía escapar del ataque o si era cómplice del mismo.

Las instalaciones de la estación han sido reabiertas, y la policía informó de que ya ha concluido los registros y la búsqueda de otros posibles sospechosos.

Helicópteros y un importante dispositivo policiaco fueron desplegados en los alrededores del lugar del ataque.

Las autoridades alemanas están alertas por la amenaza yihadista que pesa sobre el país, en especial después del atentado con un camión en diciembre pasado en Berlín (12 muertos), reivindicado por el grupo Estado Islámico. Los servicios de inteligencia de Alemania calculan en 10.000 el número de islamistas radicales en el país. “No estamos usando la palabra terrorismo”, dijo una portavoz policial.

La agresión tuvo lugar en la estación de trenes de Düsseldorf, la capital de Renania del Norte-Westfalia, el Estado más poblado de Alemania y que el próximo mes de mayo celebrará elecciones regionales.

Casi al mismo tiempo que el ataque en Alemana, varios países y activistas exigían en Naciones Unidas medidas para acabar con la impunidad en los crímenes cometidos por los yihadistas del Estado Islámico, especialmente en Siria e Irak.

Bélgica, Canadá, Alemania, Irak y el Reino Unido organizaron una reunión en la sede de la ONU para insistir en la necesidad de perseguir y juzgar a los miembros del grupo terrorista responsables de las peores atrocidades.

“Los responsables, hasta ahora, siguen libres, sin castigo y sin vergüenza”, destacó el embajador británico ante Naciones Unidas, Matthew Rycroft, que actualmente preside el Consejo de Seguridad.

Además de representantes de países y de instituciones, la cita contó con la presencia de activistas que trabajan para que se juzguen los delitos del Estado Islámico en países como Irak. Entre ellas, Nadia Murad, una joven yazidí que fue secuestrada y violada por miembros del Estado Islámico en Irak y que se ha convertido en símbolo de la tragedia vivida por su comunidad. Murad expresó su decepción por la falta de acciones para acabar con la impunidad del Estado Islámico y se preguntó por qué se está tardando tanto en tomar medidas.

“No puedo entender por qué están permitiendo al Estado Islámico salir impune o qué más necesitan oír antes de actuar. Hoy pido al gobierno de Irak y a la ONU establecer una investigación y dar a todas las víctimas del Estado Islámico la justicia que merecen”, dijo.

También intervino la abogada especializada en derechos humanos Amal Clooney, esposa del actor George Clooney, quien insistió al Ejecutivo iraquí en la necesidad de que dé luz verde a una investigación de Naciones Unidas. Según Clooney, con el simple envío de una carta, Bagdad puede permitir que se vote inmediatamente una resolución con ese fin.

Source Article from http://www.elpais.com.uy/mundo/cinco-heridos-ataque-hacha-alemania.html

via press release:

NOTICIAS  TELEMUNDO  PRESENTS:

“MURIENDO POR CRUZAR,” AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCREASING NUMBER OF IMMIGRANT DEATHS ALONG THE BORDER, THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 3 AT 6 P.M./5 C

Carmen Dominicci and Neida Sandoval present the Telemundo and The Weather Channel co-production

Miami – July 31, 2014 – Telemundo presents “Muriendo por Cruzar”, a documentary that investigates why increasing numbers of immigrants are dying while trying to cross the US-Mexican border near the city of Falfurrias, Texas, this Sunday, August 3 at 6PM/5 C.  The Telemundo and The Weather Channel co-production, presented by Noticias Telemundo journalists Carmen Dominicci and Neida Sandoval, reveals the obstacles immigrants face once they cross into US territory, including extreme weather conditions, as they try to evade the border patrol.  “Muriendo por Cruzar” is part of Noticias Telemundo’s special coverage of the crisis on the border and immigration reform.

 

“‘Muriendo por Cruzar’” dares to ask questions that reveal the actual conditions undocumented immigrants face as they try to start a new life in the United States,” said Alina Falcón, Telemundo’s Executive Vice President for News and Alternative Programming.  “Our collaboration with The Weather Channel was very productive. They have a unique expertise in covering the impact of weather on people’s lives, as we do in covering immigration reform and the border crisis. The result is a compelling documentary that exposes a harrowing reality.”

“Muriendo por Cruzar” is the first co-production by Telemundo and The Weather Channel.  Both networks are part of NBCUniversal.

Source Article from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/07/31/noticias-telemundo-presents-muriendo-por-cruzar-this-sunday-august-3-at-6pm/289119/

“Make no mistake about it: backing impeachment will cost the Democrats their majority in 2020,” he added.

Calls for Trump to be impeached have grown in the last few days amid allegations that Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenTrump instructed administration to withhold military aid for Ukraine days before call with president: report More Democrats threaten impeachment over Trump’s dealings with Ukraine Seven Freshman Democrats pen op-ed urging Congress to impeach Trump if new allegations are true MORE‘s son.

A growing chorus of House Democrats is pushing for an impeachment inquiry, piling pressure on Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiMore Democrats threaten impeachment over Trump’s dealings with Ukraine Whistleblower fuels impeachment talk Pressure on Pelosi to impeach Trump grows MORE (D-Calif.), who has been opposed to impeachment so far.

She is set to deliver remarks on the topic at 5 p.m.

Several Democrats have raised concerns that a full embrace of impeachment could hurt more moderate caucus members who flipped districts in 2018 that Trump won in 2016.

Nearly half of the first-term Democratic lawmakers who flipped districts are now backing impeachment following reports of Trump’s call with Zelensky and a whistleblower complaint that is said to be centered on that call.

Recent polls have generally shown support for impeachment in the high 30 percent to low 40 percent range. 

Democrats currently hold a 235-199 majority in the House of Representatives, and generic congressional ballots show them winning by wide margins in 2020. 

Source Article from https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/462838-gop-campaign-chief-backing-impeachment-will-cost-house-dems-their-majority

Sobs of grief overcame a man testifying Wednesday afternoon in the Derek Chauvin murder trial as he watched video of himself standing watch as Minneapolis police struggled with George Floyd, who called out for his mother and shouted “I can’t breathe” on the night of his arrest and death last spring.

Charles McMillian said in Hennepin County District Court that he came upon the scene early on when police detained Floyd on suspicion of passing a fake $20 bill at the Cup Foods convenience store at E. 38th Street and S. Chicago Avenue.

McMillian said he tried to get Floyd to calm down as two officers fought to get him into the back of their squad car.

“I’m watching Mr. Floyd, I’m trying to get him to understand that when you make a mistake, once they get you in handcuffs, there’s no such thing as being claustrophobic, you have to go,” he said. “I’ve had interactions with officers myself, and I realize once you get in the cuffs you can’t win.”

Prosecutor Erin Eldridge played officer-worn body camera footage as exterior store surveillance video also rolled. It showed McMillian calmly and intently watching the officers having difficulty getting an increasing agitated Floyd into their squad.

Floyd cried “Momma, Momma, Momma” repeatedly and yell out that “I can’t breathe” on the video. Once the video stopped, the global livestream showed McMillian on the witness stand wiping away tears and fighting sobs.

“Helpless” is how McMillian said he felt as he watched Floyd and the officers. “I don’t have a momma either; I understand him.”

“Oh, my god,” the witness then uttered in a breathy whisper. With that, Judge Peter Cahill called for a brief break to give McMillian, 61, time regain his composure.

Earlier, McMillian testified that he recognized Chauvin and had seen him as recently as five days earlier.

“I pulled up to the squad car somewhere in south Minneapolis, and I see Mr. Chauvin, and I told him like I tell other officers — that the end of the day, you go home to your family safe and that the next person goes home to their family safe,” he said.

When proceedings resumed, newly released video from Chauvin’s body-worn camera showed McMillian confront the officer as he got into his squad after Floyd was taken away in an ambulance.

McMillian reminded Chauvin of what he had told him five days earlier, about getting home safe to his family, as the next person should be able to.

Chauvin then defended his actions, saying, “We’ve gotta control this guy because he’s a sizable guy, looks like he’s probably on something.”

Eldridge asked McMillian, “Why did you feel the need to talk to Mr. Chauvin?” McMillian replied: “Because what I watched was wrong.”

“And did you feel it was important to tell him?” Eldridge said.

“Yes, ma’am.” McMillian answered.

The proceedings ran until shortly after 4:30 p.m. The trial is set to resume Thursday sometime between 9 and 9:30 a.m.

George Floyd’s youngest brother occupied the lone family seat in the courtroom for the afternoon session and did not watch the video when the officers were trying to get George Floyd into the squad car. Rodney Floyd stared down, his eyes wide during that video moment.

When video was shown of George Floyd yelling “Mama” repeatedly and “I can’t breathe,” again Rodney Floyd averted his eyes while looking down and shaking his head. He had much the same reaction when video of the arrest was played later from each of the officers’ body-worn cameras.

During a break in the trial, the brother said in the hall that he did glimpse out of the corner of his eye at some of the video.

Earlier Wednesday, surveillance video was shown from inside the store where he bought cigarettes with suspected counterfeit currency before his deadly encounter with police late last spring.

In the footage disclosed publicly for the first time, Floyd ambled about Cup Foods for several minutes and appeared fidgety at times while chatting with others inside as Christopher Martin, a clerk in the store at the time, explained in testimony what was being shown. Floyd is seen inside the store with Morries Hall and Shawanda Hill, who were in the SUV when Floyd was first detained by police.

Late Thursday, Hall filed with the court his intention to invoke his Fifth Amendment constitutional privilege against self-incrimination. This would prevent Hall from testifying to anything that might work against the prosecution as it tries to convict Chauvin of killing Hall’s friend.

Chauvin is charged with second- and third-degree murder and manslaughter. Three other fired officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Thao, are expected to stand trial in August on charges of aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter.

Martin, who lived above the store, said Floyd eventually bought cigarettes with a $20 bill. Martin said the color of the bill made him suspicious that it was fake, and he went outside to talk to Floyd twice about it.

Eventually, someone called police and that set off the sequence of events that led to Floyd’s arrest under Chauvin’s knee and death later that night.

“When I saw the bill I noticed it had a blue pigment to it, kind of like a $100 bill would have, so I found that kind of odd and assumed it was fake,” said Martin, 19.

Martin said store policy meant that he would have to pay for any counterfeit currency he and his co-workers accepted.

“I took it anyway and was willing to put it on my tab, and then I second guessed myself,” he said.

Martin said he twice went out with co-workers trying in vain to get Floyd to come back in the store and deal with the suspected fake bill. Floyd didn’t say much and didn’t come back into the store.

“He just seemed like he didn’t, like, want this to happen, he was just kind of like ‘Ah, why is this happening?’ ” Martin said. He said his manager then directed his co-worker to call 911 and Martin went back about his business. Later, he heard commotion outside the store and saw Floyd pinned to the ground.

“George was motionless, limp,” Martin said, “and Chauvin seemed very, he was in a resting state, meaning like he rested his knee on his neck. I pulled my phone out first and called my mom and told her not to come downstairs and then I started recording.”

He said he later deleted the recording after he saw the ambulance drive in a direction not typically used to get to the hospital.

“That made it clear to me that he was no longer with us,” he said. Pressed on why he deleted the recording, he said, “I just didn’t want to have to show it to anyone and be questioned about it.”

Later in his testimony, Martin was asked why he could be seen on exterior store video surveillance pacing about near the arrest scene and clasping his hands atop his head.

“At this point I was kind of emotional,” he said, recalling a conversation with another Black man at the scene, saying, ” ‘They’re not gonna help him, this is what we have to deal with.’ ” Cahill ordered the comment stricken from the record.

Martin said he was feeling “disbelief and guilt.”

Why guilt? Prosecutor Matthew Frank asked.

“If I would have just not taken the bill, this could have been avoided,” Martin replied.

Afterward, he went back into the store and continued his shift, but he didn’t stay employed at the store long.

“I didn’t feel safe,” he said.

As for Floyd’s demeanor, Martin said he was amicable, and he saw him as just another customer. Martin noticed his size and asked Floyd whether he played baseball. Floyd told him that he played football.

“He went on to respond, but it kind of took him a little long to get to what he was trying to say so, it would appear that he was high,” Martin said.

The defense has focused in pretrial motions and during its opening statement on Floyd’s drug use and what impact it might have had on his health.

Nelson’s time questioning Martin dealt a fair amount with Floyd appearing to be under the influence of drugs.

He confirmed that he told investigators earlier that Floyd’s speech was delayed as he “was trying to form the words.”

Martin again said, this time under prosecution questioning, that Floyd was friendly and “just seemed to be enjoying just an average Memorial Day. But he did seem high.”

The day’s final witness was Police Lt. James Rugel, who oversees the department’s body-worn camera program. After Rugel explained how body cameras worked and when they are to be activated, prosecutor Steve Schleicher played much of the bodycam video on the night of Floyd’s arrest from officers Lane, Kueng and Thao.

They showed Lane and Kueng struggling to get Floyd in their squad car for minutes to get him in the squad. Chauvin soon arrived and joined the other two in getting Floyd on the pavement, where all three kept him pinned for more than nine minutes until paramedics arrived.

Schleicher then played last for the jury some of Chauvin’s bodycam video from that night. It started with Thao driving as he and Chauvin head to the scene. They arrived, and Chauvin walked toward where Lane and Kueng were struggling to get Floyd in the back of the squad.

Chauvin went around to the other side and helped Lane pull Floyd out. Chauvin’s bodycam then went to the ground. Earlier, Schleicher paused Lane’s video to show Chauvin’s detached bodycam. The playing of the Chauvin’s video stopped there.

Once the jury was dismissed, Nelson questioned Rugel about the city-operated camera video across from Cup Foods and about the four officers’ bodycam videos. The defense attorney then said the state’s submissions of those videos are not what those cameras captured in full, and he intends to enter into evidence this week the complete images from all those cameras.

In apparent connection to the video evidence, Nelson offered a hint of what areas he plans to address once it’s the defense’s turn after the prosecution rests its case, namely that he will have experts testify about “use of force considerations and medical issues.”

Early in Wednesday’s proceedings, Cahill called an unexpected break after a female juror stood up, waved and gestured toward the door. She exited quickly once the break was called.

The ailing juror returned and was seated in the witness stand for a conversation with the judge.

She told Cahill she was “shaky but better.” She went on to say she’s been having trouble sleeping. “I’ve been awake since 2 a.m.,” she said.

The woman then reassured the judge that “I think I’ll be OK going forward … I feel like there’s a tension that’s gone a little bit.”

Staff writers Chao Xiong and Rochelle Olson contributed to this report.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

Source Article from https://www.startribune.com/derek-chauvin-trial-witness-overwhelmed-with-sorrow-watching-video-of-george-floyd-s-arrest/600040582/

▪  El Papa Francisco apoyó a Donald Trump para la presidencia.

▪  Abuso de menores y pedofilia dentro del partido demócrata tramado desde una pizzería en Washington (pizzagate).

▪  Bill Gates ofreció a los usuarios de Facebook $5,000 por compartir un enlace.

▪  Usain Bolt donó $10 millones y Shakira, $15 millones para ayudar a Haití luego del Huracán Matthew.

¿Verdad o mentira?

Todas falsas, pero que muchos creyeron y compartieron en su momento vía Facebook,Twitter, WhatsApp, blogs o por cualquier otra vía digital.

Si durante 2016 estas y otras centenares de “noticias” cobraron protagonismo, el bombardeo de mentiras, exageraciones, desinformación y calumnias que vienen para 2017 será abrumador, esto debido al lucrativo negocio que genera para muchos la creación de contenidos digitales falsos, al acceso global a la internet y a los 1,650 millones de usuarios activos por mes en Facebook, quienes usan esta red como una, o quizás, la principal fuente de noticias.

Según una encuesta de Ipsos, el 75 por ciento de los estadounidenses considera ciertas las noticias falsas que lee en internet. La encuesta realizada a casi 3,000 personas en el país muestra además que quienes consideran a Facebook como una fuente importante de noticias son más propensos a creer que los titulares falsos que lee son reales.

Millones de personas ya han caído en los hoax o noticias falsas, incluso, se ha llegado a decir que los contenidos falsos difundidos en las redes sociales fueron decisivos en los resultados de eventos trascendentales como el Brexit, el plebiscito en Colombia y las elecciones en Estados Unidos.

El 75% de los estadounidenses considera ciertas las noticias falsas que lee en Internet, según una encuesta de Ipsos

Para que en este 2017 no sea víctima de las mentiras en Internet, tenga en cuenta estas claves y herramientas que le ayudarán a detectar entre lo real y lo ficticio en medio de la avalancha de contenidos que surgirán durante el próximo año.

Le preguntamos a Mauricio Jaramillo, periodista en tecnología y consultor digital sobre las claves para no caer en un hoax y las siguientes son sus recomendaciones:

Señales de alerta de que una noticia es falsa:

▪  Parece increíble.

▪  La noticia no presenta fuentes o usa fuentes poco confiables. (Si usa fuentes confiables, se puede ir directamente a ellas para confirmar).

▪  Los datos en la noticia son vagos o incompletos (lugar, fecha, nombres de personas u organizaciones, etc.).

¿Qué hacer como usuarios para no caer en un ‘hoax’ o noticia falsa?

▪  Siempre desconfiar de lo que leemos o vemos. Ya sea de una cuenta desconocida, de una de baja reputación o incluso de la fuente más creíble.

▪  Desconfiar implica contrastar, verificar, buscar otras fuentes. ¿Cómo? “Googlear” las palabras clave de la noticia falsa, para ver si se ha publicado en medios de comunicación u organizaciones confiables.

Si hay pocos resultados, o estos son de sitios web y medios de poca reputación, esto casi confirma que es un hoax. Si hay muchos resultados y de medios respetados, aumentan las posibilidades de que sea una noticia real, pero no sobra buscar la fuente primaria, pues estos también pueden haber sido engañados.

Usar búsquedas avanzadas de Google

En redes sociales, buscar qué publican los periodistas y líderes de opinión sobre esas noticias sobre las que se desconfía de su veracidad. (Es posible que ellos caigan en una noticia falsa, pero lo más probable es que las ignoren o las desmientan).

Si no se está totalmente seguro de la veracidad de una noticia, no se debe compartir. Hacerlo pone en entredicho la credibilidad de la persona que lo hace.

Por último, Jaramillo recomienda que si en Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp u otras plataformas los amigos y demás contactos difunden una noticia falsa, conviene corregirlos y “educarlos” sobre la importancia de verificar la veracidad de las noticias que se comparten.

¿Y qué hacer con las noticias en Facebook ?

Recientemente Facebook añadió una nueva alerta que, en colaboración con los usuarios, busca detectar las noticias falsas que se difunden en esta red social. Funciona en dos pasos:

1. Reporte del usuario Cada vez que el usuario vea noticias que considera que podrían ser engañosas las puede reportar haciendo click en el extremo superior derecho de la publicación . Un equipo de Facebook revisará si esta publicación viene de medios reales o de webs que intentan dar la impresión de serlo (por ejemplo, bbc.co en lugar de bbc.com).

2. Identificación y evaluación: Si la noticia procede de un medio real, pero el contenido es dudoso, Facebook remitirá la información a sus organizaciones aliadas como Snopes, Factcheck.org y Politifact, además de algunos medios como ABC News y la agencia de noticias AP, que comprobarán si se trata o no de una noticia falsa. Si al menos dos de estos medios aliados dudan de la veracidad de la información, las historias aparecerán marcadas como “cuestionadas”.

¿Cómo filtrar la información en Google ?

Google también cuenta con su propio sistema de verificación de hechos, la etiqueta Fact Check permitirá a los usuarios contrastar con Google News si el artículo que está leyendo es veraz, accediendo a bases de datos de la organización Schema.org. Para saber que una noticia es Fact check o “hecho comprobado”, esta contará con una etiqueta gris hacia el lado superior derecho. Su presencia indicará que ha superado una serie de filtros y que se trata de información real y fiable.

La herramienta filtrará el acceso a fuentes primarias, la transparencia a la hora de obtenerlas, una redacción imparcial, referencias, datos verificados y hasta el título.

Hoaxy, una plataforma para detectar noticias falsas

Aunque actualmente está en una versión preliminar (beta), la plataforma genera un listado con cerca de 132 resultados sobre los principales sitios que se dedican a difundir noticias falsas. Cualquier persona puede ingresar a la página, introducir un tema y obtendrá resultados inmediatos. Rumores, noticias falsas y teorías de la conspiración son los principales objetivos de Hoaxy. La herramienta está siendo desarrollada por expertos de la Universidad de Indiana.

Detectores de mentiras

Snopes, es una de las herramientas disponibles para detectar contenidos falsos en la red, y una de las organizaciones aliadas de Facebook en su lucha contra la difusión de noticias falsas. Si hay alguna información que te genera desconfianza, puedes indagar sobre su veracidad con esta plataforma cuyo propósito es desenmascarar engaños o rumores que hay en la Red.

FactCheck, las noticias falsas pueden camuflarse bajo “medias-verdades” que distorsionan la realidad. Fact Check es otro verificador de hechos del Centro de Políticas Públicas Annenberg de la Universidad de Pensilvania. Su objetivo consiste en reducir el nivel de decepción y confusión de las personas sobre la política de Estados Unidos.

Otros sitios que se dedican a desenmarcarar mentiras virtuales PolitiFact.com, del diario Tampa Bay Times, ganador de un Premio Pulitzer, y el Washington Post cuenta con su propio Fact Checker como una guía para detectar noticias falsas.

Siga a Silvia Parra en twitter @silvia_parra

Source Article from http://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/tecnologia/article123768029.html

El Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de Rusia lanzará en su página web un nuevo proyecto para recoger y desmentir noticias falsas de los medios de comunicación extranjeros, según ha anunciado en una rueda de prensa la portavoz de la Cancillería rusa, María Zajárova.

Zajárova ha señalado que el número de noticias falsas y otras desinformaciones provenientes de fuentes extranjeras dirigidas contra Rusia y su política exterior ha alcanzado tal magnitud que requiere un enfoque serio y sistemático para su refutación.

En el marco del proyecto, que se pondrá en marcha “en breve” en la página web de la Cancillería, se recogerán las noticias falsas de “los principales medios de comunicación extranjeros”, y también “las declaraciones de los representantes oficiales de diferentes países”, ha detallado la portavoz.

El Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores refutará las mentiras proporcionando fuentes primarias, hechos y pruebas documentales para revelar las falsificaciones.

Entre los ejemplos de noticias falsas, Zajárova ha citado el informe del centro estadounidense Atlantic Council sobre “ataques indiscriminados de Rusia en Alepo”; informaciones que acusan al Ejército sirio del uso de armas químicas; especulaciones de que Rusia quiere “regalar” Edward Snowden al presidente estadounidense Donald Trump o sobre la supuesta iniciativa de Serguéi Lavrov de dividir Macedonia.

Source Article from https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/231168-cancilleria-rusia-desmontar-noticias-falsas

Un reporte de BuzzFeed indica que la red social pondrá a prueba un área dedicada a las noticias con los contenidos más importante del momento reflejados por los medios.

Source Article from http://www.cnet.com/es/noticias/twitter-prueba-nueva-pestana-de-noticias-en-su-aplicacion/

In a dramatic move, at least a dozen colleges and universities across the country have cancelled in-person classes and switched to teaching their courses online, as the battle against the novel coronavirus in the United States intensifies.

The cancellations have been focused in states hardest hit by COVID-19 cases, including, California, New York and Washington state, after the virus infected more than 800 people in the US and killed at least 28 according to official counts.

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On Tuesday, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, asked its students not to return to campus after its spring break, which begins on Saturday, and said it would move to virtual teaching by March 23.

“The decision to move to virtual instruction was not made lightly,” the university said in a statement. “The goal of these changes is to minimize the need to gather in large groups and spend prolonged time in close proximity with each other in spaces such as classrooms, dining halls, and residential buildings.”

Columbia University, Princeton University, Stanford University, the Ohio State University, the University of Southern California and the University of Washington have all announced similar so-called “social-distancing” measures.

Princeton University in New Jersey said all lectures, seminars and courses would be moved online after its spring recess next week. Online instruction there will last until at least April 5. Stanford University, located in California’s Santa Clara County, which currently has dozens of confirmed cases of the coronavirus, cancelled all in-person classes for the final two weeks of its winter semester. The Ohio State University suspended in-person classes through at least March 30.


Dozens of schools and houses of worship across the country have been closed, and conferences, sporting events and concerts have also been cancelled in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.

Quick shift

Bryan Alexander, a senior scholar at Georgetown University, said most universities have the adequate technological infrastructure to conduct classes online, but may face some difficulties with faculty who do not have experience with virtual teaching and students who do not have access to the necessary technology.

“The difficulty is faculty who don’t have experience in teaching online, they have to shift quickly, as well as translate class materials online,” Alexander told Al Jazeera.

“Not all students will have access to sufficient technology,” he said. “If, at home, they don’t have good broadband, the right hardware, this could be a problem that we have to scramble to fix.”

Harvard student Tom Osborn, 24, from Kenya said he was “shocked” by the announcement, which gave students only five days to finish schoolwork, pack their belongings, say goodbye to friends and make travel arrangements.

“It’s chaotic right now, we don’t really know what is happening,” Osborn told Al Jazeera.

Osborn, who took to Twitter to vent, said that for international students or those who are taking classes with a lab or studio component, attending online classes may not be feasible.

“It might be that I have to go online at 2am to attend classes,” he said.

Emily Philbrook, 18 a first-year international affairs student at George Washington University, which has not announced a shift to online courses, said physically going to classes was vital to her learning process.

“I like being in class, asking questions and being around my friends,” Philbrook told Al Jazeera, “I like interacting with my teachers.”

The virus – which originated in Wuhan, China, last year – has spread to more than 110 countries, areas or territories worldwide and infected over 100,000. More than 4,000 have died as a result of the virus. 

For most people, the infectious respiratory disease causes only mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough and the infected recover within weeks.

For others, especially older adults and people with health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

Source Article from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/universities-switch-online-courses-due-coronavirus-200310202804023.html

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Officials temporarily suspended aid efforts and closed some small airports in the Bahamas on Saturday as Tropical Storm Humberto threatened to lash the archipelago’s northwest region that was already hit by Hurricane Dorian two weeks ago. (Sept. 14)
AP, AP

Residents, rescue teams and aid workers across the storm-battered northern Bahamas could breathe a sigh of relief Sunday when Tropical Storm Humberto, expected to soon reach hurricane status, steered wide of the beleaguered island nation.

The National Hurricane Center said Humberto was located well north of Great Abaco Island and was moving toward the north-northwest at about 7 mph.

The Florida coast also won an apparent reprieve, with forecasters predicting Humberto will turn sharply to the northeast early this week and well off the U.S. coast. Still, swells generated by Humberto will affect the U.S. coast from central Florida to North Carolina during the next few day with “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the Hurricane Center warned.

“Regardless of the exact track or development, Floridians along the East Coast should be prepared for heavy rain and potential flooding, have supplies ready and follow local media for updates,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

Humberto could threaten Bermuda on Wednesday or Thursday, AccuWeather said.

In the Bahamas, Great Abaco and Grand Bahama islands are still reeling from Hurricane Dorian. Thousands of homes and businesses were flooded and flattened two weeks ago, when the storm blasted through the region as a Category 5 behemoth blamed for at least 50 deaths.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Great Abaco on Saturday, rallying humanitarian workers and blaming climate change for the severity of storms in recent years.

“I’m horrified by the level of devastation,” he tweeted from the island. “I’ve never seen anything like this. #HurricaneDorian was not category 5, but category hell.”

Some rescue and aid efforts, suspended when Humberto threatened, were back to work Sunday. Tens of thousands of residents remain essentially homeless, more than 1,000 remain missing, and thousands have taken to social media in a frantic attempt to track down loved ones.

Authorities warn the death toll could rise sharply in coming days as recovery teams continue to pick through devastated neighborhoods. Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said the searches were a priority and that his government, with the help of international aid teams, was working feverishly to update the status of the missing. 

“We will first and foremost put the priority on notifying families and giving them the help they need to grieve,” Minnis said.

Calling Dorian a “historic tragedy,” Minnis designated Wednesday a day of National Day of Prayer and Fasting. Flags will be flown at half-staff on public buildings to mourn those killed in the storm.

“We are a nation in mourning,” Minnis said. “We will need as many spiritual resources as we will need physical resources, to rebuild lives and to recover.”

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/09/15/tropical-storm-humberto-steers-clear-hurricane-dorian-ravaged-bahamas/2333755001/

Even if children are at low risk for becoming seriously ill, medical experts caution that the coronavirus can on rare occasions lead to grave outcomes: 790 Americans under age 18 have died since the pandemic began.

And despite guarded optimism that the Omicron variant will be even less dangerous to children than its predecessors, experts acknowledge that it is still too early to know for sure.

“There are just so many caveats,” said Dr. Rick Malley, a pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital, which has not yet seen an appreciable rise in admissions for Covid-19.

He said he was awaiting more telling data on the length of hospitalizations and on whether young patients are needing oxygen or intubation. “It’s premature to predict what’s going to happen with Omicron, because this virus has repeatedly surprised us,” Dr. Malley said.

But one thing is beyond dispute: Omicron’s uncanny ability to spread among human hosts, even those who have been fully vaccinated. At Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, nearly a quarter of all children admitted in recent days have been testing positive, up from 5 percent during the height of the Delta surge last summer. Omicron accounts for more than 90 percent of those infections, according to Dr. James Versalovic, the hospital’s chief pathologist.

But so far, he said, the crush of infections has not led to a big jump in the number of children who need to be hospitalized for Covid — about 50 in recent days, down from a peak of 65 a few months ago.

Although weary from having weathered three previous waves, Dr. Versalovic was somewhat hopeful that advancements in the treatment of seriously ill patients and an uptick in vaccinations would protect most children from dire outcomes.

“Sure I’m worried, but I’m also optimistic that we’re going to be able to blunt the impact of Omicron,” he said.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/28/health/omicron-kids-hospitalizations.html

Derechos de autor de la imagen
Getty Images

Image caption

Trump describió el domingo al líder norcoreano como “un hombre que sabe lo que hace”.

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, se mostró este lunes dispuesto a reunirse con el líder norcoreano Kim Jong-un, aunque la Casa Blanca matizó que en las circunstancias adecuadas.

“Si fuese apropiado que me reuniera con él, lo haría, absolutamente. Sería un honor hacerlo“, le dijo al medio de comunicación Bloomberg.

El domingo, al canal de televisión CBS, le había descrito a Kim como un “hombre que sabe lo que hace”.

Los comentarios se produjeron en medio del panorama de creciente tensión por el programa nuclear de Corea del Norte.

La Casa Blanca publicó un comunicado tras los dichos de Trump en el que advierte que Pyongyang necesitaría sumar una serie de condiciones antes de llevar a cabo cualquier encuentro.

El portavoz de Washington, Sean Spicer, declaró que el gobierno quiere ver que el país asiático ponga fin a su conducta provocadora de inmediato.

“Claramente las condiciones no están allí en este momento”, añadió.

Corea del Norte mostró su fuerza militar en un desfile a mediados de abril.

En la entrevista que concedió el domingo, el presidente Trump hizo notar que Kim asumió el poder siendo joven, a pesar de tener que lidiar con “gente muy dura”.

El mandatario dijo que “no tenía idea” si Kim está estable mentalmente.

El líder norcoreano ordenó la ejecución de su tío dos años antes de llegar al poder, y recibió acusaciones de haber ordenado el asesinato de su medio hermano.

Sobre qué opinión tiene de Kim Jong-un, Trump le dijo a CBS: “La gente anda diciendo: ‘¿Está cuerdo?’ No tengo ni idea…pero era un hombre joven de 26 o 27 años… cuando su padre murió. Obviamente tiene que lidiar con gente muy dura, en particular los generales y otros.

“Y a una edad muy joven, tuvo la capacidad de asumir el poder. Muchas personas, estoy seguro, intentaron quitarle ese poder, ya fuese su tío o cualquier otro. Y aún así pudo lograrlo. Así que, obviamente, es un hombre que sabe lo que hace“.

Amenazas

Los comentarios de Trump llegan poco después de que el sábado Pyongyang realizara su segunda prueba fallida de misiles balísticos en dos semanas.

Las tensiones en la región han aumentado en el último mes y tanto Corea del Sur como Corea del Norte han llevado a cabo ejercicios militares.

Estados Unidos envió un grupo de buques de guerra a la zona y comenzó a instalar un controvertido sistema antimisiles en Corea del Sur en semanas recientes.

El domingo, un artículo publicado por la agencia de noticias estatal norcoreana KCNA urgió a Washington a “reflexionar sobre las consecuencias catastróficas que acarrearía su insensata provocación militar“.

Derechos de autor de la imagen
Reuters

Image caption

El sábado, Pyongyang realizó su segunda prueba fallida de misiles balísticos en dos semanas.

Corea del Norte ha realizado varias pruebas de misiles en los últimos meses y está amenazando con lanzar un sexto ensayo nuclear.

El presidente Trump le dijo a CBS que su país “no iba a estar muy contento” si se realizaban más pruebas.

Cuando se le preguntó si esto implicaría una posible acción militar, señaló: “No lo sé. Digo, ya veremos”.

Source Article from http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-internacional-39774862

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday the state is “controlling the spread” of the coronavirus, and it appears that “the worst is over … if we continue to be smart going forward.”

At the same time, Cuomo revealed that the death toll from Covid-19 in New York — which is the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States — has topped 10,000 people.

Cuomo called the death tally a “horrific level of pain and grief and sorrow.”

But he pointed to a flattening of the daily death toll, the flattening in the net number of hospitalizations and a drop in the number of people on ventilators as evidence that radical measures such as the shuttering of nonessential businesses have helped to contain the virus.

He said the death toll for Sunday was 671, versus 758 on Saturday.

“We’re controlling the spread,” Cuomo said at a press conference in Albany. “The worst can be over, and is over, unless we do something reckless.”

“You can turn those numbers on two or three days of reckless behaviors,” he said. 

Cuomo said he will make an announcement later Monday about plans for reopening the state in conjunction with some other governors.

He said he and governors from Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island have been talking “for the past couple of days, about coming up with, how do we come up with a reopening plan? And can we work together on a reopening plan?”

The new deaths recorded in New York state on Easter Sunday brought the state’s total 10,056, Cuomo said.

“For me, I’m Catholic, Easter Sunday is the high holy day in many ways … and to have this happen over this weekend is really really especially tragic and they’re all in our thoughts and prayers.”

He noted that the state’s total number of fatalities from the virus dwarfed the 2,753 deaths in the terrorist attacks in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.

But Cuomo noted that the daily number of new deaths has dropped a bit from some recent days, when new fatalities had topped 750 people each day.

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/13/coronavirus-death-toll-in-new-york-state-tops-10000-cuomo-says.html

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AP

Como si fuera un espectáculo de ilusionismo orquestado por la naturaleza, las ruinas de una imponente iglesia del siglo XVI emergieron del río Grijalva en el estado de Chiapas, en el sur de México.

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AP

El tempo de Santiago se hizo visible días atrás por la bajada de 25 metros de las aguas, causada por una persistente sequía.

Había quedado sumergida bajo la superficie del Grijalva hace cerca de medio siglo, cuando se levantó la represa Nezahualcóyotl.

No es la primera vez que el templo vuelve a emerger de entre las aguas.

Image copyright
AP

Image copyright
AP

Hace unos 12 años el nivel del río bajó tanto que hasta era posible caminar por el interior de la iglesia.

Source Article from http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2015/10/151018_america_latina_cultura_mexico_iglesia_emerge_aguas_nc

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AFP

Image caption

Bill Taylor testified that President Trump had directly asked about a Ukrainian investigation into Joe Biden

Acting US Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor, whose testimony helped build the case for impeaching Donald Trump, is to leave his post next month.

Mr Taylor will step down in January when his temporary appointment is due to expire, the New York Times reported.

His tenure could have been extended by the Republican-controlled Senate but no such move has been made.

Mr Taylor took up the post in June after Mr Trump controversially withdrew the then ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch.

Ms Yovanovitch has said she was the victim of a smear campaign by Mr Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

A replacement for Mr Taylor has not yet been announced.

News of his departure was met with concern by Senator Robert Menendez, the most senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

He said he feared it would create a vacuum in Ukraine, which is still grappling with Russian-backed separatists.

In his testimony before the impeachment inquiry last month, Mr Taylor said that a member of his staff overheard a telephone call in which President Trump inquired about “the investigations” into Mr Biden.

Media captionTrump could be impeached – how did we get here?

The call was with Gordon Sondland, US ambassador to the European Union, who reportedly told the president over the phone from a restaurant in Kyiv that “the Ukrainians were ready to move forward”.

After the call, the staff member “asked Mr Sondland what President Trump thought about Ukraine”, Mr Taylor said.

Mr Taylor said: “Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden.”

President Trump is accused of withholding US military aid to Ukraine in order to pressure the country’s president to publicly announce a corruption inquiry into Mr Biden. He denies any wrongdoing and has described the impeachment inquiry as a “witch hunt”.

A majority of House Democrats are expected to vote to impeach Mr Trump on Wednesday.

Source Article from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50831743

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(Foto: AFP)

En Las Vegas, el jubilado Stephen Paddock, de 64 años, fue identificado como el hombre que utilizó dos armas automáticas para disparar contra una multitud. (Foto: AFP)

(Foto: AFP)

Tres gigantes del sector de internet –Facebook, Google y Twitter– admitieron este martes que fracasaron en evitar la diseminación de rumores y desinformación luego de la matanza de 59 personas el domingo en Las Vegas.

Los tres gigantes informaron que estaban trabajando en modificaciones en sus servicios luego de comprobar que noticias falsas, rumores y claras tentativas de desinformación terminaron entre menciones destacadas en búsquedas.

Algunas noticias falsas identificaron equivocadamente al atacante, y otras indicaron que se buscaba a una mujer que describieron como una “admiradora de Rachel Maddow que odia a (el presidente Donald) Trump”.

Maddow es presentadora de un programa en la red de televisión MSNBC y es una crítica mordaz del presidente.
En el caso de Google, el principal problema detectado fue que reportes completamente falsos que circularon en la red 4chan terminaron en el tope de las búsquedas.

“En un plazo de horas, la historia que circuló en 4chan fue reemplazada mediante un algoritmo por resultados relevantes”, informó Google en un correo a AFP.

El material falso de 4chan “no debió aparecer en ninguna de las búsquedas, y continuaremos haciendo mejoras en el servicio para evitar que esto ocurra en el futuro”.

En tanto, Facebook informó que descubrió la circulación de información falsa sobre el tiroteo y actuó para eliminarla.

“Sin embargo, la remoción de ese material se atrasó algunos minutos y eso permitió que se hayan hecho capturas de pantalla que siguieron circulando”, admitió la firma.

“Estamos trabajando para corregir el problema que permitió que esto ocurriera, y lamentamos profundamente la confusión causada”, añadió.

A su vez, Twitter también informó sobre esfuerzos para impedir la circulación de información falsa sobre el tiroteo.

“Tenemos información sobre este problema y estamos tomando acciones sobre contenido que viola los términos de nuestro servicio”, apuntó un vocero de la firma.

En Las Vegas, el jubilado Stephen Paddock, de 64 años, fue identificado como el hombre que utilizó dos armas automáticas para disparar contra una multitud, dejando un saldo de 59 muertos y unos 500 heridos.

Las investigaciones ahora se concentran en tratar de establecer un motivo para la matanza.

(Fuente: AFP)

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Source Article from http://elcomercio.pe/mundo/eeuu/facebook-google-twitter-pudieron-contener-noticias-falsas-masacre-vegas-462804

The escape from Afghanistan continued to descend into a humiliating debacle for the US on Saturday, as threats of ISIS attacks and Taliban death squads — and contradictory guidance from the White House — added to the perilous chaos faced by thousands of Americans and allies trying to flee the country.

The US Embassy said on Saturday that American citizens in Afghanistan should stay away from Kabul’s airport, the only way out.

The advisory directly contradicted President Biden’s insistence on Friday that Americans could proceed to Hamid Karzai International Airport freely from the Afghan capital and that an “agreement” with the Taliban had been reached over the issue.

“Because of potential security threats outside the gates at the Kabul airport, we are advising US citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time,” the embassy said in a security alert on Saturday.

The Islamic fundamentalists have taken control of the capital — and the US says it does not have the logistical capacity to enter the city and rescue individual Americans.

People boarding a plane at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul to evacuate Afghanistan on Aug. 19, 2021.
U.S. AIR FORCE via UPI
US Embassy personnel from Afghanistan boarding a plane to Kuwait after being evacuated to Qatar on August 17, 2021.
US Air Force via EPA

While the airport remains under US control, the trek to it has become incredibly dangerous, with militants setting up arbitrary checkpoints along the road and turning away or assaulting those who seek to pass, according to reports.

News emerged on Saturday that ISIS and other terrorist groups could be to blame, forcing the US military to find new ways to get evacuees to the airport, The Associated Press reported.

An Afghan interpreter — on his fifth attempt to reach the airport — told CBS News that the Taliban were telling people outside the airport that ISIS was planning an attack.

The embassy’s new guidance underscores the growing crisis and confusion on the ground, as the US scrambles to evacuate its citizens and Afghan allies from the clutches of the Taliban.

Afghans packed on a plane leaving the country at Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 19, 2021.
U.S. AIR FORCE via UPI
Armed Taliban fighters driving through Kabul on Aug. 19, 2021.
Rahmat Gul/AP
A Taliban fighter preventing people from entering the road that leads to the airport in Kabul on August 19, 2021.
Marcus Yam/LA Times/Shutterstock

Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer blasted Biden, saying the president has put Americans “just one stray bullet away from a bloodbath in Kabul.”

“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a politician, particularly at a perilous moment like this, be so in denial, out of touch, out to lunch and all around clueless,” Fleischer, who served in the George W. Bush administration, told Rita Cosby on WABC Radio Friday.

In the last 24 hours, six U.S. Military C-17s and 32 charter flights have left the airport carrying a total 3,800 passengers, military officials reported Saturday. In Germany Saturday, American soldiers were seen readying barracks for refugees.

Still the situation in the country continued to deteriorate over the weekend as the Taliban moved to consolidate their gains and subdue the population.

Taliban death squads were on the hunt Saturday for Afghans and others who they believe collaborated with the United States or the recently deposed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, according to a group that assists Afghan interpreters caught up in the mayhem.

Air Force airmen setting up cots at a hanger in Ramstein Air Base in Germany to lodge evacuees from Afghanistan.
U.S. Air Force/86th Airlift Wing/Airman Edgar Grimaldo

The Australian non-profit Forsaken Fighters said “tens of thousands” could potentially be at risk.

“Interpreters on the ground in Kandahar have reported that the Taliban have been actively seeking out interpreters who supported coalition forces, even using local kids to help in pointing out people and going door to door to find them,” the organization told The Sun.

“People are being dragged from their houses and executed. It is a truly horrific situation. The sheer desperation of those people that assisted us is overwhelming.”

A family member of a journalist from the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle was shot dead by the Taliban, the broadcaster confirmed, adding that other staff in the country have had their homes raided, Reuters reported.

The Taliban has created “priority lists” of alleged collaborators to hunt down in the effort and have been making “targeted door-to-door visits” according to a leaked United Nations document viewed by Agence France-Presse.

Khalil al-Rahman, a leader of a Taliban affiliated network and U.S. designated terrorist, getting protection while visiting a mosque in Kabul on August 20, 2021.
Marcus Yam/LA Times/Shutterstock
Taliban fighters patrolling Kabul on Aug. 19, 2021.
Rahmat Gul/AP
An Afghan mother embracing a US soldier after reuniting her family at Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 20, 2021.
U.S. MARINE CORPS via UPI

John Kirby, a Department of Defense spokesman, was asked about terrorist threats during a press conference Saturday, but declined to elaborate.

“We’re not going to get into specific details about the threat environment,” he said.
During the same briefing, Kirby defended his past remarks just days before Kabul fell to the Taliban, saying the city was “not right now in any imminent threat environment.”

“In the moment that I said it, based on what we knew at the time, It was a true statement. And yes, two days later things dramatically changed. I readily admit that. Things moved very very quickly,” Kirby told Fox News on Saturday.

Additional reporting by Mary Kay Linge and Eileen AJ Connelly

Source Article from https://nypost.com/2021/08/21/afghan-escape-descends-into-chaos-amid-isis-threats-taliban-death-squads/