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Monday, August 31, 2020
Japan's longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has stepped down over health concerns. He first took office in 2006 before stepping down the following year. He was re-elected in 2012 and has been PM since. He is stepping down due to ulcerative colitis, an incurable bowel disease, which is also why resigned in 2007. His party is in control of both houses of Japan's parliament, so they should have no trouble selecting the next prime minister. As Abe leaves office, his record is mixed. He stopped an economic decline but failed to boost the economy, and his diplomacy has reportedly been similar. In the US Gulf Coast, Lousiana is assessing the impacts of Hurricane Laura, the category 4 storm that passed through the area last week. Power lines and grids are out in many areas; entire neighborhoods have been washed away. President Trump visited the area to take a look and console devastated families. 75% of universities in the United States have moved to virtual learning. So many of them are using AIs to monitor cheating on a test, to mixed results. Students report that they are uncomfortable being recorded and many are skeptical of the performance of AIs; at least some professors report that they are faulty and report all students as suspicious. Still, the test monitoring industry is booming. Another experiment took place in Leipzig, Germany. Study participants were allowed into a concert (with prior COVID testing) to determine the effects of a large gathering on the transmission of the virus. For many, it was a welcome reprieve from pandemic life.
