All americans are. 9 Stereotypes Americans Hate: Debunking Common Misconceptions About the USA

Are Americans really loud and obnoxious. Do they all suffer from obesity. Is racism truly rampant in the United States. Discover the truth behind 9 common stereotypes about Americans and why these misconceptions are often far from reality.

The Loud American: Fact or Fiction?

One of the most pervasive stereotypes about Americans is that they are excessively loud. This notion has been perpetuated for years, often fueled by encounters with young American tourists or students abroad. But is this reputation truly deserved?

In reality, the average American is not significantly louder than people from other cultures in day-to-day conversations. The stereotype likely stems from a vocal minority of travelers who may not always represent the broader population. It’s important to remember that cultural norms for appropriate volume can vary widely between countries, leading to misunderstandings.

Why does this stereotype persist?

• Cultural differences in acceptable speaking volumes
• Memorable encounters with boisterous American tourists
• Media portrayals that exaggerate American behavior

While it’s true that some Americans may speak louder than what’s considered normal in other cultures, it’s unfair to apply this characteristic to an entire nation of over 330 million people.

Confronting the Racism Stereotype: A Changing America

Recent political events and the rise of certain fringe groups have led some to believe that all Americans are racist. However, this generalization overlooks significant progress in racial attitudes and relationships in the United States over the past several decades.

Interracial marriage rates have been on the rise since the 1980s, with a vast majority of Americans now approving of marriages between people of different races. This shift represents a dramatic improvement in racial attitudes since the Civil Rights era of the 1960s.

Key statistics on racial attitudes in America:

• 87% of men and 85% of women approve of interracial marriage
• Interracial marriage rates have steadily increased since the 1980s
• Approximately 4 out of 5 Americans support interracial relationships

While racism undoubtedly still exists in pockets of American society, the overall trend shows a nation moving towards greater racial acceptance and integration.

American Generosity: A Global Leader in Foreign Aid

Contrary to the stereotype of Americans being selfish, the United States has consistently been one of the world’s largest providers of foreign aid. This generosity extends to both government-level assistance and private charitable giving.

In 2015, the US was the largest donor of foreign aid globally, contributing a staggering $31.08 billion to various international causes and crises. This commitment to helping others is particularly evident during natural disasters and humanitarian crises around the world.

Examples of American generosity:

1. Immediate response to global natural disasters
2. Substantial contributions to international development projects
3. Support for global health initiatives
4. Funding for education and infrastructure in developing nations

This level of international assistance demonstrates that many Americans are deeply committed to making a positive impact beyond their borders.

Education and Intelligence: Dismantling the ‘Dumb American’ Myth

The notion that Americans are unintelligent is another stereotype that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Educational attainment in the United States has been steadily increasing over the past few decades, with a significant portion of the population pursuing higher education.

Educational statistics in the US:

• 88% of adults have at least a high school diploma or equivalent
• Nearly 33% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher
• Postsecondary degrees have increased across all levels in recent decades
• A high percentage of Americans engage in reading for pleasure across all age groups

These figures paint a picture of a nation that values education and continuous learning. The increase in various types of degrees also suggests a diverse and adaptable workforce.

Are Americans well-read?

Contrary to the stereotype of Americans being uninterested in literature or learning, reading for pleasure is quite common across all age groups:

• 83% of 18 to 29-year-olds read for pleasure
• 78% of those aged 30-49
• 81% of those aged 50-64
• 80% of people over 65 years of age

These statistics challenge the notion that Americans are uninterested in intellectual pursuits or personal growth through reading.

American Manners: Politeness Beyond Cultural Differences

The stereotype of the rude American is often based on cultural misunderstandings rather than actual impolite behavior. What may be perceived as rudeness in one culture can be a sign of friendliness or openness in American culture.

Common American behaviors often misinterpreted:

• Open-mouth laughing
• Public nose blowing
• Smiling at strangers
• Initiating conversations with unfamiliar people

In reality, many Americans are known for their friendliness and willingness to help strangers. They often engage in small talk and are more likely to acknowledge or assist someone they don’t know, which can be seen as polite and welcoming behavior in American culture.

Tackling the Obesity Stereotype: America’s Health Revolution

While it’s true that obesity is a significant health concern in the United States, with two out of three adults considered overweight or obese, it’s important to recognize the efforts being made to combat this issue at various levels of society.

Initiatives to promote healthier lifestyles:

• School programs focusing on nutrition and portion control
• Employer wellness programs with healthcare incentives
• Laws requiring calorie counts on restaurant menus
• Growing popularity of clean eating and fitness in major cities

These efforts demonstrate a growing awareness of the importance of health and wellness in American society. Many communities, particularly in coastal cities, have embraced healthy living as a fundamental aspect of their lifestyle.

American Travel Habits: Debunking the Passport Myth

A persistent myth suggests that only a small percentage of Americans hold passports, leading to the stereotype that Americans are uninterested in international travel. However, recent data paints a different picture.

American passport and travel statistics:

• 46% of the US population (approximately 150 million people) have valid passports
• 18.5 million new passports were issued in 2016, a 21% increase from the previous year
• Many Americans choose to travel within the US due to its vast geographical diversity

It’s important to note that the United States offers a wide range of climates, landscapes, and cultural experiences within its borders, which can satisfy many travel desires without the need for international trips.

Why do some Americans travel less internationally?

1. The vast size and diversity of the United States itself
2. Limited vacation time compared to some other countries
3. Higher costs associated with international travel
4. Language barriers and cultural differences

While international travel rates may be lower compared to some other nations, it’s inaccurate to assume this is due to a lack of interest or curiosity about the world.

Beyond Stereotypes: The Diversity of American Experiences

It’s crucial to remember that the United States is a vast and diverse nation, home to people from countless cultural backgrounds and walks of life. Attempting to apply any single stereotype to such a large and varied population is inherently flawed.

Factors contributing to American diversity:

• A long history of immigration from all parts of the world
• Regional cultural differences within the US
• Varied ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Urban, suburban, and rural lifestyles

This diversity means that for every stereotype about Americans, there are millions of individuals who defy that generalization. It’s essential to approach cultural understanding with an open mind and a willingness to look beyond surface-level assumptions.

How can we move beyond stereotypes?

1. Engage in cultural exchange and personal interactions
2. Seek out diverse perspectives and experiences
3. Challenge our own preconceptions and biases
4. Recognize the complexity of individual and national identities

By making an effort to understand the nuances of American culture and the individuals who comprise it, we can move beyond simplistic stereotypes and develop a more accurate and empathetic view of the nation and its people.

The Impact of Media on American Stereotypes

Media portrayals, both within the United States and internationally, play a significant role in shaping perceptions of American culture and behavior. Hollywood movies, TV shows, and news coverage often present exaggerated or selective views of American life, which can reinforce existing stereotypes or create new ones.

How media influences perceptions of Americans:

• Overrepresentation of certain lifestyles or demographics
• Sensationalized news coverage of extreme events
• Fictional portrayals that become associated with real American behavior
• Social media amplification of both positive and negative stereotypes

It’s important for media consumers to approach these portrayals critically and seek out diverse sources of information about American life and culture.

Challenging media-driven stereotypes:

1. Seek out independent and international news sources
2. Engage with American culture through literature, art, and personal connections
3. Recognize the difference between entertainment and reality
4. Look for media that showcases diverse American experiences

By being aware of how media shapes our perceptions, we can better navigate the complex reality of American society and culture.

The Evolution of American Identity in a Globalized World

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the concept of what it means to be “American” continues to evolve. Globalization has led to a blending of cultures and ideas, challenging traditional notions of national identity and breaking down some of the barriers that once reinforced stereotypes.

Factors influencing modern American identity:

• Increased exposure to global cultures through technology and travel
• Growing multicultural populations in American cities
• The rise of transnational corporations and global economic ties
• Shared global challenges such as climate change and pandemics

These influences have led to a more nuanced and diverse understanding of what it means to be American in the 21st century.

How is American identity changing?

1. Greater appreciation for cultural diversity within the US
2. Increased adoption of global trends and ideas
3. Growing awareness of America’s role in the global community
4. Redefinition of patriotism and national pride

As American identity continues to evolve, it becomes even more important to challenge outdated stereotypes and recognize the complex tapestry of experiences that make up modern American life.

The Role of Education in Combating Stereotypes

Education plays a crucial role in challenging and dismantling stereotypes about Americans, both within the United States and internationally. By promoting cultural understanding and critical thinking, educational initiatives can help create a more nuanced and accurate perception of American society.

Educational approaches to addressing stereotypes:

• Incorporating diverse perspectives in history and social studies curricula
• Promoting intercultural exchange programs and study abroad opportunities
• Teaching media literacy to help students critically evaluate information sources
• Encouraging open dialogue about cultural differences and similarities

These educational strategies can help foster a more informed and empathetic understanding of American culture and its place in the global community.

Benefits of stereotype-challenging education:

1. Increased cultural competence and global awareness
2. Reduced prejudice and discrimination
3. Enhanced ability to navigate diverse social and professional environments
4. Improved international relations and cooperation

By investing in education that challenges stereotypes and promotes cultural understanding, we can work towards a more inclusive and accurate representation of American society and its diverse population.

Moving Forward: Embracing Complexity and Rejecting Oversimplification

As we’ve explored the various stereotypes often associated with Americans, it becomes clear that these generalizations rarely capture the true complexity and diversity of American society. Moving forward, it’s essential to approach cultural understanding with an open mind and a willingness to look beyond surface-level assumptions.

Key takeaways for challenging American stereotypes:

• Recognize the vast diversity within American society
• Seek out personal experiences and interactions with Americans
• Be critical of media portrayals and seek diverse information sources
• Understand the historical and cultural context of American behaviors
• Embrace the evolving nature of American identity in a globalized world

By rejecting oversimplified stereotypes and embracing the complexity of American culture, we can develop a more accurate, nuanced, and empathetic understanding of the United States and its people.

How can individuals contribute to breaking down stereotypes?

1. Challenge your own preconceptions and biases
2. Engage in respectful cultural exchange and dialogue
3. Share your own experiences and perspectives with others
4. Support educational initiatives that promote cultural understanding
5. Advocate for more accurate and diverse representations in media

As we continue to navigate an increasingly interconnected world, moving beyond stereotypes becomes not just a matter of cultural sensitivity, but a crucial step towards fostering global understanding and cooperation. By recognizing the unique experiences and contributions of individuals within American society, we can build a more inclusive and accurate perception of what it truly means to be American in the 21st century.

9 Stereotypes All Americans Hate

© Odua Images/Shutterstock

Boastful, arrogant, loud, fat, drunk – Americans have heard it all. But is there any truth in these stereotypes?

Americans are accustomed to this stereotype, a longstanding one of which many are reluctant to let go. This is partly due to the majority of young American students backpacking or studying abroad who have helped to perpetuate the reputation (just about everyone has been that too-drunk, too-loud traveler at least once). But when it comes to day-to-day conversations, Americans aren’t a particularly loud group of people.

It’s easy to assume that all Americans are racist, especially taking into account the recent election and uprising of white nationalist groups post-election. But since the 1980s, interracial marriage rates have increased, with 87 percent of men and 85 percent of women approving of marriage between Caucasians and African Americans. That means every four in five people agree with interracial marriage today, a wild improvement since the 1960s. MLK would be proud.

The world is full of selfish people. But when it comes to helping others, Americans are usually one of the first to come to the rescue, especially during a natural disaster, when other countries are in need. In 2015, the US was the largest donor of foreign aid, spending $31.08 billion.

US Navy Sailors install landscaping border at the site of a new Habitat for Humanity home | Public Domain/WikiCommons

While there’s a misconceived notion that all Americans are unintelligent, the stats show otherwise. In 2015, 88 percent of adults had at least a high school diploma (or GED), while nearly 33 percent held a bachelor’s or higher degree. There’s also been an increase in the number of postsecondary degrees in the past few decades: certificates have increased by 49 percent, associate’s degrees by 59 percent, bachelor’s degrees by 36 percent, master’s degrees by 45 percent, and doctorate degrees by 44 percent. Also, 83 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds, 78 percent of ages 30-49, 81 percent of ages 50-64, and 80 percent of people over 65 years of age read for pleasure.

Crater Lake National Park | Public Domain/Pixabay

This stereotype has likely stemmed from open-mouth laughing or public nose blowing, the product of culturally unaware American travelers. But while these actions seem ‘rude’ to foreigners, Americans are in fact quite polite. They are more likely to smile at, help, or acknowledge a stranger; they don’t wait for introductions and will happily chat with someone in the elevator.

Happy Bubbles | © Abdulaziz Ceylan/Flickr

While it’s true that obesity and weight gain is a major issue in the States – two out of three adults are considered overweight or obese – the US has made several efforts to battle this growing epidemic. Schools are cutting calories, improving nutritional content, and reducing portion sizes, providing healthier choices to kids; employers receive a return on investment in health care savings when they promote wellness, and four states have passed laws requiring restaurants to include calorie counts on menus. Plus, in cities along the coast – Los Angeles, New York, Miami – clean eating and exercise have become a way of life.

Oh, the great American passport myth. A rumor once circulated that only ten percent of the American population holds a valid passport. This led to a widespread idea that Americans don’t travel and that they’re an ignorant nation with no knowledge of the outside world. But according to the State Department, 46 percent of the 324 million-large population has a valid passport. And in 2016, 18.5 million new passports were issued. That’s over three million more than last year, an increase of 21 percent. Let’s also keep in mind that the States are bound by a wealth of geological diversity, so many Americans simply opt to travel within their own borders.

The long, but scenic, slog up to the second pass in Gates of the Arctic National Park, Brooks Range Mountains, Alaska | © Paxson Woelber/Flickr

Anderson, Lars: 9780312308889: Amazon.com: Books

On November 29, 1941, Army played Navy in front of 100,000 fans. Eight days later, the Japanese attacked and the young men who battled each other in that historic game were forced to fight a very different enemy. Author Lars Anderson follows four players–two from Annapolis and two from West Point–in this epic true story.
Bill Busik. Growing up in Pasadena, California, Busik was best friends with a young black man named Jackie, who in 1947 would make Major League Baseball history. Busik would have a spectacular sports career himself at the Naval Academy, earning All-American honors as a tailback in 1941. He was serving aboard the U.S.S. “Shaw when it was attacked by Japanese dive-bombers in 1943.
Hal Kauffman. Together, Busik and Kauffman rode a train across the nation to Annapolis to enroll in the Naval Academy. A backup tailback at Navy, Kauffman would go on to serve aboard the U.S.S. “Meredith, which was sunk in 1942. For five days Kauffman struggled to stay alive on a raft, fighting off hallucinations, dehydration, and–most terrifying of all–sharks. Dozens of his crewmates lost their minds; others were eaten by sharks. All the while Kauffman wondered if he’d ever see his friend and teammate again.
Henry Romanek. Because he had relatives in Poland, Romanek heard firsthand accounts in 1939 of German aggression. Wanting to become an officer, Romanek attended West Point and played tackle for the Cadets. He spent months preparing for the D-day invasion and on June 6, 1944–the day he would have graduated from West Point had his course load not been cut from four years to three–Romanek rode in a landing craft to storm Omaha Beach. In the first wave to hit the beach he wouldalso become one of the first to take a bullet.
Robin Olds. The son of a famous World War I fighter pilot, Olds decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. At West Point he became best friends with Romanek and the two played side-by-side on Army’s line. In 1942, a sportswriter Grantland Rice named Olds to his All-American team. Two years later Olds spent D-day flying a P-38 over Omaha Beach, anxiously scanning the battlefield for Romanek, hoping his friend would survive the slaughter.
The tale of these four men is woven into a dramatic narrative of football and war that’s unlike any other. Through extensive research and interviews with dozens of World War II veterans, Anderson has written one of the most compelling and original true stories in all of World War II literature. From fierce fighting, heroic rescues, tragic death, and awe-inspiring victory, all four men’s suspenseful journeys are told in graphic detail. Along the way, Anderson brings World War II to life in a way that has never been done before.

A graduate of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, Lars Anderson earned a masters degree from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University and is now a staff writer at Sports Illustrated. He’s also the author of the critically acclaimed Pickup Artist: Street Basketball in America and The Proving Ground: A Season on the Fringe in NFL Europe. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with his wife, Sara.

CHAPTER ONE
D-DAY

The young man stood on the deck of the U.S.S. “Garfield,“ looking across the English Channel, into darkness. It was just after midnight on June 6, 1944, and the defining hour of Henry Romanek’s life was at hand. The “Garfield,“ a transport ship, had just left the coast of England and was motoring south across the channel, its destination the waters off northern France, about ten miles outside of a quiet, enchanting beach the Allies called Omaha.

As Romanek gazed onto the black horizon, a cold wind dusting his cheeks, beams of moonlight filtered though the clouds to reveal an armada of ships so vast that it took his breath away. Over five thousand vessels were plowing through the whitecaps, the column of ships stretching as far as Romanek’s eyes could see to the east and the west. The day of reckoning, D-day, had arrived. “Good God,“ Romanek said softly to himself, “Lord, have mercy on us.”

The twenty-four-year-old Romanek was a platoon leader in the 149th Engineer Combat Battalion. Like all the soldiers in his company, he was dressed for battle. He wore a steel combat helmet that was outfitted with a fabric interlining. A life belt (a flotation
device) was wrapped snugly around his waist. His first layer of clothing was a wool undershirt, underwear, and thick wool combat socks. On top of that were protective leggings, wool pants, a flannel shirt, an olive drab jacket, and waterproof jumpshoes. He also carried a field bag on his back that held a pancho, toilet articles, a towel, canned food, and a knife, fork, and spoon. A loaded carbine hung over his shoulder, and his dog tags dangled from his neck. On the ring finger of his left hand was his graduation ring from West Point, his dearest possession.

Romanek had received the ring a year earlier, and now as he looked down on it, the black onyx stone glittered in the moonlight. Romanek was in charge of a platoon of forty-five men, and they were constantly asking him to tell stories from his days at the military academy, especially what it was like to be an Army football player. Romanek had been a two-way standout at the Point in 1941 and ‘42, playing tackle on both offense and defense. The game he was most often questioned about was the ‘41 Army-Navy contest, which was played before 98,942 screaming fans at Philadelphia’s Municipal Stadium. As Romanek drew closer to what he knew would be the bloodiest fight of his life, that game was still alive in his mind, its details burned into his memory. He must have told his men about that Army-Navy clash a hundred times, maybe more.

Though three and half years had passed since he last donned an Army football uniform, Romanek still looked like the strapping star he was. Barrel-chested and long-armed, Romanek, at 6’2”, 195 pounds, was more toned than muscular. He didn’t seem to have an ounce of fat on his tight frame. He had a fair complexion, sleepy blue eyes, caramel-colored hair that was in a crew cut, and a soft, gentle smile that made ladies blush whenever he looked their way. He was, by all accounts, a dashing figure, the kind of clean-cut, riveting young man that people turned to stare at whenever he strolled into a room.

Yet the boys in his platoon and to Romanek, they were “boys,“ as most of them were still teenagers–looked up to Romanek not because of his handsome looks but because he was their leader. Romanek thought of his men as an extension of his own family, and he worried and fretted about them probably more than he should have. He spent every night after training reading all their V-mail letters that they were sending to loved ones back home. Because Romanek was the official censor in charge of screening all outgoing U.S. mail for his platoon, he came to know all of his men’s deepest secrets and greatest fears. He talked to the men in his platoon about everything, from how they missed their sweethearts back home to the art of making a proper block on the football field. Even when Romanek was agitated, he rarely raised his voice when speaking with his men. Instead, in a firm and steady tone, he would simply lay out what needed to be done and how it would be accomplished. Then he always ended by saying how much he trusted everyone and how they should treat each other like they were blood brothers.

Romanek’s soldiers were from the Midwest, mostly raised on farms and in small towns in Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska, and they were as gritty as any soldiers Romanek had ever been around. Romanek cared deeply for them, which made him vulnerable on this early morning: Romanek knew that many of them wouldn’t survive the coming day. “If all the soldiers on our side are as good as you guys,“ Romanek told his men a few days before the invasion, “the Germans don’t have a chance.”

Along with the rest of his battalion, Romanek and his men had sailed out of New York harbor on the early morning of December 29, 1943 and had spent the better part of six months on the south coast of England preparing for the invasion. The 149th practiced everything from landing on beaches to laying live mines to booby-trapping houses with explosives. The combat engineers had perhaps the most complex mission of any on D-day. They would be among the first to hit the beaches, and they were assigned multiple tasks. They were to identify and blow up any beach obstacle–most were large pieces of steel rail–that would interfere with the landing of troops as the tide began to rise. Then, as quickly as possible, they were to set up signs that would act as guideposts for incoming landing craft. Finally, if they were still alive, they were to clear roads from the beach and set up supply dumps.

Romanek had gone over the mission dozens of times with his men. He explained to them that the first assault waves on D-day were going to be DD tanks (“duplex drive” tanks that were modified M4 Sherman tanks, which could travel on water as well as land). These tanks would be rigged with rubber devices so–the hope was–they would float. The tanks would be followed by a wave of infantry and engineers. Romanek’s engineering platoon was married to the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division. They would ride into Omaha Beach together on landing craft, and they would be among the first of the forty thousand men scheduled to land on Omaha, a beach that was about six miles long and slight crescent-shaped. Romanek reminded his men over and over that what they really had to focus on was erecting the large marking panels for the D-3 exit so that subsequent landing craft would know where to go.

Now on the “Garfield,“ the landings at Omaha just hours away, Romanek told his platoon to gather around him. When Romanek looked at his men, their eyes seemed to glow like full moons–wide-open and bursting with anticipation. “Now is our opportunity to participate in the greatest armada ever launched in history,“ Romanek said above the drone of the “Garfield’s” engines. “And history will be made by what we do here today. Now let’s do our jobs and make our country proud.” There were no replies from any of Romanek’s men. They merely stared at their leader in silence.

At around two in the morning, when the “Garfield” was about twelve miles off the coast of France, the order was sounded; “Now hear this! All assault troops report to your debarkation areas.”

Romanek made his way to the spot where he would descend onto a LCM (Landing Craft, f0 Mechanized) that would ferry half of his platoon–approximately twenty-three men–and about eighty infantry personnel to the beach. Along with the hundred or so men on the LCM, there would also be explosive devices and marking panels on board, which Romanek and his platoon of engineers would erect. The marking panels were stored in twenty-foot-long polelike casings. The markers were large triangles that would be staked into the sand and would signify the D-3 exit at Les Moulins, an area on the beach that included a road that led inland to St. Laurent–a D-day objective for the infantry. Romanek carried one of the cases with him as he walked to the disembarkation point.

Boarding the LCMs was treacherous. The small vessels had already been lowered into the water and they were now bobbing up and down in the ten-foot swells. The men threw a rope net over the side of the “Garfield.” In a firm tone, Romanek told his men to go, to climb down the net and then jump into their LCM. “This won’t he easy,“ Romanek said as men began to descend. “Don’t lose your grip.” Because the engineers were loaded down with weapons, ammo, rations, and a life preserver, mobility was limited. At the disembarking point, one of the men turned to Romanek. His face was white and he was so cold with fear he could hardly move. “Sir, I’m scared,“ he told Romanek.

Copyright (c) 2004 by Lars Anderson

All-America team | American sports

All-America team, honorific title given to outstanding U.S. athletes in a specific sport in a given year competing at the collegiate and secondary school levels. Originally the term referred to a select group of college gridiron football players. Athletes selected to an All-America team are known as All-Americans.

The first All-America team comprised football players, picked by Caspar Whitney and Walter Camp in 1889 for a magazine called The Week’s Sport. Whitney and Camp continued to collaborate in selecting All-America teams, working for The Week’s Sport again in 1890 and then for Harper’s Weekly from 1891 through 1897. Camp made his own selections for Collier’s magazine from 1898 through 1924. Camp’s reputation as football player, coach, and rules maker made his selections generally accepted. When Camp died in 1925, Collier’s engaged Grantland Rice, the era’s most prominent sportswriter, to continue the annual selection.

Even before 1900, other football devotees had begun making their own All-America choices. The number of these selections increased as the popularity of football grew; major newspapers, news services, feature syndicates, and eventually magazines (most notably Look) picked annual teams. Rice and Collier’s began the practice of compiling their selections from the findings of a nationwide board of the American Football Coaches Association, which continues to select an All-America team. The major American news services, Associated Press and United Press International, also use the findings of representatives scattered throughout the country to choose All-America teams, as does the Football Writers Association of America.

All-America teams are now also chosen in such sports as baseball, basketball, swimming, and track and field and consist of athletes from colleges, high schools, and prep schools.

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2020 Consensus All-Americans: Alabama dominates with six selections

The NCAA announced the 2020 consensus All-American team on Friday, led by six Alabama players.

DeVonta Smith, the Heisman Trophy winner and Sporting News Player of the Year, was among the Crimson Tide’s six selections.

Sporting News is one of five outlets used to determine consensus All-Americans along with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Associated Press (AP), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and Walter Camp Foundation (WC).

MORE: SN 2020 All-America team

The Crimson Tide dominated the list, adding running back Najee Harris, offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood, center Landon Dickerson and cornerback Patrick Surtain II as unanimous selections; quarterback Mac Jones earned consensus honors.

To be selected to the consensus team, a player must be named first team on at least two of those five All-American teams. Second teams are used to break ties.

Here is a look at the consensus All-American Team.

*denotes unanimous selection:

Consensus All-American offense

Consensus All-American defense

Fact Sheet: President Biden to Announce All Americans to be Eligible for Vaccinations by May 1, Puts the Nation on a Path to Get Closer to Normal by July 4th

President Biden Implements Next Phase of National Strategy to Put the Pandemic Behind Us; Will Direct States, Tribes, and Territories to Make All Adults Eligible for Vaccine by May 1

Today, in his first prime time address, President Biden will announce the next phase of our war-time effort to vaccinate the U.S. population, with the goal of getting the nation closer to normal by July 4^th, Independence Day.

The President launched a new, comprehensive strategy to beat this pandemic on January 21, 2021.  In the subsequent 7 weeks, we’ve delivered over 81 million vaccinations to Americans — today, more people are once again able to visit their loved ones. There is more work to do and today, the President is outlining the next phase of his whole of government strategy to put the pandemic behind us.

Today, the President will announce that in the coming weeks, the Administration will:

Make every adult in the U.S. eligible for vaccination no later than May 1. Today, in the next phase of our vaccination effort, the President will announce that he will direct states, Tribes, and territories to make all adults eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine no later than May 1st.  The White House COVID-19 Response Team has concluded that our accelerated vaccination efforts will enable prioritized vaccinations to be far enough along by end of April that all eligibility restrictions for vaccinations can be lifted by May 1st.

Once all Americans are eligible to be vaccinated, the Administration will ensure that every adult is actually able to get the vaccine by:

Increasing the number of places Americans can get vaccinated. With the resources available through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, the Administration will ramp up efforts to create more places for people to get vaccinated, reaching the hardest-hit and hardest to reach populations.  

Community Health Centers: Today, the Administration announced that over the next six weeks the Administration will deliver vaccines directly to up to an additional 700 community health centers that reach underserved communities, increasing the total number of participating community health centers across the country to 950. These health centers serve low income and minority patients, provide services to rural communities and Tribal communities, and many will utilize mobile vans to deliver services.

Pharmacies: The Administration will double the number of pharmacies participating in the federal pharmacy program, making the vaccine available at more than 20,000 pharmacies in locations convenient to all Americans.  The Administration is directing pharmacies to expand mobile operations into the hardest hit communities to reach more people.

Community Vaccination Centers:  The Administration will more than double the number of federally-run mass vaccination centers, run by FEMA, the U.S. military, and other federal agencies in partnership with states, to ensure that we reach the hardest-hit communities in this historic effort. Many of these sites will be the home base for mobile units that will travel into local communities to provide vaccines directly in underserved populations. With these mobile clinics, we’ll work with states to make up to one-third of each site’s daily vaccinations available directly in the hardest-hit neighborhoods. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, the Administration will also increase support for state and local-run community vaccination centers. As a result of these added investments community vaccination centers will be capable of administering hundreds of thousands of shots a day, building on the nearly 600 centers across the country already operating with federal support.

Increasing the number of people providing and supporting vaccinations. Today, President Biden will announce the deployment of more than 4,000 active duty troops to support vaccination efforts, bringing the total to over 6,000 in all. Tomorrow, the Administration will expand the pool of qualified professionals able to administer shots to include: Dentists, advanced and intermediate Emergency Medical Technicians, Midwives, Optometrists, Paramedics, Physician Assistants, Podiatrists, Respiratory Therapists, and Veterinarians, as well as medical students, nursing students, and other healthcare students in the previously listed professions under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services will launch a new website to help individuals determine whether they are eligible to sign up to volunteer to administer shots.

Providing tools to make it easier for individuals to find a vaccine. The President will announce steps to make it easier for individuals to find a vaccine near them and address some of the barriers to getting vaccinated.

Find a Vaccination Website: By May 1^st, as vaccines are available in more places, the Administration will launch a federally-supported website that will show the locations near them that have vaccines.

1-800 Number: To offer a tool for those who may lack Internet access, we will launch a call center by May 1^st to provide guidance and assistance with finding a vaccine.

Technical Support to Improve Existing State Websites:  Since many Americans use their state websites to schedule appointments, the Administration will also deploy technology teams to states who need assistance to improve their websites.

Providing clear guidance to vaccinated Americans. Our COVID-19 efforts will always be guided by science and the step-by-step approaches to get Americans back to the important people and activities in their lives that they have been missing. Today, the President announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will continue to issue clear guidance for individuals on what they can do after being fully vaccinated.

Additional CDC Guidance on Activities for the Vaccinated:  As we approach July 4^th, based on the best available science and the pace of vaccinations, the CDC will provide public health guidance for people as they travel, participate in small gatherings, and go to work and houses of worship.

Benefits of Vaccination:  CDC guidance and other CDC messaging will make the benefits of vaccination clear to encourage more Americans to get vaccinated.  

Take New Steps to Reopen the Nation’s Schools. Reopening schools safely is critical to getting closer to normal. Tonight, President Biden laid out new steps in the school reopening effort. 

Ensure schools have the resources they need: Now that the American Rescue Plan has passed, the nearly $130 billion to safely reopen schools for in-person instruction will begin to be distributed this month by the Department of Education. These dollars will help schools pay for the critical supplies to implement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommended mitigation strategies, hire more staff – and avoid laying off current staff – to accommodate the need for smaller class sizes due to physical distancing, and support children’s academic, social and emotional needs after a challenging year. 

Expand screening testing in schools:  We will immediately take steps to help schools implement regular screening testing to assist them in safely reopening classrooms, including through tests and test supplies as well as implementation assistance to make it easier for schools to adopt a testing program.  This month, HHS will award $650 million in an initial investment in expanding K-8 school testing and testing in underserved congregate settings through new regional coordinating centers that will identify existing testing capacity, match it up to an area of need and support testing. This effort will begin to bring more testing to teachers, staff, and students and serve as a bridge to the comprehensive testing investment in the American Rescue Plan that is critical to get the pandemic under control.

Provide guidance and support:  The Department of Education (ED) will host a national Safe School Reopening Summit this month that will bring together students, teachers, families, community organizations, and state, local, or school leadership to provide assistance in implementing the CDC K-12 operational strategy for in-person instruction and supporting the academic, social, and emotional well-being of students.  ED also is launching the “Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse” called for in President Biden’s Executive Order.  The Clearinghouse will highlight lessons learned and best practices that can help schools and districts identify opportunities to best utilize American Rescue Plan funds to meet their individual needs. Next month, ED will release Volume 2 of its K-12 COVID-19 Handbook for districts, schools, and educators with strategies to address the impact of COVID-19 on students, educators, and staff, especially for historically underserved students and communities that have been hit hardest by the pandemic.

Help educators get vaccinated:  Throughout March, the Administration will advance our efforts to support educators, school staff and childcare workers getting vaccinated.  Last week, the President announced that he is using the Administration’s authority to direct states to make Pre-K-12 school staff and child care workers eligible for vaccinations and that the Administration will prioritize educators in the federal pharmacy program.  The President challenged all 50 states to get Pre-K-12 school staff and child care workers their first shot by the end of this month. To help meet that goal, the Administration is working with education leaders, advocates, child care providers, community leaders, states and others to help reach educators and to disseminate toolkits and other resources to help amplify the importance of getting vaccinated.

Continue Effort to Combat Variants and Spread of COVID-19: As we work to get more people vaccinated, we will continue to take steps to combat the spread of variants including expanding testing and genomic sequencing.

Expand testing to help stop the spread of COVID-19.  While testing to date has been primarily focused on individuals with symptoms and potential exposures – and this testing remains critical – we will expand testing to ensure that we are identifying asymptomatic infection early to stop the spread.  With the nearly $50 billion in testing funding in the American Rescue Plan, the Administration will invest in screening testing to help schools reopen safely, expand testing in congregate settings like shelters for individuals experiencing homelessness, prisons, and other settings where individuals live in close quarters.  This funding also will help to close supply gaps and address critical raw material shortages that have plagued the testing supply chain.  And, with new investments in our manufacturing base, we will be able to increase easier to use and more affordable point-of-care and at-home testing.

Identify variants by expanding genomic sequencing.  Thanks to the American Rescue Plan’s $1.75 billion investment, we will dramatically expand our ability to sequence samples to identify, track, and mitigate emerging variants.  This will build on the nearly $200 million that the Administration announced last month to grow the number of samples sequenced from 7,000 to approximately 25,000.  Growing sample sizes will improve our ability to detect emerging variants and work to mitigate their spread.

###

Audiobook is not available | Audible.com

• Evvie Drake Starts Over

• A Novel

• By:
  Linda Holmes

• Narrated by:
  Julia Whelan, Linda Holmes

• Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

• Unabridged

In a sleepy seaside town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth “Evvie” Drake rarely leaves her large, painfully empty house nearly a year after her husband’s death in a car crash. Everyone in town, even her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and Evvie doesn’t correct them. Meanwhile, in New York City, Dean Tenney, former Major League pitcher and Andy’s childhood best friend, is wrestling with what miserable athletes living out their worst nightmares call the “yips”: he can’t throw straight anymore, and, even worse, he can’t figure out why.

• 3 out of 5 stars

• Something made me keep listening….
  

• By

  Carolina Girl
  on
  10-12-19

Four Irish Named Walter Camp All-Americans; Owusu-Koramoah Becomes Unanimous All-American

NOTRE DAME, Indiana — Four Notre Dame Football student-athletes earned nods to the Walter Camp All-America team, the final of the five major selections. Graduate student offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg and senior linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah were named to the first team, and senior offensive lineman Aaron Banks and sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton were selected to the second team. 

The first-team selection for Owusu-Koramoah completes a clean sweep of the five major All-America first teams, making him Notre Dame’s 35th unanimous All-American in program history. He is the first Irish player to earn the honor since Quenton Nelson in 2017, and the first Notre Dame defensive player since Manti Te’o in 2012. 

The Walter Camp nod represents the fourth first-team nod (of five) in 2020 for Eichenberg. Both he and Banks (two first-team selections) are consensus All-Americans for 2020. The three consensus All-Americans for the Irish bring Notre Dame’s program total to 105.

2020-21 marks the 131st edition of the Walter Camp All-America team – the nation’s oldest All-America team. Originating in 1889 with eleven players, it has since grown to include offensive, defensive and special teams individuals, also adding a second team in 1998.

First team

Liam Eichenberg

Totaling 38-consecutive starts on his career, Eichenberg has been tabbed as one of the best linemen in the country, being named a finalist for the Outland Trophy and recipient of the ACC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy. He is a consensus All-American, having already been named to the Sporting News, FWAA and AFCA All-America first teams in 2020. He was twice named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week, and was a member of an offensive line unit that was a finalist for the 2020 Joe Moore Award. He was also named first team All-ACC by the conference.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

The 2020 Butkus Award winner and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Owusu-Koramoah is widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the nation. Also a finalist for the Bednarik Award and Bowden Trophy, and semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, Owusu-Koramoah was also a finalist for the Nagurski Award and named first-team All-ACC by the conference. The senior has totaled 62 tackles (42 solo), 11.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks, one interception, three PBU, two FR and three FF on the season. Owusu-Koramoah is a unanimous All-American, having been named already to the Associated Press, Sporting News, AFCA and FWAA All-America first teams.

Second team

Aaron Banks

Banks has racked up 31-career starts and is a consensus All-American for 2020, having been named to the Associated Press and AFCA All-America first teams. He was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his performance vs. Clemson (11/7). Selected to the All-ACC First Team, Banks is part of an offensive line that led the ACC and ranks seventh in the FBS in time of possession, controlling the ball for 33:56 minutes of game time and winning the time of possession battle in 11-of-12 games this season. The 33:56 time of possession average leads the ACC by more than two minutes per game. 

Kyle Hamilton

An All-ACC First Team selection (chosen by the conference) and Bednarik Award semifinalist, sophomore Kyle Hamilton leads the Irish defense with 63 tackles (51 solo) in 2020, even with only 11 games played. Along with a 14-yard interception vs. Clemson in the ACC Championship, he has posted six PBUs, 4.5 TFL and two QB hits. He was selected to the FWAA All-America First Team and the Associated Press All-America Third Team. 

90,000 “Everyone is buying back the dollar”: Hedge funds massively close rates against the US currency | 10.03.21

(Bloomberg) – The dollar’s surprise march could undermine one of the most popular macro strategies of 2021, and its ending could be painful.

Short positions in the dollar were a common bet on Wall Street, but the rise of the US currency for two months in a row proved to be a severe test for them. Net short speculative positions are down nearly $ 6 billion, according to one indicator based on data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, while about $ 25 billion remains open.

The resilience of the global reserve currency came as a surprise to traders who hoped that the introduction of the Covid-19 vaccines would support economic growth and risk appetite and further weaken the dollar. Instead, concerns about central banks cutting stimulus contributed to global markets plummeting, while simultaneously reviving episodes of dollar rallies during market panic over U.S. stimulus plans in 2013 and emerging market sell-off in 2018. …

“Everyone is buying back the dollar,” says Kei Yamazaki, senior fund manager at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Co., whose company oversees $ 135 billion in investments. that until the dollar rally stops. ”

Bond yield

In 2018, the liquidation of short dollar positions helped boost the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index by about 5% in the three months through June.Likewise, in 2013, the close of the shorts contributed to the rally in the same index by more than 3% in the first quarter.

However, in both episodes, short positions in the dollar were far from being as large as they are now – in 2018 they reached just under $ 24 billion, according to aggregated data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for a number of currencies.

Shorting the dollar “was an absolutely massive painful strategy for everyone,” says Nader Naimi, head of dynamic markets at AMP Capital Investors Ltd.who went from short to long last month. “Short positions were so popular that they looked like a rubber band being stretched too much – it was illogical given the outstripping economic growth in the United States,” he said.

Some investors say US Treasury yields will be a key factor. Paul Sandhu, head of quantum solutions for mixed assets in the Asia-Pacific region at BNP Paribas Asset Management, does not see “much potential to further strengthen” the dollar.

“I think when the yield curve starts to stabilize, you will see the stabilization of the dynamics of the currency,” – he said.

Abridged translation of the article: Crowded Dollar Trades Face Reckoning With Funds Cutting Losses

© 2021 Bloomberg L.P.

Oscar-winner Land of Nomads: The American Dream Through the Eyes of a Chinese Woman in America

• Alexander Kahn
• Cultural Observer

April 26, 2021

Photo author, Courtesy of SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

Photo caption,

Francis McDormand – the ideological inspirer, producer and performer of the main role in the film “The Land of the Nomads”

The film “The Land of the Nomads” won an Oscar as the best film, its director Chloe Zhao was awarded a gold statuette for the best director, and played the main character Frances McDormand won an Oscar for Best Actress.

This success is by no means unexpected: since its triumphant world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where the picture received the Golden Lion, she and its creator have reaped major awards at the Golden Globe and BAFTA awards.

A well-deserved victory at the main competition of world cinema makes you look at this wonderful picture in more detail, tell about how it was created, what ideas its authors put into it, and what, in fact, became the key to its triumphant march on world screens.

In the beginning was a book

The inspiration for “The Land of the Nomads” was the documentary book “The Land of the Nomads: Surviving America in the 21st Century” by American journalist Jessica Bruder.

Published in 2017, the book is the result of long travels around the United States, during which its author explored the lives of new nomads – people, usually elderly people who lost their homes and jobs after the 2008 financial crisis and who were doomed to wander around the country in search of odd jobs in caravans – shabby vans that have become their homes with minimal amenities.

Photo Credit, Amy Sussman / Getty Images

Photo Caption,

Journalist Jessica Bruder is the author of the documentary research inspired film “The Land of the Nomads: Surviving America in the 21st Century”

” I lived in a tent for weeks, then in a camper for months, “says Bruder.” Experience is the best teacher. During this time, I went from the most superficial idea of ​​the life of nomads to the deepest respect for the people who survived, despite the enormous problems that befell them. life, creative energy, resilience and generosity. “

Many of them, she says, tried to present to her – and at the same time to themselves – their lives in the light of the typically American idealistic view of the romance of the Wild West, of the all-time beckoning road ahead. They presented themselves as outcasts, like cowboys, like legendary American pioneers. They talked about freedom and unlimited possibilities, about individualism and self-sufficiency.

Only over time, talk about something else gradually appeared: about lost jobs, ruinous divorces and houses taken by banks – about what, in fact, forced them to go on a difficult path.They drew a legend, and only gradually, behind the cover of myth, unsightly facts were revealed.

“The legend gave them a sense of control over their own lives,” says Bruder. “We all need stories that seem to explain our lives to us. But these stories do not always correspond to reality.”

Francis McDormand – the main engine of the picture

Francis McDormand – a recognized Hollywood star, now a three-time Oscar winner (before “Land of the Nomads” she received gold statuettes for “Fargo” and “Three billboards on the border of Ebbing, Missouri), the wife of one of the most interesting directors of modern American cinema, Joel Cohen, who has starred in dozens of various films.

Photo author, Getty Images

Photo caption,

Frances McDormand felt like a part of the generation of new nomads, which are in question in the film

But even only these two “Oscar-winning” roles, least associated with the notorious Hollywood stardom, perfectly her characterize. Despite her education at the prestigious Yale University, she is the flesh of simple America.

By the time the book appeared, Brooder McDormand turned 60, and she felt like part of that very generation of new nomads, whose fate the journalist revealed in her documentary research.The book made a huge impression on her, and she immediately, along with producer Peter Spears, whose track record already included the exquisite and romantic gay drama Call Me by Your Name, acquired the rights to film it.

“The book mercilessly disrupts the hippist romantic halo of the road and ideal life-wandering, so inherent in our generation, brought up on beatnism and Kerouac’s book” On the Road, ” says McDormand.

In the same 2017, at the Toronto Film Festival, McDormand, still impressed by Brooder’s book, seized a couple of hours free between endless press conferences and interviews in connection with the Three Billboards shown there and was able to watch the movie The Horseman to almost no one then unknown director Chloe Zhao.

The story of an injured Lakota Sioux Indian cowboy living on a reservation shocked McDormand with a combination of authenticity – starring the injured real Indian cowboy Brady Gendreau himself – and artistry.And also an incredibly conveyed sense of the incomprehensibility and beauty of American nature.

Both that, and another seemed to her qualities, fundamentally necessary for the film adaptation of “The Land of the Nomads”.

Getting to know Zhao’s debut – also filmed in 2015 and also about life on the Indian Reservation, the drama Songs That My Brothers Taught Me – only strengthened McDormand’s resolve that her original feeling was correct: “The Land of the Nomads” should be directed by Chloe Zhao.

Documentary and artistic

Photo by, Amy Sussman / Getty Images

Photo caption,

The main creative tandem of the picture is the leading actor and producer Frances McDormand and director Chloe Zhao at the premiere of the film in August 2020.

The tandem of two women thus formed gave rise to a unique creative hybrid – a film in which real characters, real people from Jessica Bruder’s book intersect, interact with fictional characters, just two professional actors involved in the film.

The main character played by McDormand is the same age as the actress Fern, a lonely woman from the tiny industrial town of Empire. This town, after the bankruptcy and closure of its only enterprise, a drywall factory, completely lost the meaning of its existence, turned out to be abandoned by people and deserted.Fern was also a widow, and she had no choice but to load her simple belongings into a battered van and hit the road.

A shabby and cramped van, which does not even have its own toilet, for Fern is the only, faithful and devoted friend. Rather, even a friend, since the heroine speaks of her mobile home in the feminine gender as an animated creature that has its own name – “Vanguard”.

Photo author, Searchlight Pictures

Photo caption,

The van replaced Fern and the lost house, and the deceased husband, became her and her family, and the only friend

Next to Fern and her mobile home there are colorful faces from the book of Bruder, and also new ones that the film crew met while wandering around the country while working on the film.

Among them are gray-haired patriarch Bob Wells, the founder and spiritual leader of the largest nomad association in the world Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, striving to bring an almost divine meaning into nomadic life, and a sensible elderly woman with a broken arm on a bandage, nicknamed Swankie (“gorgeous” ), and another elderly woman named Linda May, who dreams of buying a piece of land and building an “earth ship” on it – an eco-friendly home made from natural materials.

Photo author, Searchlight Pictures

Photo caption,

In the nighttime conversations around the fire, real nomads shared their lives, dreams and pain with Fern, forgetting that she is an actress

Each of them has their own piece in the film, each from them it was necessary to “talk”, to get from them unencumbered naturalness, so that they organically intertwined into the artistic fabric of Fern’s history.

Collapse and hope of the “American Dream”

It may seem that the main meaning of the picture is the collapse of the legendary “American Dream”, absorbed by Americans from the cradle and fed by the history of the country. This dream was cherished by a generation of baby boomers who grew up in the 60s; they are the main part of the heroes of “The Land of the Nomads” wandering along the roads of America.

For them, their dream – a prosperous, secure old age in their home – collapsed. And part of it – the free travel in comfortable motorhomes through the national parks with daily barbecues – takes on a sad, almost sarcastic incarnation in their squalid vans next to the luxurious vans they come across at a traveling fair.

For all the obvious sadness and disappointment with such an outcome of the American dream, the film does not for a second sink to the level of frank political exposure. And although he was filmed at a time of maximum political polarization, to which America came at the end of the Trump era, there is not a single conversation on a political topic in it. The viewer himself draws his own conclusions.

But most importantly, the very artistic structure of the picture latently returns faith to America. Into the indomitable spirit of her people, into her magnificent immense beauty, perceived not only from nature itself, but also from American visual culture.

The expanses of prairies, along which the heroes wander, seem to be almost a literal cinematic reproduction of paintings by the American landscape painter Andrew Wyeth or the same expanses sung in traditional westerns – the most classic American cinematic genre.

Author of the photo, Searchlight Pictures

Caption to the photo,

Exquisitely filmed vast expanses of America – merit of cameraman Joshua James Richards

Chloe Zhao herself and the cameraman of the film, British Joshua James Richards willingly admit to influencing both of them , Zhao’s constant companion not only in all three of her paintings, but also a life partner.

View from the outside and from within

It seems surprising, if not paradoxical, that the creator of such an American in spirit and visual appearance of the film was an immigrant filmmaker.

Chloe Zhao was born in 1982 in Beijing, her father is a successful Chinese industrialist. Since childhood, she was fond of drawing, creating comics in the style of manga and cinema – her favorite director was Wong Karwai.

The wealth of the family allowed her parents to send a nearly non-English speaking 15-year-old girl to a private boarding school in England, after which she moved to Los Angeles.Her first university degree in America was in political science, and only after that she turned to her childhood dream and went to study cinematography at New York University.

So Zhao is not a pure immigrant. Almost all of her adult life was spent in the United States. But at the same time, her unique life experience allows her to see America as if in a double focus – both a foreigner who came from afar, and an American who is already quite immersed in the life of the country.

Photo author, Todd Williamson / January Images

Photo caption,

Thanks to “The Land of the Nomads” Chloe Zhao in less than a year turned from a little-known aspiring cinematographer into one of the most sought-after directors of world cinema

In this view of America from the outside has its own glorious and very worthy tradition.You can recall a number of wonderful, already classic examples of American cinema, created by immigrants.

Only the last decades will give many examples of an accurate and heartfelt view of America from the outside: “Zabriskie Point” by Michelangelo Antonioni, “Paris, Texas” by Wim Wenders or the relatively recent “American cutie” of the British woman Andrea Arnold. Moreover, all these films, like “The Land of the Nomads”, were shot in the very American road movie genre – road cinema, travel film.

What’s next?

In less than a year, the 39-year-old director’s career took off at a dizzying rise.

Back in September last year, before the premiere of “Land of the Nomads” in Venice, her name and her films were familiar only to specialists and the most advanced cinephiles. Now she is not only widely known all over the world, but also became one of the most demanded directors of world cinema.

As almost inevitably happens with hitherto little-known directors who have achieved such significant success, Chloe Zhao almost instantly fell into the clip of commercial Hollywood.

The glory of “The Land of the Nomads” is still far from dead, but it is already completing work on the big-budget blockbuster “The Eternals” – the next, 26th in a row, film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In her new film, which is scheduled for release at the end of 2021, there is a whole galaxy of Hollywood stars of the first magnitude: Angelina Jolie, Selma Hayek, Richard Madden, Kit Harrington, Kumail Nanjiani. The film, for the first time in Marvel history, will feature a gay superhero and a deaf superhero.

Fans of “serious” cinema are not without apprehension awaiting such a rapid transition of a subtle, intelligent director to the world of frank film commerce.

Chloe Zhao, however, does not mind this transition.

She gives the example of Ang Lee, a native of Taiwan, who also lives and works in America, who without any problems moves from film adaptations of English costume dramas (“Sense and Sensibility”) to a modern psychotriller (“Ice Wind”), then to exquisite Chinese myth (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), then to the fantastic action movie (“Hulk”), from him to the gay cowboy drama (“Brokeback Mountain”), then to the nostalgia for the 60s (“Storming Woodstock”) and, finally, again to the blockbuster action movie “Gemini”.

Few filmmakers manage to achieve such incredible stylistic and genre variation in their careers without sacrificing quality. Will Chloe Zhao succeed in this? “The Land of the Nomads” allows us to hope so.

90,000 From May 1, all Americans will be able to get vaccinated against coronavirus

President Biden has pledged to make the COVID-19 vaccine generally available to all categories of people from May 1, 2020. This, of course, does not mean that you will be immediately vaccinated on the same day, but, as the president said, “you can sign up for the queue.Every adult will be eligible for the vaccine. ”

Remembering the famous quote, this is “a small step for man, but a giant leap for all mankind.” Large-scale immunization, which will help achieve the necessary herd immunity, is the main weapon in the fight against the virus. To achieve this goal, the United States will continue to give 2 million injections a day, more than anywhere else in the world, Biden said. Once every American adult is eligible for the vaccine, the federal administration will launch a website to help people find the nearest vaccination center.In addition, the authorities will open a public call center where you can call a single number to make an appointment for vaccinations. This is especially important for seniors who have difficulty using a computer or in areas where WiFi is difficult to access.

Naturally, once all Americans are eligible for the vaccine, demand will greatly exceed supply. Therefore, the federal administration has already announced the steps that it intends to take so that everyone can get vaccinated.

First, it is planned to increase the number of places in which it will be possible to vaccinate, especially in the areas most affected by the virus. Over the next two months, the federal administration will supply the vaccine to an additional 700 community health centers that are opening. Thus, the number of such centers throughout the country will increase to 950. This is not too small, given that they serve patients with low incomes and members of racial and ethnic minorities. In addition, the staff of these centers will be provided with buses to vaccinate rural residents with the help of such “mobile vaccination centers”.The number of federal mass vaccination centers run by FEMA, the US military and other federal agencies in partnership with state governments will more than double (there are now nearly 600 nationwide). These centers will also operate mobile vaccination sites, thanks to which, as the authorities promise, “up to one third of daily vaccinations will be carried out in the areas most affected by COVID-19.”

Second, the administration is giving the green light to pharmacies participating in the federal vaccination program.Thus, it will be possible to vaccinate in more than 20 thousand pharmacies throughout the country. Pharmacists are also advised to use buses to transport the vaccine to the most difficult to reach areas and reach more people.

President Biden announced that he will deploy more than 4,000 additional troops to support vaccination efforts. Thus, the total number of military personnel working in vaccination centers will exceed 6 thousand people. In addition, the administration is expanding the list of qualified professionals who can vaccinate.These now include dentists, ambulance technicians (EMT), midwives, optometrists, paramedics, paramedics, respiratory therapists, and even veterinarians! Specifically to allow more medical personnel to vaccinate, Biden ordered amendments to the provisions of the Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP). The amendment also allows anyone on the above list who has retired in the past five years to work at vaccination centers.The only condition is that the pensioner must have a “good reputation after the expiration of the license.” It should be noted that the amendment also allows “appropriately trained and professionally supervised medical students” to work in such centers.

In response, the authorities launched a website where health workers, retirees and students can sign up to work at vaccination centers. There are also links for those wishing to become volunteers in different states. The site address is phe.gov.

The American Dental Association (ADA) was one of the first to respond to the president’s statement.

– Dentists are ideal candidates to help with the COVID-19 vaccine, and this is a victory for society, the ADA said. “They already have the necessary knowledge and skills to administer vaccines and monitor side effects – and many do it on a daily basis.

Currently, 28 states are already recruiting dentists to work in vaccination centers, the ADA noted.

In addition, in his State of the Union Address, President Biden highlighted his administration’s efforts to open schools. The White House’s stated goal is that every school employee must receive at least one COVID-19 vaccine by the end of March. “More than 30 states have already taken steps to prioritize teacher vaccination. And today I am using the full power of the federal government, – said the president. “I order all states, territories and the District of Columbia to do the same.”

If all the promises made come true, then, according to the president, we all have “a good chance of getting together with family and friends and celebrating Independence Day on July 4th.” True, he explained that it would still be possible to gather in small groups for the time being. Biden also urged everyone who does not want to vaccinate to talk to those friends, neighbors, relatives who have already done so – to make sure that the vaccines are safe and feel more confident. Otherwise, according to scientists, “the situation with the virus may worsen again.”Well, until the majority of society is vaccinated, everyone will have to observe the required precautions: wear masks, keep their distance and wash their hands thoroughly.

“If we don’t remain vigilant and conditions do not change, we may have to re-establish quarantine restrictions,” Biden said. “Now is not the time to relax.

More than 105 million Americans have been vaccinated as of March 13, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Of these, more than 68.8 million (20.7% of the total population) received one dose of vaccine, more than 38 million (11.1%) were fully vaccinated. Almost a third of Americans age 65 and older are fully vaccinated. Since large-scale immunization began in the country on December 14, 2020, more doses have been administered in the United States than in any other country in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University. They are most actively vaccinated in Alaska (17% of state residents are fully vaccinated) and South Dakota (15%), slower – in Utah (8.1%), Washington, DC (8.5%), Tennessee (9.4%) and California (9.7%).

Anthony Fauci, chief infectious disease specialist in the United States, said 70 to 85 percent of the country’s population needed to be vaccinated to develop herd immunity. At the current rate, it will take about 4-5 months to vaccinate the required number of people. Of course, speeding up the vaccination campaign will help us get back to normal faster.

90,000 Americans are still waiting for “racial justice”

The later racial equality comes, the further the world will be from racial justice, the more racial anger will be.

Racial injustice in the United States has attracted particular attention and criticism, both within the United States of America and outside this country. New US President-elect Joe Biden views the advancement of racial justice as one of four priorities. According to a recent article in the American weekly Time, the new president will have to indulge in “national reflections on racial justice.”

In fact, racial discrimination has long been a common and systematic phenomenon in the United States.The challenges posed by the new type of coronavirus have inflicted an “additional” blow on ethnic minorities in the United States, reflecting the existing inequities among representatives of different nationalities in the field of economic and social resources. The famous American immunologist and infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci said directly: “Racial inequality is unusual during the current epidemic.”

The health rights of various minorities in the United States are inherently vulnerable, and the epidemic has further exacerbated this problem and made it more visible.According to a 2020 study by the American nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, from 2010 to 2018, the proportion of African Americans without health insurance was 1.5 times higher than that of whites. The proportion of Hispanics in the United States without health insurance was more than 2.5 times the proportion of whites in the country.

High medical costs are forcing large numbers of ethnic minorities to refuse treatment.Even with hospital treatment, racial injustice continues. According to reports from the American newspaper The New York Times, numerous studies show that patients of African descent are treated worse than white Americans. Following the advancement of the vaccination process in the United States, differences in vaccination rates among different races began to appear. The American news channel CNN recently published the results of a study, according to which in many states of the country the vaccination rate of white Americans is much higher than that of other ethnic and racial groups, in some states this percentage is more than three times higher.

Representatives of various national minorities in the United States are facing even more serious difficulties in the economic sphere. Between February and April 2020, 41% of African American-owned businesses closed, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, compared with 17% for whites. The website of the American media organization Politico notes that ethnic minorities in the United States have been greatly affected by the economic downturn associated with the epidemic.According to various reports, African Americans are constantly faced with a “proven pattern of economic discrimination.” For example, African Americans are more likely to be denied loans compared to White Americans with a similar credit situation. Even if they get a loan, they often have to pay a higher interest rate. According to one of the leaders of the African American Chamber of Commerce, it is more difficult for Americans of African descent to receive assistance under the financial support program from the federal government.

The results of numerous polls show that most Americans are unhappy with the situation with racial issues in the country. However, political polarization makes it difficult for the American government to change its actions to address racial issues. In recent years, when racial conflicts have erupted in the federal government, even basic moral principles have failed to be maintained.

American civil rights leader Rashad Robinson said the US needs to take action to change the problems of racial discrimination.”We need to turn questions of discourse into questions of governance.” According to Derek Johnson, chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, racial equality requires more than just stating a position, it needs a “series of clear results.”

90,000 Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine received conditional marketing authorization in China

（Source: Xinhua News Agency） 08: 14.07 / 02/2021

BEIJING, Dec.6 / Xinhua / – The PRC State Drug Control Administration on Friday issued a conditional approval to market the CoronaVac vaccine, an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech.The developer company announced this today.

The vaccine, which is produced by the Beijing company Sinovac Life Sciences Co. Ltd., affiliated with Sinovac Biotech Corporation, was approved for emergency use in China last June. Since July last year, the use of the vaccine for emergency vaccination of certain groups of the population began.

Since January of this year, individual states, including Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay and Laos, have consistently approved the use of the Sinovac vaccine in emergencies.

In a press release posted on the Sinovac Biotech website, these countries have recognized the results of clinical trials, believing that the vaccine effectively reduces the need for treatment, hospitalization rates, severe cases and deaths from COVID-19, and is of great importance for the prevention and control over the epidemic.

February 3 Sinovac Life Sciences Co. Ltd. has submitted an application for conditional approval to market the CoronaVac vaccine. Approval was soon obtained based on the results of Phase 3 clinical trials conducted overseas.

The State Agency for Medicines Control demanded that the company continue the relevant clinical trials, fulfill all the necessary conditions and provide the research results in a timely manner.

“We plan to deliver even more safe and effective vaccines as soon as possible to help finally bring COVID-19 under control by expanding vaccination coverage, allowing social and economic development to return to normal,” said Sinovac Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Biotech Yin Weidong.

According to the company, the vaccine will be administered in two stages with an interval of 14 to 28 days; a single dose of the vaccine is 0.5 ml.

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(Editor: Li Yan 、 Deng Jie)

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90,000 US history in seven periods • Arzamas

Main events

1789

Adoption of the US Constitution

The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union drawn up after the proclamation of independence turned out to be ineffective, and by 1787 a specially convened Constitutional Convention was developing the text of the Constitution.By 1789, two-thirds of the states have ratified the document, which makes it possible to hold elections for Congress and the President of the United States (the rest of the states will ratify the Constitution within the next two years, after 10 amendments to the main text are adopted protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens – the Bill of Rights )

1801

The first change of president as a result of the loss of the current head of state in the elections

Supporters of the incumbent President John Adams considered his opponent Thomas Jefferson a dangerous radical and seriously considered the possibility of abandoning the transfer of power.Nonetheless, Adams cedes power to the winner, setting a precedent for democratic transition

1803

Louisiana Purchase

Under President Thomas Jefferson, the United States expands for the first time through purchase: lands from France acquired from the border with Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, approximately equal in size to the territory that the United States previously occupied

1812-1815

War with Great Britain

Begins on a US initiative with the hope of annexing Canada and ending the forced recruitment of US sailors on Royal Navy ships on the high seas.However, Canada remains British, and in August 1814 the British corps entered Washington. In December of the same year, a peace treaty is signed in Ghent, but before news of it reaches the United States, American militia under the command of Andrew Jackson defeats British troops near New Orleans. The war will remain in American memory as the “Second War of Independence”

1830

Indian Resettlement Act

The “Five Civilized Tribes” – Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Shouts and Seminole – are forcibly relocated to what is now Oklahoma.Resettlement along the “Road of Tears” leads to the death of a significant part of the Indians and the deterioration of their economic situation and puts an end to the hopes of some of the Indian elites for equal interaction with the American state

1846-1848

War with Mexico

Begins after the annexation of Texas by the United States, and ends with the transfer of about half of the pre-war territory of Mexico to the United States

1848

Seneca Falls Convention

First meeting of women in defense of their rights.At it, in particular, the Declaration of Sentiments was adopted, proclaiming equality of the sexes and taking as a model the Declaration of Independence of the United States. Its main author is abolitionist Elizabeth Cady Stanton

90,000 “They can make any jokes”

Vladimir Plyushchev – about the reaction of the Americans to the defeat at the hands of Russia: “They can make any jokes they want”

Honored Coach of Russia Vladimir Plyushchev commented on the victory of the Russian junior team in the opening match of the YChM-2021 against the US national team (7: 6 OT).

A funny post appeared on Twitter of the US Ice Hockey Federation after the match. The Americans recalled that at the 2015 tournament, having similarly lost to the Russians in the opening match, then the US team became the winner of the tournament.

– These comebacks happen. Our guys are great, they believed in themselves to the end and stubbornly walked towards victory. They realized their moments that they had. In such matches, psychology is always at the forefront. This is the big question, because the guys are very young. I have had similar matches in practice, also with the Americans.We were leading with a huge advantage, and they equalized. It was very difficult then to win and come out ahead. At first, some give confidence to others earlier than necessary, and then they cannot fix it. Such comebacks are found not only among young teams, but this also happens in adult competitions.

– Such a victory will give a serious impetus to our team. To start with such a victory over the Americans, who are one of the favorites, gives a certain psychological advantage. Americans can make any jokes, as I understand it, they remembered the MFM.Everything can be in life, but we have all the main matches ahead of us, and there are not the weakest rivals, – said Plushev.