System | Common News Update

Sep122020 by adminNo Comments

Coronavirus testing system ‘falling over’

People across England have told BBC News they are struggling to access coronavirus tests. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said last week that no-one should have to travel more than 75 miles for a test, after the BBC revealed some were being sent hundreds of miles away. But dozens have now reported being unable to book a swab at all.The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said testing capacity was targeted at the hardest-hit areas.A significant rise in demand for testing led the government to reduce the number of appointments available in areas of lower prevalence, to prioritise areas with outbreaks.This in turn led to people applying for tests being directed to centres sometimes hundreds of miles away. But last Thursday Mr Hancock pledged to put in ...

Sep52020 by adminNo Comments

Two kids, no support system and $167 in unemployment benefits: One single mom’s plight in the age of Covid-19

Finance

Jennifer Haynes, a self-employed chef and single mother living in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., is struggling to make ends meet after unemployment benefits abruptly stopped in July without explanation. Meanwhile, the 42-year-old is the sole provider for twin boys, one of whom has special needs.Jennifer HaynesJennifer Haynes didn't just fall through cracks in the country's social safety net.In her case, it's been more like a chasm.Haynes, 42, a self-employed chef and single mother living in Rancho Cucamonga, California, had been getting $ 167 a week in unemployment benefits and an extra $ 600 a week from the federal government. The aid was enough to catch up on a few months of bills and feed her 11-year-old twin boys.But then the California unemployment office mysteriously stopped sending ben...

Sep42020 by adminNo Comments

Planet-forming disks with misaligned rings discovered in multi-star system

Science

Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Astronomers have discovered misaligned rings within the planet-forming disk surrounding a faraway, triple-star system, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science. Scientists suspect the disk was disrupted by the gravitational pull from one of the three stars. Advertisement The trio of stars that form GW Orionis are located approximately 1,300 light-years from Earth. The system is noted for its giant protoplanetary disk. Recently, astronomers were able to confirm the disk's misalignment using observations by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, a powerful observatory in Chile. By studying how the massive planet-forming disk came to be misaligned, researchers hope to better understand how planets around multi-star systems form and evolve. "...

Sep42020 by adminNo Comments

Fintech the way forward for Indian banking, payment system, says SBI MD

Finance

State Bank of India (SBI) managing director Ashwani Bhatia on Friday said Fintech is the way forward for the Indian banking and payment system as there is a lot of opportunity for growth. Giving the example of SBI, he said, 91 per cent of jobs are being done digitally now, which was unthinkable 35 years ago. "We believe that this 91 per cent will become 100 per cent. For a bank like State Bank of India, and other banks obviously, everything is going to move digitally. There is no doubt about that. Penetration of smartphones is also going to increase," he said at a virtual conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Going forward, he said, branches are going to become nothing but distribution points like what has happened in Europe and other places. This is where the...

Sep22020 by adminNo Comments

Engineers test Space Launch System rocket booster in Utah

Science

Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Engineers successfully performed a test fire of the Space Launch System rocket's full-scale booster on Wednesday afternoon. Live footage of the test, which took place at Northrop Grumman's facilities in Promontory, Utah, showcased the tremendous force generated by the system's rockets. Advertisement The broadcast showcased a massive trail of fire and exhaust emanating from the base of the rocket and blowing across the desert dunes, scorching the sage brush in its path. The rocket fired for two minutes, with the booster performing nominally. "To pull [the test] off now, after six months of what we've been through, it feels like a really big milestone," Bruce Tiller, manager of the SLS boosters office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, said durin...