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星期三, 10月 28, 2020

新英格蘭台灣商會代台灣送愛心 再捐7500個口罩

新英格蘭台灣商會捐贈7500個醫用口罩給米斗塞郡地方檢察官辦公室等第一線工作人員。
(周菊子射)
             (Boston Orange 周菊子屋本市報導)新英格蘭台灣商會(TCCNE)的「捐口罩,送愛心」,台灣能幫忙行動,今(27)日來到屋本市(Woburn),送出7,500個醫療用口罩,交由米斗塞郡(Middlesex)地區檢察官Marian Ryan,聯邦眾議員凱薩琳克拉克(Katherine Clark),轉發給第一線工作人員。

             新英格蘭台灣商會副會長林才民,理事王志維,翁逸虹和駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元都出席了捐贈儀式。

 

米斗塞郡地方檢察官Marian Ryan(前)說要相信科學,戴口罩。後左起,波士頓經文處處長
孫儉元,聯邦眾議員Katherine Clark,麻州救護車協會會長Dennis Cataldo也一一致詞。
(周菊子攝)

           Marian Ryan表示,麻州爆發新冠病毒爆發已8個月了,近日疫情回升,救護車急救人員,消防員,警察,護士,醫生等等第一線工作人員的個人防護用品需要量也大增。她說,「我們相信科學,而科學告訴我們,防疫的最好途徑就是戴口罩」,非常感謝新英格蘭台灣商會捐贈口罩。

             聯邦眾議院民主黨團副主席,也是麻州第5區聯邦眾議員的凱薩琳克拉克,雖然正在競選連任,仍然撥冗出席。她指出,疫情發生以來,各相關機構互相交流防治疫情的最好做法,所有第一線工作人員都是英雄,她感謝新英格蘭台灣商會和波士頓經文處捐贈口罩,更由衷感謝第一線工作人員每天都在為人民的安全盡力。

             駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元也應邀致詞。他簡述台灣防疫做得十分成功,還指出,過去幾個月來,新英格蘭台灣商會為回饋社區,也捐贈了口罩給其他城市,前後共捐至少5萬個口罩。

             在捐贈儀式中,麻州救護車協會會長Dennis Cataldo也代表該會表達感謝之意。

             根據美國人口統計局的2020年統計,麻州亞裔人口最多的10個城市,就有5個在米斗塞郡,包括摩頓(Malden),羅爾(Lowell),劍橋(Cambridge),牛頓(Newton),華森(Waltham)等。

星期二, 10月 27, 2020

麻州新冠病毒新增確診數持續破千 30歲以下為新高峰

 

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)用圖表說明年輕人確診率升高。(周菊子攝)
          (Boston Orange 周菊子麻州綜合報導)截至今(27)日,麻州已一連四日新冠病毒(COVID)確診人數逾千。麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)在匯報疫情時強調,民眾應該避免大型聚會,30歲以下年輕人尤其應該提高警覺。

             查理貝克指出,最近的疫情趨勢圖顯示,幾乎每天都有300多名30歲以下年輕人確診,在萬聖節,感恩節,聖誕節將臨的這10月,11月,12月,尤其是年輕人更應該特別小心。

            麻州州長查理貝克和麻州健康及人民服務長Marylou Sudders在疫情會報中特地放了一塊看板,列出各年齡層的確診率,強調新型冠狀病毒傳染性很強,年輕人得病後可能沒事,但卻會成為帶菌者,傳染其他人。如果人們依照傳統,仍然在節日期間聚眾集會,後果不堪設想。

            查理貝克強調,「人們真的應該停辦大派對」。

            Marylou Sudders表示,根據州政府的接觸追蹤,發現有30組的大約110名確診案例,都和冰棍球活動有關。有66個市鎮因為人們的不配合接觸追蹤而受影響,還有教練告訴家長及球員不要回應接觸追蹤者的查探。

            查理貝克勸州民今年以不同方式慶祝感恩節,不要像傳統習慣那樣,廣邀親朋好友聚會,免得病毒傳播。最好是只和自己的直系親屬,或是住在一起的家人慶祝,要不然就借助網路來和更多的親友相聚。

            麻州從疫情爆發以來,一直控制得不錯,但在最近的這夏末秋初,疫情似乎逐漸回升,上星期更是確診率大幅增加,上週四,週五,確診人數逾900,接著一連三天破千,本週一,更高達1,216

            有些專家因此建議麻州把重新開放計畫往回推。

            布朗大學公共衛生學院院長Ashish K. Jha就說,「我們應該很擔心」麻州的確診數最近陡然升高。所有的指數也都往錯誤的方向發展。平均確診率甚至比防疫工作做得不很好的喬治亞州還糟。

            麻州的高危險市鎮數目越來越多,其中有13個市鎮從91日起連續3週都列為紅色危險區後,已把重新開放調整回第3階段。

            越來越多的醫療專家現在都呼籲全國性的規定戴口罩,以降低更多病毒在冬季散佈的可能。

REPS LIEU AND HICE INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

 WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) and Congressman Jody Hice (R-GA), along with Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), introduced bipartisan legislation to increase transparency and accountability within the federal government. The Oversight.gov Authorization Act would formally authorize the establishment and maintenance of a website to help the public more easily access reports that have been generated by the independent work of Inspectors General (IGs).

“Our bill will allow for crucial improvements to be made to Oversight.gov, a central online location for all federal Inspectors General to publish their reports,” Representative Lieu said. “IGs are critical to rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in our government, and this website will make their findings more accessible to the American people. I am pleased to introduce this bipartisan bill to increase transparency in the IG community.”

“The inspector general community is on the frontlines in combatting waste, fraud, and abuse across federal agencies on behalf of the American taxpayer,” said Representative Hice. “The Oversight.gov Authorization Act is an important step in promoting and protecting the work of inspectors general, enabling the public to view firsthand the need for greater accountability and transparency in our government. This bicameral, bipartisan legislation is a commonsense measure that all of Congress can get behind, and I look forward to working with my colleague Rep. Ted Lieu, as well as Senators Chuck Grassley and Maggie Hassan, in seeing this bill across the finish line.”

“Inspectors General play a critical role in ensuring that hard-earned taxpayer dollars are being put to good use, and it is important that their findings are easily accessible to the public,” Senator Hassan said. “I am pleased to join Senator Grassley and our colleagues in the House of Representatives in introducing this bipartisan legislation to support the independence and integrity of the IG community by codifying and authorizing funding for a website where the public can access IG reports and get more information on how federal dollars are being spent.”

“A government of the people must be accountable to the people. Oversight.gov helps to bring together the great work of our Inspectors General from across the bureaucracy on one comprehensive website for the American people. This one-stop-shop for transparency is essential to improving accountability in the information age,” Senator Grassley said.

In 2017, the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), an independent government entity that oversees the Offices of Inspectors General, launched Oversight.gov, a website used to house public reports and data issued by IGs to improve government transparency. The bipartisan Oversight.gov Authorization Act would formally authorize the establishment and maintenance of this website to help improve the public’s access to IG reports and other related material, as well as help whistleblowers report waste, fraud, abuse.

Additionally, the bill would improve accountability over funds related to COVID-19 federal spending and the work of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee by bolstering the webpage dedicated to housing this information as mandated under the CARES Act.

The bill is endorsed by the Campaign for Accountability, R Street Institute, Common Cause, Government Accountability Project, and Project On Government Oversight. CIGIE was consulted during the bill’s formation.

Previously, Representatives Lieu and Hice have worked together to safeguard Inspectors General through their bill, the Inspector General Protection Act, which passed the House in July of 2019, to enhance the independence and integrity of IGs. Rep. Lieu has also been a vocal advocate for strengthening whistleblower protections to ensure individuals can report any unlawful or inappropriate activity by government officials without fear of retribution.

波士頓市長提醒民眾萬聖節要開心也要小心

 

MAYOR WALSH, BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS URGE CAUTION, OFFER GUIDANCE ON HOW TO CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

 

BOSTON - Tuesday, October 27, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) today released guidance on celebrating Halloween safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, urging residents who choose to celebrate Halloween to take extra precautions to keep themselves and others safe. Health officials have advised that many traditional activities, such as trick-or-treating, costume parties or crowded, confined spaces like haunted houses, raise the risk of spreading viruses. 

"Halloween is one of the best nights, and what's most important this year is that any person participating in activities does so in a way that is safe for not only themselves, but also their neighbors and community," said Mayor Walsh. "We're asking people to take the extra precautions that are necessary this year, including avoiding direct contact with trick-or-treaters, wearing masks at all times, washing hands before eating any treats, and avoiding attending or hosting gatherings."

Tips for safe trick-or-treating:

  • Trick-or-treat only with immediate family members.
  • Avoid direct contact with individuals passing out candy.
  • Wash hands before handling treats.
  • Wear a mask. A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask.
  • Stay at least 6 feet away from others who do not live with you.
  • Bring hand sanitizer with you and use it after touching objects or other people.

Tips to safely prepare for trick-or-treaters:

  • Avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters. 
  • Wash hands before handling treats.
  • Set up a station outdoors with individually wrapped goodie bags for trick-or-treaters.
  • Wear a mask. A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask.
  • Stay at least 6 feet away from others who do not live with you.

BPHC health officials encourage families to find safer, alternative or virtual ways to have fun this season. The safest celebrations involve people from your household, are outdoors, allow for social distancing and other safety measures. In addition, BPHC is urging adults not to participate in gatherings or parties on Halloween.

Halloween activities without risk:

  • Carving or decorating pumpkins
  • Decorating your home
  • A virtual Halloween costume contest
  • A family Halloween movie night
  • A trick-or-treat scavenger hunt at home
  • A Halloween neighborhood scavenger hunt from a distance

Halloween activities with risk:

  • Traditional trick-or-treating
  • Trunk-or-treat events
  • Haunted houses
  • Hayrides or tractor rides
  • Fall festivals
  • Halloween parties or celebrations

Any Halloween activities should comply with COVID-19 safety guidelines and participants should limit the risk of exposure to COVID-19 by following these safety tips:

Wear a face covering. A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth or paper mask. Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it could make it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.

  • Stay at least six feet apart.
  • Avoid large parties or gatherings.
  • Avoid crowded areas.
  • Wash your hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially before eating candy.
  • Avoid touching your face.

Keep in mind, if any Halloween activities may lead to screaming, make sure everyone is wearing a face covering and staying more than six feet apart. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.

If residents may have COVID-19 or may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, stay home and do not participate in in-person Halloween festivities. Residents who may have COVID-19, who are not feeling well, or have been exposed to the virus should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.

As a reminder, any Halloween activities are subject to the current gathering size limits set by the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Read more on the Halloween activity guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

麻州州長查理貝克反對選票第2號問題

麻州州長Charlie Baker。(圖片來源:州長辦公室)
            (Boston Orange 編譯)麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)和副州長白莉朵(Karyn Polito)(27)日發出聯合聲明,反對第2號選票問題。

            波士頓環球報(Boston Global)稱,這使得查理貝克成為出面反對第2號選票問題的位階最高公眾人物。

            在聲明中,州長和副州長說,「我們現在的系統在麻州運行得很好」。他們不會支持這一主張。

            「在我們需要宣導出席投票率,讓選民投票更容易的時候,我們會擔心第2號問題對選民及選務人員來說,都會增加額外的複雜度,而且還很可能延緩結果,增加選舉費用。

週一公佈,麻州大學安赫斯特分校/WCVB所做的民意調查顯示,48%的潛在選民表示,打算投票贊成,43%表示會反對。9%還沒決定。

            麻州不少眾人熟知的民主黨領袖,包括聯邦參議員伊莉莎白沃倫(Elizabeth Warren)及馬基(Ed Markey),聯邦眾議員普莉斯萊(Ayanna Pressley.),麻州總檢察長穆莉(Maura Healey)都支持第2號選票問題。

            就在貝克陣營公布聲明後不久,支持第2號問題委員會(Yes on 2)也發表了一份他們自己的聲明,重申他們的支持者包括2名前州長,民主黨籍的派區克(Deval Patrick),共和黨籍的威廉威爾德(William F. Weld)

緬因州是目前全美唯一全州實施排序選擇投票制的州。該州人員表示,2018年該州首度以排序選擇辦理選舉,結果多花了442000元。

星期一, 10月 26, 2020

新冠病毒疫情在麻州持續惡化 一連三日確診人數逾千




 

近千萬美元湧入麻州支持第2號選票問題

            (Boston Orange 編譯)麻州的今年大選,有2個主要選票問題,其中的第2號選票問題,「排序選擇投票(Ranked-Choice Voting)」,備受關注,有多名億萬富翁在背後捐款支持,共捐不下920萬元。

             波士頓環球報在1025日刊載文章,細數這些億萬富豪都有誰。

             捐款不下340萬元進麻州的是John Arnold夫婦。

             John Arnold以前是能源風險基金經理,從Enron交易員轉身變成的慈善家。去年4月份,他在休士頓紀事報(Houston Chronicle)的「社論對頁版(Op-ed)」發表文章,聲稱地方民主有危機,排序選擇投票系統會比決賽或兩輪選舉更有助於刺激競爭,然後或許會更激發選民的興趣。

             他在文章中寫下「休士頓應該把帶領這種方式進德州當作目標」這樣的句子。

             18個月後,是麻州和阿拉斯加州,不是德州,要在今年11月衡量是否要推動新的投票系統。John Arnold就在背後推動。

             透過他和妻子Laura夫婦倆人的「現在行動計畫*Action Now Initiative」」,已有340萬元用於支持麻州的第2號選票問題。

             報業鉅子魯伯特默多克(Rupert Murdoch)的媳婦,Kathryn Murdoch從今年9月初起,也私人捐了250萬元。她擔任共同主席,大本營在丹佛(Denver)的非牟利集團「團結美國(United America)」,也捐了445000元,支持這改革。

             麻州這第2號選票問題,僅僅從19名捐款者那兒,就募得980萬元來推動選民圈選YES。其中來自外州的12名捐款者,共捐920萬元,在這個選票問題的總捐款額中佔了84%

             在阿拉斯加州(Alaska),情況也類似,選民在考慮三管齊下計劃(three-pronged initiative),包括在大選中使用排序選擇投票。Arnolds及「團結美國」就一共給了460萬元,佔了「阿拉斯加人支持更好選舉(Alaskans for Better Elections)」所募款項的絕大部分。

             Arnolds還捐了100多萬元,在緬因州(Maine)成功的支持了2個排序選擇投票活動,另外捐款100多萬元促成紐約市採行這方法。

            目前僅有不到20個城市或郡使用排序選擇投票。緬因州是唯一在州級和聯邦級選舉上,全州採用這做法的州。

            在麻州為第2號選票問題捐款最多,捐了45萬元,住在布魯克蘭鎮(Brookline)的哈佛大學教授Michael Porter說,「我們是非常重要的領頭牛」,「我想麻州會是下一輪認真考慮這做法的其中一州,因為我們相信,美國必須出現政治創新」。

             不過來自外州的大量資金也引起排序選擇投票批評者的懷疑。他們以嚴重仰賴國家現金為主要理由,反對可能對麻州選舉有深遠影響的事情。

麻州第2號選票問題,排序選擇選舉,將給選民以優先順序來排定職位候選人的選擇權。如果一名候選人贏得50%的第一選擇投票,就贏得選舉。但是如果沒有一名候選人贏得50%的第一選擇,那些得票較少的候選人就會被刪除,選民們投給這些候選人的選票,就會根據他們的第二選擇分配出去。

這一過程將持續進行多次,直至有一名候選人贏得大多數票為止。

華人前進會等4機構合辦選民教育講座 7種職位候選人一一道來

 


華埠選民教育講座以Zoom在網上舉行。(周菊子攝)
       
(Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 華人前進會,亞美社區發展協會,波士頓華埠社區中心,波士頓華埠居民會等四機構,今年合作辦選民教育講座,空前詳盡,不但鼓勵選民投票,還說明麻州選民今年有3種投票方式,華埠居民關注3層政府的7種職位,以及選舉結果會對社區有什麼影響,提醒華埠選民有權要求雙語選票。

            華人前進會每年都在選舉前舉辦選民教育講座,幫助選民了解美國的民主制度,鼓勵華埠居民行使憲法賦予的權利,用自己手中神聖一票,選出會為華埠居民著想的民意代表或政府官員。

華人前進會行政主任陳玉珍主持會議。(周菊子攝)
講座由華人前進會行政主任陳玉珍主講,該會員工鄺寶蓮等人分別以國語,廣東話補充說明。全程講解都配有中英雙語的文字、圖片。

            在選舉事務日程上,1017日至30日可以提早投票,1024日選民登記截止,1028日是申請郵寄選票和缺席投票的截止日。113日是大選日。

            由於新冠病毒疫情,今年的大選,選民有3種方式可以投票,郵寄,到投票箱提早投出選票,在大選日親自到投票站投票。

國會眾議員候選人。
            有意提早投票的人,從1019日到23日,以及26日到30日,可在白天上班時間到波士頓市政府投票,星期一、三、五是早上9點到下午5點,星期二、四,直到晚上8點。另外還有17個地點有投票箱,直到113日晚上8點,選民都可把選票投遞進這些選票箱。

            在麻州,今年這大選年,共有7個職位待選民抉擇,包括聯邦政府的正副總統,國會參議員、眾議員;州政府的州長顧問,州級參議員、眾議員;另外是地區性的遺囑認證官。

 

這6名麻州參議員候選人將同額當選。
           在選票上,還有2個問題,要請選民做決定,一是關於汽車維修的車輛機件電腦資訊,要規定汽車製造商把相關資訊提供給車主及修理廠;一是排序選擇式投票,要求選民就個人偏好把所有候選人排出個優先順序,若得票最多者的得票率未超過50%,先淘汰得票數最少的候選人,再把這些候選人得到的選票,依照選民在圈選時所排定的優先順序,分給其他候選人,再來重新計票,直到有候選人的得票率超過50%為止。部分選區可能還有針對該選區的問題,要請選民以圈選方式表達意見。

 

這17名麻州眾議員候選人都將同額當選。
         華人前進會在這場選民教育講座中,還詳細介紹了個職位候選人,以及其主要政見。

             總統一職,有4名候選人,除了眾人熟悉的共和黨在位總統川普(Donald Trump),以及民主黨的拜登(Joe Biden)之外,還有綠色彩虹黨(Green-Rainbow)Hawkins,自由主義黨的Jorgensen。華人前進會把這四人對疫情,醫療保健,經濟,環境及移民等議題上的主張,整理出了一份概要。

            國會參議員部分,麻州共有2名國會參議員,今年只有在位的馬基(Ed Markey)競選連任,要和共和黨的Kevin J. O’Connor競爭。麻州的另一名國會參議員伊莉莎白沃倫(Elizabeth Warren)去年才連任。國會參議員席位一任6年。

 

薩福克郡遺囑認證官候選人。
           國會眾議員部分,麻州共有9名眾議員,轄區包括華埠在位者為第七選區的普萊斯莉(Ayanna S. Pressley)。她將和獨立黨的Roy A. Owens競爭。轄區包括昆士市的在位者為第八選區的林奇(Steven F. Lynch),他將和獨立候選人Jonathan D. Lott競爭。

             麻州參議員共有40人。華人前進會重點介紹了6人,其中華人社區熟悉的有轄區包括華埠的在位議員,第一薩福克郡(Suffolk)及米斗塞郡(Middlesex)賓加利(Joseph Boncore),以及第二薩福克郡的陳翟蘇妮(Sonia Chang Diaz)。這幾人由於無人競爭,都將同額當選。

             麻州眾議員共有160人。華人前進會重點介紹了17人,包括轄區含華埠的麥加威(Aaron Michlewitz),也都將同額當選。

             同於2011年當選並連任迄今的兩名麻州華裔眾議員,第九益士石(Essex)區,轄區包括索格斯鎮(Saugus),現年68歲的黃子安(Donald Wong),第二諾福克(Norfolk)區,轄區包括昆士市,現年47歲的陳德基(Tackey Chan),也無競爭對手,都將同額當選。

             遺囑認證官部分,麻州14個郡,每郡各選一人。華埠所在的薩福克郡(Suffolk)3人參選。目前在位,競選連任的Felix D. Arroyo曾任波士頓市議員,也是現任波士頓市議員Richard Arroyo的父親。角逐者包括另一名曾遞補擔任波士頓市議員的Althea Garrison,以及獨立黨的Melissa Tyler

             華人前進會在選民教育講座中特地說明選民權利,告訴語言有障礙的華埠居民們,有權要求雙語選票,也有權自己挑選一個人陪同投票。如果有人不請自來的要幫忙投票,可以拒絕。

             華人前進會行政主任陳玉珍表示,講座結束後,所有相關資料將上傳該會相關網站,以幫助更多人了解選舉細節。該會也歡迎有疑問者致電查詢,617-423-8522

星期日, 10月 25, 2020

紐英崙中華專業人員協會第43屆年會從醫療,科技,金融看COVID對社會影響

 

中華專協年會講者及主持人,上排左起,侯全益,林清詠,陳溢茂,下排左起,周萬欽,李小玉,蘇皓偉,蔡明機。(主辦單位提供)

          




中華專協會長康雅雰,(周菊子攝)
          (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)紐英崙中華專業人員協會(NEACP)1024日,在網上舉行第43屆年會,邀3
專家從醫療,科技,金融等不同領域暢談「新冠病毒
(COVID-19)疫情對社會的影響」,為近百名出席者描繪人類生活新局面。

             中華專協的本屆年會由會長康雅雰,董事長蔡明機開場,理事周萬欽主持。3名講者及講題分別為波士頓哈佛大學附屬醫院Brigham and Women’s的侯全益醫師談“新冠病毒:醫療人員的角度(Covid-19: Healthcare Workers Perspective)”,紐約圖策智能(Graphen) 創辦人林清詠博士談“實時觀察SARS-Vov-2演變(Live Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Evolution)”,以及用大數據追蹤病毒基因的突變,本尊刻在台灣的舊金山大學金融學院榮譽教授陳溢茂談“新冠病毒大流行,企業轉型和投資機會(Covid-19 Pandemic, Business Transformations, and Investment Opportunities)”。

駐波士頓經文處處長孫儉元(左上)應邀致詞。(周菊子攝)
             駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元,波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮都應邀出席,並致詞。

             侯全益指出,根據國際特赦組織今年9月初的資料,全球至少有7000名醫療人員死於新型冠狀病毒,其中有1320人來自墨西哥,1077來自美國。其次為巴西的634人。

             另一來源的916日資料則顯示,美國包括護士在內的醫療工作人員,共有1718人死於新冠病毒,258,768人感染病毒。其中加州最多,35千餘人感染,麻州有8015人。

             與此同時,全美僅有15萬名呼吸治療師,這使得救治新冠病毒格外具挑戰。

             紐約圖策智能(Graphen) 創辦人林清詠博士以該公司應用人工智慧(AI)做的「新冠病毒(COVID-19)基因演化路徑分析」為例,說明應用人工智能做大數據處理,讓他們能夠實時視覺化呈現以大數據分析出來的資訊,進而應用在各種平台,金融,醫療上,幫助企業,個人做出更好的決定。

             根據圖冊智能做的新冠病毒分析,目前主要有八種病毒在攻擊世界。科學證據顯示,新冠病毒大約在201911月末或12月初,就已出現。美國主要是受到SARS-CoV-2這兩個病毒家族影響。

             為醫治新冠病毒大流行,全世界花在人工智能醫療上的研發經費,到2025年時會大漲4倍,超過2兆元。包括阿里巴巴,依圖科技(Yitu),圖策智能(Graphen),谷歌都在從旁協助。而來自輝達(Nvidia)、英代爾(Intel)的人工智能晶片,都能加速藥物發現,發展及試驗。

             林清詠指出,人工智能在醫療上的最大影響,是在診斷,醫藥,治療護理上。深度學習將更能預測來自「去氧核醣核酸/核醣核酸(DNA/RNA)」的蛋白質結構。例如在人類ACE2中發現的變體,可能對減少發病率和疾病殺傷力有貢獻,而不同種族有不同的常見變體,人類將可以藉著完整基因測序預測個人健康狀況。

陳溢茂。(周菊子攝)
             陳溢茂談的是新冠病毒大流行逼使整個社會加速數位化轉型,改變了社會型態,也塑造出一些新投資機會。他表示,新冠病毒發生前的二月份,美國失業率約為3.5%,幾乎是50年來最低點,但四月份就陡升至14.7%,有2220萬人沒了工作。休閒,吳樂,旅遊,零售及餐飲服務業受打擊最大。標準普爾500指數將大降,估計到2022年都無法恢復。

             陳溢茂認為新冠病毒對經濟,企業及科技,都有很大影響。澳洲德勤公司的分析就指出,在宏觀環境中,政治及法規上有東方崛起現象,經濟及環境上,鎖國或鎖州政策將打擊經濟,無論是學校或企業,接納科技的速度都加快了。在企業營運上,消費行為及商品遞送管道,工作場所及人力配置,都不得不因應現實,加速了使用科技。

             陳溢茂非常詳細地描述未來新常態,包括得打造有彈性的供應練;高德納(Gartner)諮詢公司估計,全球有74%的企業會讓公司內的一部份人永遠的「在家辦公」,所以雲端計算,企業應用程式,移動通訊工具,整合溝通,項目管理,數據備份及復原,網路安全,數位健康,健身及保健程式,電子商務,電子學習,流媒體娛樂等,會有很多新的企業機會;數位轉型將改善營運,節省時間,加速了人工智慧及通訊科技的研發及應用等等。

             陳溢茂還指出,這次疫情還給應用程式及科技帶出新機會,包括無接觸技術,虛擬實體整合平台,生物醫藥及疾病防治科技等。股價的變化,也讓人看出不少端睨,包括企業會議類的Zoom,股價和去年相比已大漲689%Twilio大漲214%;網路安全類的Crowstrike186.02%DocuSign207.38%,電子支付類的Square196.9%Mercadolibre133.18%;醫療及消費服務類,Adapthealth160.11%Chewy133.86%;新消費者服務類的Etsy226.84%。疫苗類公司的股票則是漲跌起伏很大。Norwegian Cruise則是受疫情影響股價大跌65.58%

中華專協董事長蔡明機表示,今年初疫情來襲時,該會討論是否取消慶祝春節辦元宵猜謎會,幸虧決定照常舉行,讓該會今年至少有了一次真人聚會。這幾個月來,新冠疫情對整個世界都衝擊很大,人們已改變的生活型態,未來很可能繼續,這次年會因此特地以此為主題,請專家從不同層面做討論。(更新版)

波士頓亞美教育者協會支持波士頓考試學校暫停考試一年

The Massachusetts Asian American Educators Association (MAAEA) represents many Asian American educators in the Boston Public Schools and around the Commonwealth. The proposal to change admissions to the Boston Exam Schools for the 2021-2022 school year is not perfect, but we support it as the best option for this year, given the health concerns many families have. More Asian families in BPS chose remote learning than any other racial group. It is important to protect the health of our families and recognize the disruptions that this pandemic has caused.  

MAAEA is a pro-access, pro-diversity, and pro-affirmative action organization. We support increased diversity and equity of access to the exam schools, in which Black and Latinx communities have been underrepresented.  Fundamentally, we want all students to have a high quality education regardless of the school they attend, exam school or not. We recognize that BPS is stratified, and that the exam schools, particularly BLS have many more resources than other Boston Public Schools. Students who attend exam schools often have more opportunities. The system that BPS has been using for exam school admission has the illusion of fairness, but the reality is that family money and privilege give some communities a unfair advantage in this system.  It is imperative that seats at the exam schools be distributed thoughtfully, with equity and opportunity in mind. 


We want to share five concerns about the creation and implementation of this plan as we look to the future.


First, individual family incomes and other measures of opportunity should be used instead of zip codes. We support the efforts that the committee has made to increase diversity and increase access to the exam schools.  However, zip codes do not allow BPS to identify low-income families in highly gentrified areas. For example, low income students living in the projects and public housing of South End, Charlestown and Chinatown will need to compete with students living in luxury developments and upscale condos. 


Second, seats should be reserved for students who attend BPS in elementary school.  It is inequitable to give so many exam school seats to private school students who have opted out of the system and can afford to stay in private schools.  Seats should be reserved for families who cannot afford private school tuition and have trouble navigating the complex world of private school admissions and financial aid.  It may be news to some readers, but Asian residents of Boston, and by extension Asian families in BPS, have poverty rates on par with Latinx families and median incomes on par with Black families according to the Boston Public Health Commission.  BPS Asian students are generally not the children of doctors, scientists, and engineers.  They are the children of restaurant, hotel, home care, and nail salon workers.  Many of our families don’t have the resources, networks, or language skills to navigate or even know about METCO or private, parochial, charter, pilot, or innovation schools.  According to the BPS 2019-2020 At-A-Glance report, Asian school age children have the highest enrollment in BPS compared to other racial groups at 87%, compared to Latinx families at 83%, Black families at 62% and then white families at 58%.  For many of our families, exam schools feel like their only option for a high quality education. 

 

Third, our families have been left in the dark about this proposal and have been left to get their news second and third hand.  We understand that the proposal was developed with severe time constraints in the face of a pandemic.  However, as we have seen too many times in the last six months, and uncountable times in the last few decades, BPS treats non-English speaking families as an afterthought, even though half of BPS families speak a language other than English.  We recently discovered that summary letters about this proposal were posted on the BPS Exam School website a week ago, but no one in the community that we know of has known about the letters. It's not enough to post letters and expect for the non English speaking families to find them. Even if outreach were sufficient, one week is not enough to understand this proposal.  BPS can’t call itself an anti-racist or culturally responsive district if it continues this English-first mentality.  


Fourth, all BPS families have a right to know what is happening and to be part of the decision making process. This includes the Asian community.  Members of our organization remember how the buses of Chinese students were stoned as they were bussed from Chinatown to Charlestown. At the time, there was no consultation or consideration for our community--we were left on our own to figure it out.  This pattern of BPS and Boston making decisions for us without us has been continuing for decades.  


Fifth, a quality educational experience is not just about test scores and college admission statistics. Most Asian students in BPS are concentrated in a few schools. Despite having large numbers at these schools, too many feel invisible and are not getting the help they need.  In the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Assessment data (YRBS), 82% of BPS Asian middle school students said they rarely or never get the kind of help they need, 12 percentage points higher than any other group.  The same survey found that more Asian students attempted suicide than any other group in BPS. This is a silent crisis that needs to be addressed, a crisis that can’t be seen in test scores and achievement data. 


Our families, like all families, want quality schools and opportunity for their children. But they have been used, ignored, and rendered invisible for decades. They have real needs that are going unaddressed.  They want to be informed and be part of decisions that affect them. They want to be seen and heard. Our organization supports the proposal to BPS Exam School admissions for 2021-2022, even though it is not perfect.  We hope to work together with students, families, and the Boston Public Schools to improve the educational experience of all students in the Boston Public Schools.


Massachusetts Asian American Educators Association


Endorsements/Sign ons:

 

Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW)

Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC)

Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK)

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)

Chinese Progressive Association (CPA)

Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition (GMAACC)

Revere Youth in Action (RYiA)

South Asian Worker Center - Boston (SAWC)

VietAID