USAGM condemns Kremlin’s increasing censorship, responds to a surge in demand for reporting from its networks – USAGM

USAGM condemns Kremlin’s increasing censorship, responds to a surge in demand for reporting from its networks

March 5, 2022

Despite the Russian government’s attempted censorship of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), there has been a surge in demand for their content, including their collaborative 24/7 Russian-language channel Current Time. In response, USAGM is expanding program delivery and access with the addition of more affiliate stations in and around Russia and the help of the Open Technology Fund’s tools and resources to circumvent internet censorship.   

“It is clear that by restricting access to RFE/RL and VOA’s fact-based reporting, the Kremlin hopes to keep its own citizens in the dark and to hide the truth,” said Kelu Chao, USAGM’s Acting CEO. “The people of Russia deserve to know the facts about their government’s attacks on Ukraine and how the world is reacting. USAGM will continue to use its resources to bring unbiased information to light at this crucial time.”  

RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said, “RFE/RL journalists in Russia have been unfairly slurred as ‘foreign agents,’ detained, and now their accurate reporting about an unpopular war is being blocked. RFE/RL remains committed to delivering objective reporting from inside of Russia for the Russian people despite these outrageous attempts to censor the truth.” Read RFE/RL’s full press release at this link. 

Acting VOA Director Yolanda López said, “The recent threat by the Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor to block VOA and other independent media outlets now is a reality for many in our audience there. Our viewers and listeners in Russia deserve access to our factual news content at this critical time, not only about the ongoing war in Ukraine, but also about all vital global events that impact their lives and actions. VOA will continue to promote and support tools and resources that will allow our audiences to bypass any blocking efforts imposed on our sites in Russia. Our journalists will continue their reporting, an example of free press in action.” Read VOA’s full press release at this link. 

Some radio, digital, and direct-to-home satellite transmissions continue to reach Russian audiences, and demand for VOA and RFE/RL’s coverage is intensifying. For example, between February 24 and March 3, Current Time videos were viewed more than 240 million times across digital platforms. In addition, since Russia’s invasion, demand for Current Time content has increased dramatically among broadcast partners in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Estonia, and Bulgaria. With the increase over last week, there are 261 affiliates now distributing Current Time content. Between February 26 and March 5, Current Time videos have been viewed on Facebook 76 million times, while VOA’s Russian Service and RFE/RL’s Russian Service videos were each viewed about 8 million times.

From February 23 to March 2, VOA’s Russian Service reported nearly 17 million video views on social platforms, a 159% increase from the week before, while website traffic soared 146%. From February 23 to March 1, audiences viewed RFE/RL videos 436 million times on Facebook, 305 million times on YouTube, and 83 million times on Instagram – reflecting increases of 265%, 406%, and 185%, respectively, over the previous week.

Hong Kong Rules Out Citywide Lockdown as Cases Continue to Surge

HONG KONG — 

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday ruled out a citywide lockdown to fight COVID-19, but a surge of infections meant she could not “preclude” the possibility of postponing next month’s chief executive election.

Lam, who has not confirmed whether she will seek another five-year term as head of the Chinese-ruled city, said her government’s response to the outbreak had not been satisfactory, with hospitals and medical staff overwhelmed.

Daily infections have surged by about 20 times over the past two weeks. Health authorities reported 1,619 infections on Tuesday, a new daily record with around 5,400 preliminary positive cases.

“There are no plans for a widespread city lockdown,” Lam told a news conference.

“We cannot surrender to the virus. This is not an option,” she said, doubling down on her ‘dynamic zero’ coronavirus strategy, similar to mainland China which seeks to curb outbreaks as soon as they occur.

People wearing face masks cross a street during the COVID-19 outbreak, in Hong Kong, China, Feb. 15, 2022.

Asked whether Hong Kong’s chief executive election, set for March 27, would go ahead, Lam said that the plans were unchanged, but given “the severity and speed of this latest wave” the situation would be continuously reviewed.

“So, I cannot preclude any possibilities at this moment,” she said.

A committee of 1,500 members, all vetted by authorities for their “patriotism” and loyalty to Beijing, participate in electing the next leader. The chief executive election has never been postponed since the city’s handover from Britain to China in 1997.

Two years ago, authorities cited the coronavirus to postpone legislative elections, in which some seats are assigned via public vote. Those elections were held in December 2021 under new “patriots only” rules imposed by Beijing.

Restrictions on social and public gatherings, imposed after the pandemic first struck, helped Hong Kong’s authorities stifle a pro-democracy movement whose mass protests had rocked the city in 2019, and a national security law imposed by Beijing in June 2020 effectively ended the unrest.

Max capacity

Health authorities said several hospitals were operating at over 100% capacity. At Caritas Medical Center, located on the city’s teeming Kowloon peninsula, dozens of patients lay in numbered beds outside the hospital. Makeshift tents had been set up alongside to treat the patients.

As infections multiplied, Lam said authorities were unable to keep pace with their testing and isolation mandate.

People wearing face masks wait for their swab samples to be collected at a makeshift testing site for COVID-19, in Hong Kong, China, Feb. 15, 2022.

China has said it would help the city boost its testing, treatment and quarantine capacity, and secure resources from rapid antigen kits and protective gear to fresh vegetables.

Lam said the central government would deliver over 100 million testing kits to the territory.

Despite the latest surge, deaths remain far less than in similar-sized cities since the pandemic erupted two years ago.

Hong Kong’s total caseload since the pandemic first erupted is around 26,000 infections, including a little over 200 deaths.

But, with the health care system already cracking, medical experts warn the city could see 28,000 daily infections by the end of March, and there were worries about the large numbers of elderly people who have hesitated to get vaccinated.

Anticipating the need for more isolation facilities, Lam said around 3,000 public housing units and around 10,000 hotel rooms would be converted.

Pandemic fatigue

For Hong Kong residents, the surge in cases comes amid rising pandemic fatigue. Strict restrictions have effectively sealed the city’s borders for around two years and turned the once global hub into one of the world’s most isolated major cities.

Venues from churches, pubs, schools and gyms remain shut, with public gatherings of more than two people banned. Dining in restaurants is not allowed after 6 p.m., while most people are working from home.

Hong Kong will introduce a vaccine pass starting February 24 where residents will have to show proof of vaccination before entering restaurants, supermarkets and shopping malls.

US Consumer Prices Surge in January at 7.5% Annual Pace

Washington — 

U.S. consumer prices surged at an annual pace of 7.5% in January, the fastest increase in four decades, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

Americans are facing higher costs for autos, household furniture and appliances, according to the government. While some of those purchases can be delayed, U.S. household budgets are being squeezed by something everyone needs — food — with consumers facing higher prices for meat, eggs, citrus fruit and now produce as well. Gasoline prices for motorists also remain high in the U.S.

The inflationary surge is being fueled by coronavirus-related supply-and-demand issues.

Consumers seem willing to buy goods after the coronavirus curbed personal spending, but now manufacturers have been unable in some cases to make enough of their products and at the same time face a shortage of shippers and truckers to get their goods into stores and showrooms.

“The price pressures on households just don’t end,” Greg McBride, the chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, said in a statement. “Not only have home prices jumped 20% in the past year, but now many rents are too, rising 0.5% in the past month alone. Nothing squeezes household budgets more than the outsized increases we’re currently seeing on costs for shelter and housing.”

The U.S. economy is sharply increasing, recovering from the pandemic at a faster pace than economists once projected, advancing by 5.7% in 2021, the fastest full-year gain since 1984.

The U.S., with the world’s biggest economy, added 467,000 more jobs in January, while its unemployment rate ticked up to 4% as more unemployed people looked for work. Businesses added a record 6.4 million jobs last year.

FILE – A hiring sign is shown at a booth for Jameson’s Irish Pub during a job fair on Sept. 22, 2021, in the West Hollywood section of Los Angeles.

The inflation reading for January included a once-a-year revision that affects seasonally adjusted data for the past five years, with the Labor Department also updating the list of goods included in the calculation, to reflect consumer buying habits in recent years.

Economists are predicting that, over time, inflationary pressures will ease. But policymakers at the Federal Reserve, the country’s central bank, are signaling they will start increasing their benchmark interest next month to tamp down inflation and keep the U.S. economy from overheating. The Fed normally tries to set policies allowing for a 2% annual inflation rate, far less than the current jump in prices.

An increase in the Fed’s key interest rate will likely, over time, boost borrowing costs for consumers and businesses as well, helping to keep inflation in check.

New claims for jobless benefits fell in the United States last week, the Labor Department also reported Thursday, as many employers hung on to the workers they have and searched for more.

The agency said 223,000 unemployed workers filed for compensation, down 16,000 from the revised figure of the week before. The new total was in line with the claim figures from recent weeks as the U.S. economy continues to recover from the havoc inflicted on it by the advance of the coronavirus pandemic that swept into the country nearly two years ago.

Many employers are looking for more workers, despite about 6.5 million workers remaining unemployed in the U.S.

At the end of December, there were 10.9 million job openings in the U.S., but the skills of available workers often do not match what employers want, or the job openings are not where the unemployed live. In addition, many of the available jobs are low-wage service positions that the jobless shun.

COVID Cases Surge Among US Children as Omicron Sweeps America

In mid-January the average number of daily new COVID cases in the U.S. fluctuated between 750,000 and 800,000, according to the CDC COVID Data Tracker. Children under five remain one of the most vulnerable groups since they cannot be vaccinated yet. In the first week of January, over half a million young children were diagnosed with COVID-19, an 80% increase compared to late December 2021. Mariia Prus has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Video editor – Kim Weeks.