These are the top maybe-not headlines from the past 84-hours presented by The Conversation Project from raw engagement data from our social media to the headlines posted over the past weekend.
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The 8 topics that our followers ranked as the most conversational are:
ITALY TOWNS LOCK DOWN AFTER CORONAVIRUS SPREADS, 2 DEATHS
Schools, businesses and restaurant were closed in a dozen northern Italian towns Saturday following reports of two deaths tied to an outbreak of the coronavirus in the region. A female resident in the Lombardy region died only hours after a 77-year-old man succumbed near Padua, in the Veneto region, the ANSA news agency reported, citing health care sources. Italy reports a total of 62 cases, many of them representing the first infections in the country via secondary contagion, that is, not directly from a visitor to China. The deaths come a day after health officials at the World Health Organization warned that attempts to contain the virus that erupted in China in December were at a crisis point.
[SOURCE: usatoday.com]
A SWARM OF NEARLY 40,000 BEES ATTACKED POLICE RESPONDING TO A SINGLE BEE STING REPORT
A group of firefighters and police that were responding to a bee sting were attacked Thursday afternoon by a swarm of nearly 40,000 Africanized bees. Three of the first responders were rushed to the hospital, while the others quickly shut down the block. The bees stung seven people in total, but two of them didn’t go to the hospital, the authorities said. No one got it worse than the first firefighter who arrived. The bees stung him 17 times. That led to the group to realize that the swarm of bees covered the entire block. Firefighters and a professional beekeeper climbed a ladder to remove the hive, which was on the roof of a four-story Hampton Inn. They then sprayed the bees with Co2 and foam extinguishers. Some of the bees were killed, while others left the area when the sun went down, she said. The beekeeper safely removed the hive so that the bees could not return home.
[SOURCE: www.cnn.com]
TWITTER REACTS TO TYSON FURY’S TKO OF DEONTAY WILDER IN REMATCH
Although it was a busy weekend in MMA, the focus of the combat sports world Saturday night was on the anticipated heavyweight boxing title rematch between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder. The contest ended up being one-sided, with Fury overwhelming Wilder en route to a seventh-round TKO to elevate his status as an all-time heavyweight champion. And many were very impressed by his performance.
[SOURCE: mmajunkie.usatoday.com]
NEVADA DEMOCRATIC PARTY ASKS CAUCUS VOLUNTEERS TO SIGN CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS
The news comes just one day before the Nevada Democratic caucuses. The caucus process here in Nevada has come under intense scrutiny after a similar process melted down in Iowa. Nevada Democrats, lead by operatives with ties to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, have worked for weeks to ensure the caucus goes smoothly, worried that a poor showing could imperil the state’s first in the west status and further undermine the entire nomination process. A Nevada State Democratic Party official told CNN that it’s standard practice to request staff and volunteers to sign an NDA because they are privy to strategic information and said the party also required NDAs in 2018. CNN obtained a copy of one of the four-page agreements which states, in part, “I will take all measures necessary to protect the secrecy of, and avoid disclosure and unauthorized use of, Confidential Information of the NSDP.” The NDA appears to be one that is used for other purposes by the NSDP, since it also references activities other than the caucuses.
[SOURCE: msn.com]
TRUMP MAY INVITE TYSON FURY AND DEONTAY WILDER TO WHITE HOUSE
President Trump said Sunday he watched the heavyweight fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury and is thinking of inviting both boxers to the White House. Fury, a British boxer known as “The Gypsy King,” defeated Wilder in the rematch of their December 2019 fight that ended in a controversial split draw.
[SOURCE: nypost.com]
BERNIE SANDERS SCORES DECISIVE WIN AT 2020 NEVADA DEMOCRATIC CAUCUSES
Nevada, the third state to vote in the Democratic primary and the most diverse state yet to weigh in, has delivered the clearest victory of the primary cycle to date. Iowa is still grappling with recounts, and despite narrowly winning the New Hampshire primary, Sanders went into the Nevada contest behind former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the delegate count. But on Saturday, Sanders confirmed what polling has suggested for months. Not only did the senator have a double-digit lead in state polls going into the caucuses, he has long had a strong base of support among Latino voters, especially those in the working class. Latinos make up roughly 30% of the population in Nevada and made up around 19% of Democratic voters in the 2016 election cycle.
[SOURCE: huffpost.com]
SAN DIEGO BUS CRASH: 3 KILLED,18 HURT NEAR FALLBROOK
Three people died and 18 were transported to nearby hospitals after a bus traveling south on Interstate 15 rolled over near Fallbrook, the North San Diego County Fire Department said Saturday. Several people were trapped and had to be extricated from the bus when first responders arrived, the NCFD said. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, what company owned the bus or the bus’s destination or point of origin. The wreck occurred around 10:30 a.m. PT (1:30 p.m. ET) on I-15 south of the Highway 76 exit, the NCFD said. Several nearby emergency agencies responded.
[SOURCE: cnn.com]
JENNIFER GARNER SHIPS BOXES OF GIRL SCOUT COOKIES TO INSTAGRAM FANS
The actress told her Instagram followers on Friday that she understands their “primal need” for cookies, so they can send her their order at jenhasextra@gmail.com. But fans should move fast – supplies are limited, she said. While it may seem like the most wonderful time of the year to all who can visit their grocery store to be greeted by Girl Scouts selling boxes and boxes, not everyone is so lucky. Garner is addressing that problem in an Instagram post, writing, “Apparently there are some crazy corners of the country where @girlscouts are NOT set up in front of every grocery store – and we are here to help. If you are in need – email me your cookie preferences and address – and our stash will go on a first come, first served basis.”
[SOURCE: usatoday.com]
Eight Things To Talk About uses the raw engagement data from the social media engagement from The Conversation Project to generate the top-ranking headlines over the course of a weekend.
A full weeks’ data (from Friday to Friday) is compiled, weighed, and sorted to produce the content for the Wrap-Up Show with J Cleveland Payne, published every Saturday as a podcast available at ThisIsTheConversation.com or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.
To ‘participate’ in the rankings of the headlines for this newsletter or the podcast, follow the Conversation Project on social media and engage with the posts to give them more ‘votes.’ The Conversation Project can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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