WEC Class Notes

  The conspiracy-theory group known as QAnon has grown in popularity in recent months. It has spread from fringe internet message boards to mainstream platforms and has  become a political issue, and on Jan. 6, its adherents were among the most prominent members of the mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters who   stormed th U.S Capitol  in Washington. Here is what we know about QAnon, the conspiracy theory behind it and how it started. What is QAnon? QAnon is a far right-wing, loosely organized network and community of believers who embrace a range of unsubstantiated beliefs. These views center on the idea that a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles—mainly consisting of what they see as elitist Democrats, politicians, journalists, entertainment moguls and other institutional figures—have long controlled much of the so-called deep state government, which they say sought to undermine Mr. Trump, mostly with aid of media and entertainment outlets. What is the...

 1. TOKYO -- Despite the new coronavirus pandemic, box office takings for an animated film adaptation of popular manga and anime series "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" are breaking records, with distributor Toho Co. reporting that on Oct. 25 it became the fastest film in Japanese cinema history to make 10 billion yen (around $95.9 million). What's behind its huge success? 2. "Demon Slayer -- Kimetsu no Yaiba -- The Movie: Mugen Train," directed by Haruo Sotozaki, was released on Oct. 16, and sources including Toho says that within three days it had earned about 4.62 billion yen in theaters, later reaching over 10.75 billion yen on Oct. 25. Until now, seven Japan- produced animated films have passed the milestone number, but none as fast as Demon Slayer. The top two highest-grossing Japanese films at the country's box office, " highest-grossing " (30.8 billion yen) and "Your Name," (25 billion yen) each needed three weeks or more in theat...

1.You didn't need a crystal ball to forecast that the COVID-19 pandemic would devastate mental health. Illness or fear of Illness, social isolation, economic insecurity, disruption of routine and loss of loved ones are known risk factors for depression and anxiety. Now studies have confirmed the predictions. But psychologists say the findings also include surprises about the wide extent of mental distress; the way media consumption exacerbates it; and how badly it has affected young people. 2. For example a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published in August, found a tripling of anxiety symptoms and a quadrupling of depression among 5,470 adults surveyed compared with a 2019 sample. 3. Similarly, two nationally representative surveys conducted in April, one by researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health and another at Johns Hopkins University found that the prevalence of depressive symptoms (B.U.) and ''serious psychological...