News in October that moves us: “Smash” is the new youth word +++ WhatsApp is down +++ Energy crisis in companies: job cuts and an end to investments +++ Corona: This is how infection in the office can be avoided
The most important news in the BRIGITTE ticker
What moves the world? What moves the BRIGITTE editors? In this ticker we summarize the most important news in October for you.
October 25, 2022
“Smash” is the youth word of 2022
This year, a somewhat controversial term was voted youth word of the year: “smash”. The word prevailed in the online survey of the Langenscheidt publishing house among young people with 43 percent. “Smash” is mainly used as a verb – “smashen” – and means something like “start something with someone”, “pick someone up” or “have sex with someone”. The word can be used in many ways. “Smash” can therefore also be the object of desire itself or the description for sex.
The term developed from the dating game “Smash or Pass”. Potential partners are either accepted as a “smash” or rejected as a “pass”. In English, the word “smash” is used more in connection with something “smash”, “smash” or “break”.
Popular WhatsApp Messenger is down
For most people, writing messages means that they open the messenger service WhatsApp – classic messages are rarely used anymore. Of course, it is immediately noticeable when the service is not available. So also currently. Users write online that they can neither receive nor send messages. A network error is displayed in the app. According to the consumer portal alle disturbances.de, the app has not been available since around 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
Users are not only venting about the disruptions online, the hashtag #whatsappdown is also trending on Twitter. The app currently seems to continue to open, old messages can be read, only new ones are not received or sent out. The messenger service itself has not yet issued an official statement.
October 24, 2022
One in four companies is planning job cuts
The energy crisis is not only having a negative impact on our wallets, but also increasingly on employment in Germany. In a survey conducted by the Ifo Institute on behalf of the Foundation for Family Businesses, 25 percent of companies stated that they were planning to cut jobs. In April it was 14 percent in a comparable survey.
In addition to job cuts, 57 percent of the companies surveyed are preparing to postpone planned investments. In addition, almost every tenth company says it is planning to relocate its business premises abroad. Half a year ago, this was still six percent.
October 21, 2022
Reduce the risk of corona infection in the office
Many workers are returning to the office. At the same time, we are struggling with high numbers of corona cases. Where is the risk of infection highest? And how can you protect yourself? RTL.de spoke to an aerosol researcher about this. according to dr Christof Asbach, the viruses can concentrate more in open-plan offices – while they have a thinner concentration in the fresh air. That’s why he recommends going for the most beautiful view when choosing a seat – namely by the window so that you can air out regularly.
But there is more to consider: the expert recommends getting a table next to colleagues and not opposite. Because when you speak, aerosols are exchanged, which increase the risk of infection by turning directly towards you. “If someone sits or stands very close to me now, my counterpart could breathe in this cloud directly,” Asbach explains to RTL.
What do we learn from this? If we sit in the middle of the room and face each other, we have a higher risk of getting infected from colleagues. Better: place next to each other with sufficient distance and air regularly.
By the way, constructions made of plexiglass panes that separate individual workstations next to each other are intended to provide little protection. If at all, they should be placed differently: If you are sitting across from each other, the discs at a small distance can help to intercept the emitted aerosols and to deflect them first.
October 20, 2022
Liz Truss has resigned
Conservative British Prime Minister Liz Truss has resigned, she announced in London. She will remain in office until a successor has been determined.
As the former Prime Minister’s office at 10 Downing Street previously confirmed, Truss met Thursday with Graham Brady, leader of the Conservative Group’s powerful 1922 Committee – the body responsible for electing and voting out party leaders. According to the government, the meeting came together at the request of Truss.
Several MPs had publicly withdrawn their confidence in Truss after Interior Secretary Suella Braverman had resigned the day before and chaotic scenes had taken place during a parliamentary vote. The 47-year-old has only been in office for six weeks and had to fight for her post after she caused financial chaos with planned tax breaks and was forced to do an about-face.
October 18, 2022
German Book Prize goes to Kim de l’Horizon
Kim l’Horizon receives the German Book Prize 2022 for the novel “Blutbuch”. The acceptance speech was very special. De l’Horizon shaved his hair off with a razor in solidarity with women in Iran. This prize is not only for l’Horizon itself, but “a sign against hate and for love”. L’Horizon left the stage and hugged the companions who were present, and Kim started a song for the mother in tears.
In the novel “Blood Book” a non-binary narrative character plays the leading role. Like Kim l’Horizon herself, she identifies as neither a woman nor a man. “With enormous creative energy, the non-binary narrative character in Kim de l’Horizon’s novel ‘Blutbuch’ searches for his own language,” the book prize jury said. “Blood Book” is a debut and was previously awarded the Literature Prize of the Jürgen Ponto Foundation.
The German Book Prize honors the best German-language novel of the year and is endowed with 25,000 euros. The other five finalists will each receive 2,500 euros.
October 17, 2022
Employed people continue to work despite corona disease
The current study “Working 2022” shows that every tenth person infected with corona goes about their daily work instead of resting at home. 1,200 people were surveyed in September. Nine percent of them show up at work with mild symptoms. 17 percent work from home when they fall ill and another 17 percent stay at home for a few days until the worst symptoms are over. Eight percent of people make it dependent on how busy work is, and 33 of those surveyed stay at home until the test result is negative. Another 16 percent of the participants in the study had never been infected with Covid-19.
Doctors are very critical of the fact of coming to work with a contagious infection. Because the body does not get any rest, the viruses can attack organs such as the heart. Accordingly, sick people should rather take a break until they are completely healthy.
But other illnesses do not prevent employees from working either. The study also found that another 20 percent show up in the office with contagious infections, 38 percent with allergies and 49 percent with back pain.
October 13, 2022
Caution! New scam circulating
And again a new scam is circulating. Rostock police warn of SMS scams, in which victims are sent a message asking them to update the security mechanism for online banking. However, the link in the SMS leads to a fake page – which unfortunately looks deceptively real. The access data for banking should be entered there. If they were confirmed using the pushTAN, the criminals would have free rein.
According to the police and the Ostsee Sparkasse (OSPA), at least a dozen people have fallen for this scam in the Rostock region in the past few days. The total damage determined so far amounts to several tens of thousands of euros. The OSPA advises never to give out personal data and above all no TAN codes. Employees of a bank would never contact customers via SMS. If you are not sure, you should call your bank and ask if this message is serious.
If you receive this SMS, please do not click on the link.
© Police Headquarters Rostock
October 10, 2022
High meat consumption jeopardizes food supply
A study by the international management consultancy PwC Strategy calls for a drastic change in eating habits and food production. In particular, the high consumption of meat endangers the future food supply worldwide. According to the study, global food production is responsible for two-thirds of freshwater consumption, three-quarters of nutrient pollution in water and a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the authors of the study, the high level of meat consumption worldwide plays a central role. Around 80 percent of agricultural land is currently used directly or indirectly for meat production – despite the large area, this only covers around eleven percent of global calorie requirements. Therefore, not only a change in production is necessary, but also a change in eating habits. Switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet would have an even greater effect than cutting out beef and chicken – two of the biggest drivers.
October 7, 2022
Lauterbach puts the financing of homeopathy to the test
Homeopathy has now arrived in the mainstream of society and is seen by many as an alternative to traditional medicine. Some health insurance companies have decided to cover some or all of the costs for treatments.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach now wants to put the financing of homeopathic treatments to the test: “Although homeopathy is not significant in terms of spending volume, it has no place in a science-based health policy,” the SPD politician told the “Spiegel”. “We will therefore examine whether homeopathy can be deleted as a statutory service.”
With the statutory benefits, the health insurance companies have a certain amount of leeway to grant additional benefits in addition to the stipulated benefits. This also includes homeopathic treatments and medicines, which mostly consist of plant, mineral or animal substances. The substances are extremely diluted and are administered in the form of globules or small tablets, among other things. There is a scientific consensus that these drugs only cause a placebo effect, but have no other effect.
Even more news
That was the news in September.
Sources used: spiegel.de, stern.de, ndr.de, presseportal.de, rnd.de, zdf.de, instagram.com, n-tv.de, merkur.de, zeit.de, rtl.de