Celebrate Mom, mother, Thursday mama … at Solanio May 6, 2021 T: 582-7800 www.arubatoday.com facebook.com/arubatoday instagram.com/arubatoday Page 8 Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper STRIKE UP THE BAN Facebook board upholds Trump ban, just not indefinitely President Donald Trump speaks to crowd before boarding Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., in this Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, file photo. Associated Press Page 2 A2 THURSDAY 6 MAY 2021 UP FRONT Facebook board upholds Trump ban, just not indefinitely From Front only “kicks the can down press support or praise of the road,” said Jonathan these people or groups. By MATT O’BRIEN and BAR- Greenblatt, the head of the But it insisted that the com- BARA ORTUTAY Anti-Defamation League, pany needed to take re- AP Technology Writer who said it highlighted the sponsibility for its decision. Former President Donald need for greater govern- “Facebook should ei- Trump won’t return to Face- ment oversight of social ther permanently disable book — at least not yet. platforms. The board ruled Trump’s account or impose Four months after Face- that Facebook was correct a suspension for a specific book suspended Trump’s to suspend Trump’s ac- period of time,” said board accounts, having conclud- count four months ago. But co-chair Helle Thorning- ed that he incited violence it said the company erred Schmidt, a former Danish leading to the deadly Jan. by applying a vague pen- prime minister. 6 Capitol riot, the com- alty and then passing the The board said that if Face- pany’s quasi-independent question of whether to ban book decides to restore oversight board upheld In this March 29, 2018, file photo, the logo for Facebook appears Trump permanently to the Trump’s accounts, it must the bans. But it told Face- on screens at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York's Times Square. board. “Indefinite penalties be able to promptly ad- book to specify how long Associated Press of this sort do not pass the dress further violations. they would last, saying international smell test,” Among other recommen- that its “indefinite” ban on and puts the onus for that over the bans, his critics oversight board co-chair dations, it advised against the former president was decision squarely back on pushing for broader so- Michael McConnell said in drawing a firm distinction unreasonable. The ruling, the company. That could cial-media regulation and a conference call with re- between political leaders which gives Facebook six leave Facebook in the the company stuck with a porters. “We are not cops, and other influential us- months to comply, effec- worst of all possible worlds momentous issue it clearly reigning over the realm of ers because anyone with tively postpones any pos- — one in which Trump’s hoped the oversight board social media.” a big audience can po- sible Trump reinstatement supporters remain enraged would resolve. The decision In a statement, Trump did tentially cause serious risks not address the decision of harm. There was some directly, but said that ac- dissent within the board, tions by Facebook, Twitter, according to its report on and Google are “a total the decision. A minority of disgrace and an embar- board members sought to rassment to our Country.” characterize Trump’s state- He added: “These corrupt ments about the election social media companies being stolen, coupled with must pay a political price.” praise for the rioters, as a The board agreed with violation of Facebook’s Facebook that that two rules against inciting vio- of Trump’s Jan. 6 posts lence through calls for ac- “severely violated” the tion or by spreading misin- content standards of both formation and unverifiable Facebook and Instagram. rumors. But the board said “We love you. You’re very that adding that as a viola- special,” Trump said to the tion wouldn’t have affect- rioters in the first post. In the ed its final ruling. second, he called them Facebook has long strad- “great patriots” and told dled that issue, granting them to “remember this political figures greater lee- day forever.” way than it allows ordinary Those violated Facebook’s users because, it argued, rules against praising or sup- even their rule-breaking porting people engaged in statements were important violence, the board said, for citizens to hear. warranting the suspension. “The same rules should Specifically, the board apply to all users on Face- cited Facebook’s rules book, no matter how influ- against “dangerous indi- ential they are,” said board viduals and organizations,” spokesman Dex Hunter-Tor- which prohibit anyone who ricke, a former speechwrit- proclaims a violent mission er for Facebook CEO Mark and bans posts that ex- Zuckerberg.q A3 U.S. NEWS THURSDAY 6 MAY 2021 U.S. parents excited over prospect of virus shots for children By HEATHER HOLLING- SWORTH and TODD RICH- MOND Associated Press MISSION, Kan. (AP) — After more than a year of fretting over her 13-year son with a rare liver disease, Heather Ousley broke into tears when she learned that he and millions of other young- sters could soon be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. “This day is the best day in the history of days!!! I love this day!!!” she texted, join- ing other parents and edu- cators in welcoming the news that the Food and Drug Administration is ex- pected to authorize Pfizer’s vaccine by next week for children ages 12 to 15. Ousley, president of the school board for the 27,000-student Shawnee Mission School District in Heather Ousley sits with her older children Elliannah, 15, right, and Samuel, 13, in front of their home in Merriam, Kan, Tuesday, May Kansas, plans to get her 13- 4, 2021. and 15-year-olds promptly Associated Press vaccinated and then cele- brate with ice cream. They in November, in what his Dan Domenech, execu- things.” Keri Rodrigues, a the country and directly to have been learning from mother described as a “ter- tive director of AASA, the co-founder of the educa- pediatricians. home with their younger rifying” time for the family. School Superintendents As- tion advocacy group the Coy Marquardt, associ- brother since the start of The disease spread to the sociation, said vaccinating National Parents Union, ate executive director of the outbreak. rest of the family. younger students should said she rushed out to get Iowa’s teachers union, said Pfizer is also anticipating They all pulled through, and help parents feel more vaccinated after becom- his 14-year-old son is excit- the FDA will endorse use of Cooper and his parents comfortable about send- ing eligible but has more ed to get vaccinated and its vaccine in even younger have all since been vacci- ing their children back to trepidation about immuniz- has been asking for months children sometime this fall. nated. But his mother can’t classrooms and ease con- ing her oldest son, who is when he would be eligible. And results are expected wait for her 15-year-old, cerns among some teach- 13. She plans to go ahead Marquardt said that be- by the middle of this year Reece, and 12-year-old, ers. with it, though, in part be- cause of vaccine hesitan- from a U.S. study of Moder- Tucker, to get their shots so “Say you have a class cause he is demanding it. cy, it doesn’t look as if herd na’s shots in 12- to 17-year- their brother is as protected where every student is “He has cabin fever and immunity is going to be olds. as possible. vaccinated and so is the he wants to get out,” ex- achieved anytime soon. Officials are hoping that “It feels like more secu- teacher. That becomes plained Rodrigues, who “That makes it even more extending vaccinations to rity around Cooper with a a very different environ- lives near Boston. important to expand the children will drive down the compromised immune sys- ment,” Domenech said. The group’s newly released use to 12- to 15-year-olds, nation’s caseload even fur- tem,” Robin Perry said. “It’s He added: “Schools were survey from April of 1,151 including my son, just to ther and allow schools to just being part of the solu- very pleased when the parents around the country protect him,” he said. reopen with minimal disrup- tion. That’s what excites CDC came out with the found that others are also Tom Rosenberg, president tion this fall. me the most. It’s an added 3-foot spacing as opposed conflicted. Forty percent and CEO of the American It could also reassure par- level of protection. Maybe to the 6-foot spacing, be- planned to get their chil- Camp Association, which ents and teachers alike. you can take a deeper cause that immediately al- dren vaccinated immedi- accredits 3,200 camps and While children rarely get breath.” lowed them to have more ately, 22% eventually and works with about 12,000 seriously ill from the corona- Educators have already students in school at one 23% never, and the remain- others, said he has ben del- virus, then can still get sick embraced vaccines for time. This will have a similar ing 15% were unsure. uged with messages since and spread it to others. students 16 and up, with effect.” “Obviously parents are torn the news broke. Pfizer in March released some scheduling vaccine Seventy-four-year-old Pat right now because you are Last year, 40% of day preliminary results from a clinics during school hours Shepard, a retired Spanish watching your kids really camps and 82% of over- study of 2,260 U.S.