Tuesday, May 19, 2020

And another day where many need to learn that liberty and freedom don't give them the right to directly or indirectly harm or possibly kill others comes to a close:

“This is a wonderful planet, and it is being completely destroyed by people who have too much money and power and no empathy.” -- Alice Walker

Deaths
US: 93,533 (+1552)
World: 324,910 (+4776)

Countdown: 168 days.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to permanently halt funding for the World Health Organization if it did not commit to improvements within 30 days.

Member states back WHO after renewed Donald Trump attack.

Opposing Social Distancing Isn’t About Freedom. But now, as some businesses require that customers wear masks — as a way to avoid spreading coronavirus — people who would never question the shoes and shirt rules are responding as if forced labor camps were just around the corner...So why the freakout? Why do people who would never question the right of private businesses to enforce rules about wearing shoes and shirts suddenly think such companies are engaged in fascism for merely seeking to protect public health? Simple. Because their hostility to such a requirement has nothing to do with freedom or liberty or rights... If wearing masks would cut down on potential virus transmission, which would reduce infection, illness, and death, thereby inspiring confidence in the safety of going back to work, going shopping, or going out to eat, why would anyone who cared about the economy oppose doing it? Answer: they wouldn’t. But these folks don’t give a shit about the economy...They are more committed to their political pose as a lifestyle brand than the bodily or economic well-being of others...What do we call those with such a cavalier attitude about the well-being of others? What is the word for persons who lack a seemingly functional conscience about the consequences of their actions? Sociopaths. — There is a lot more to read. Go read it.

Texas, North Carolina, Arizona see rising cases as they reopen.

Read the CDC's guidance on reopening America from coronavirus pandemic stay-at-home orders.

Some signs children may not transmit COVID-19, two UK epidemiologists say. “...though they cautioned that the bad news was that human immunity may not last that long.”

“Do not be fooled: Trump’s goal is not to protect our health, it’s to sow division and advance his political agenda.”

Some grocery workers "scared to death" to return to work.

Non-urgent dental care resumes in Washington state.

White House portrait ceremony may be the latest casualty of the political divide. And if Trump wins a second term in November, it could be 2025 before Obama returns to the White House to see his portrait displayed among every U.S. president from George Washington to Bush.

Georgia Republicans cancel election for state Supreme Court, meaning governor can appoint a Republican. — Republicans cheat.

Ardern becomes New Zealand's most popular PM in a century. — Because she rocks.

Brazil recorded its highest number of coronavirus deaths and cases in one day, according to the country's Health Ministry. -- Their leader sucks as bad as America’s.

Philippine TV network ABS-CBN to remain shut pending court order. ABS-CBN has been fighting a government shutdown order, which press freedom advocates and legal experts say is an attempt by the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to silence critical media.

Congressional Budget Office forecasts high unemployment for years to come.

Religious exemptions are gutting civil rights protections, advocacy groups warn. — Religious exemptions are bullshit. They are nothing more than a thinly veiled masked hatred towards other groups. If your religion relies on hating others, then get a different religion.

The Hard Truth About the Fall. The inconvenient reality is that colleges, no matter what we do, are ideal settings for accelerating the spread of Covid-19.

Why did the CARES Act give more money to hair schools than to a community college?

Home Depot's expanded worker benefits took a huge bite out of its profit.

Johnson & Johnson will stop selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada after paying out billions of dollars in lost legal battles over claims the product causes cancer.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.