Thursday, July 2, 2020

And another day of a cultish opposition to science getting people killed, an upcoming night where many powerful people may not again sleep well, an NFL franchise under pressure, the Bubonic Plague, fireworks, UFOs, and being kind really does pay off comes to an interesting close:

“What pedophiles and people who have sexual desires on children lose sight of to a terrible, terrible degree--a devastating degree--is that their victims are real people who will suffer forever whatever abuses are perpetrated on them.” -- Jock Sturges

Deaths

US: 131,485 (+687)

World: 524,036 (+5068)

Countdown: 124 days.

The coronavirus may have mutated to become more infectious, Dr. Anthony Fauci says. Research is underway to confirm the possible mutation and its implications, Fauci said, adding that “there’s a little dispute about it.”

Trump's resistance led intel agencies to brief him less and less on Russia. “The President has created an environment that dissuades, if not prohibits, the mentioning of any intelligence that isn't favorable to Russia.” — He favors Russia over US security. 

Trump And McConnell, Via Swath Of Judges, Will Affect U.S. Law For Decades. Democrats said there's a reason for that startling number [200 judges] — Republican stonewalling of the previous president. "McConnell confirmed the fewest judges since President Truman during Obama's last two years in office," said Christopher Kang, who vetted judicial nominees in the Obama White House. "So the reason President Trump had 200 judgeships to fill in the first place, is because McConnell obstructed." Obama made the nominations, but McConnell kept them from being confirmed in order to wait for a Republican — in Trump — whose campaign the Senate majority leader then carried out with zeal, Kang said...Many of the Trump nominees are in their 30s and 40s, not anywhere near retirement age. There is no minimum age restriction to serve as a judge. — There’s more, like what they’ll be ruling on, and the lack of diversity among the judges. McConnell has caused more damage to this country than anyone else during his tenure.

McConnell pushes Trump not to veto defense policy bill over renaming military assets.

Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's confidant, arrested in sex abuse probe. -- Expect her to “commit suicide” soon. She’s connected to too many powerful people.

Confirmed coronavirus cases are rising in 40 of 50 states.

Gov. Jay Inslee [WA] announced Thursday afternoon that he will issue an order that restricts businesses from serving customers who are not wearing face coverings, another step in the state's effort to contain and limit the spread of COVID-19 as several counties in Washington state report rising case loads as they look to restart their economies.

Texas governor implements statewide mask mandate. -- Too little, too late. Recall Abbott himself forbade local mayors from requiring masks in their cities.

More than 300 children in Texas day cares have caught COVID-19, and the numbers are rising.

More than 40 South Bay school principals are in quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19 during an in-person meeting to plan the reopening of schools. — Can’t make this shit up. 

Health officials are investigating a new cluster of eight or more COVID-19 cases in Rockland County [NY] tied to a large party earlier this month, held by a person who knew they had the virus, but they're running into trouble with contact tracing because people refuse to cooperate.

Oregon State Police don’t wear coronavirus masks while patronizing coffee shop, despite governor’s order. “He said, ‘Fuck, Kate Brown’.”

Young people are throwing coronavirus parties with a payout when one gets infected, official says. Some young people in Alabama are throwing Covid-19 parties, a disturbing competition where people who have coronavirus attend and the first person to get infected receives a payout. — Darwinism in action.

After Reopening Schools, Israel Orders Them To Shut If COVID-19 Cases Are Discovered. Two weeks after Israel fully reopened schools, a COVID-19 outbreak sweeping through classrooms — including at least 130 cases at a single school — has led officials to close dozens of schools where students and staff were infected. A new policy orders any school where a virus case emerges to close.

At least 66 University of Washington students infected with coronavirus in Greek row outbreak.

Herman Cain, a 2012 GOP presidential candidate, is being treated for the coronavirus. A statement on his Twitter account called his symptoms “serious” but said he is “awake and alert.” He attended President Trump's June 20 rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Mongolia Quarantines Russian Border Region Over Bubonic Plague Suspicion. Mongolia has quarantined its western region near the border with Russia after identifying two suspected cases of the black plague linked to the consumption of marmot meat, health officials said Wednesday.

The New York Police Department's budget has been slashed by $1 billion.

Massachusetts detective fired after post supporting Black Lives Matter.

A 911 call, a racial slur, a refusal to cash a check. This is what it's like for some Black bank customers.

Supreme Court to decide if House gets Mueller grand jury material.

The Supreme Court takes up Nestle, Cargill appeals over human rights claims that the companies knowingly helped perpetuate slavery at Ivory Coast cocoa farms.

US President Trump is planning to head to South Dakota on Friday for an early Fourth of July celebration that will include fireworks over Mount Rushmore, which hasn't been done in a decade because the area's ecology makes it easily susceptible to wildfires.

Closing bars to stop coronavirus spread is backed by science.

Working While Parenting Is a Reality of Covid-19. One University Tried to Forbid It. Florida State has clarified that the policy applies only to staff members whose jobs normally require them to be on campus full time, and that it restores a policy that was in place before the pandemic struck. -- This is bullshit.

The Atlanta Hawks, the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks have offered up their facilities to serve as voting sites amid the pandemic. The teams have also outlined efforts to try to boost voter awareness and participation.

Trump's white power retweet part of a racist Twitter ventriloquism act. This puppetry does what all of the president’s favorite rhetorical tricks do: It gives him plausible deniability.

US delivery giant FedEx is seeking to use its leverage as the title sponsor of the Washington Redskins's stadium to convince the team to change their name.

Nike removes Redskins name, apparel from its website.

A new report says soccer commentators are more likely to praise the intelligence of players with lighter skin tones.

Trump administration moves to repeal transgender protections in homeless shelters.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth to block the confirmation of 1,123 senior US Armed Forces promotions until she receives assurance Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman's promotion won't be blocked.

Facebook says it accidentally allowed around 5,000 developers to access data from their app’s inactive users, even though that access should have been cut off.

Not so random acts: Science finds that being kind pays off. Research shows that acts of kindness make us feel better and healthier. Kindness is also key to how we evolved and survived as a species, scientists say. We are hard-wired to be kind.

World UFO Day: See how your state rates when it comes to sightings. UFOs may not make the news as much as they once did, but in 2019, Americans reported almost twice as many UFO sightings to the National UFO Reporting Center than the previous year -- jumping from 3,456 sightings in 2018 to 6,340 sightings in 2019. — Yes, today is World UFO Day. 

RIP Hugh Downs. He was 99.

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

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