Sunday, August 2, 2020

And another day of rates, disasters, fears, school, understandings, definitions, different paths, significant delays, safe injection sites, and things you can do with your phone other than text and play games comes to a close:

“American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.” — James Baldwin

Deaths

US: 158,365 (+467)

World: 692,794 (+4111)

Cases

US: 4,183,647 (+49,329)

World: 18,234,936 (+223,070)

Countdown: 93 days.

The White House reportedly scrapped a national testing plan because the virus was mostly hitting blue states. — This needs to be a bigger story. If true, then it’s a crime against humanity.

Highest rates of COVID-19 in WA now in ages 20-24. State health officials worry young adults are transmitting the virus to those at risk in the population.

Victoria declares 'state of disaster,' locking down millions in Melbourne to fight a soaring coronavirus outbreak. The premier of Victoria plunged the region into a "state of disaster" on Sunday, announcing even stricter lockdown measures, introducing a nightly curfew and banning virtually all trips outdoors after Australia's second largest state recorded 671 new infections in a single day. — Australia handles things differently than the US.

One Man's COVID-19 Death Raises The Worst Fears Of Many People With Disabilities. Melissa Hickson says her husband was denied potentially lifesaving treatment because doctors at the hospital made a decision based on their biases that, because of his disabilities, Michael Hickson had a low quality of life. The hospital says it acted based on the man's dire medical prognosis and that it would have been pointless and cruel to give him invasive treatment.

Young people drive rise in coronavirus cases in Europe.

Online school? Some parents want to hire tutors, start mini schools this year. Most can't afford to. Some parents are in a better position than others to ensure their children stay healthy and keep up with schoolwork, and researchers are raising questions about how the pandemic may continue to exacerbate existing educational inequalities.

Eastman Kodak’s top executive reportedly got Trump deal windfall on an ‘understanding’. — Something sure smells funny here. 

Trump's Republican Party is defined by racism and those who tolerate it: GOP strategist. About a year ago, I finished writing a book in which I posited that race was the original sin of the Republican Party and that the rise of President Donald Trump is based more on white grievance than any other factor. It was a conviction I’d come to after over 30 years of working in Republican politics, including five presidential campaigns. To me it seemed an inescapable if depressing reality...Whenever I tell my Republican friends that I think racial animosity is the root of Trump’s appeal, the inevitable and often angry rejoinder is, “Are you saying that 63 million Americans are racists?” What I try to point out to them is that you don’t have to consider yourself a racist (and, of course, most racists don’t consider themselves racists) but you do have to be willing to accept that having a racist president is less important than something else you are getting from that president.

Thunder players all kneel during anthem after threat from Oklahoma lawmaker.

Mnuchin on $600 unemployment benefit: We can't be "paying people more to stay home". — $600 a week. $2400 a month. $31,200 a year. He wants people to live on less than that. 

'Defund the police' movement could offer sexual assault survivors a different path for justice, experts say. Reclaimed police funds could be distributed to shelters, rape crisis centers, mental health services and programs to combat sexual violence, experts say.

FBI officials hid copies of Russia probe documents fearing Trump interference.

Congress and technology: Do lawmakers understand Google and Facebook enough to regulate them? While the five-and-a-half-hour inquiry touched on a range topics from pesky spam filters and search results to how companies approached acquisitions, the House Judiciary subcommittee hearing laid one thing bare: A sizable disconnect appears to exist between the technology Americans are using and depending on in their daily lives and the knowledge base of people with the power and responsibility to decide its future and regulation.

Neighborhoods across the Philadelphia region are experiencing significant delays in receiving their mail, with some residents going upwards of three weeks without packages and letters, leaving them without medication, paychecks, and bills.

COVID-19 losses and uncertainty have led to a mental health crisis. Here's how to help. Nearly one-third of Americans are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety. Recognizing when and how to help is key to getting assistance.

With overdose deaths up during the pandemic, Philadelphia fights for a legal safe injection site.

People Are Apparently Jerking Off With Their Phones During the Pandemic. “However, as I read more comments, I slowly became aware that no, this was in fact a thing. And it was something being done by women and men. I also learned other pearls of wisdom from these vibrator app users.” — Enjoy!

RIP Wilford Brimley. He was 85.

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

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