Tuesday, September 15, 2020

And another day of hoping to survive Trump’s “Hunger Games” comes to a close:

“Change or die.” — Mother Earth

Deaths

US: 200,197 (+1197)

World: 939,140 (+6410)

Cases

US: 6,788,147 (+38,858)

World: 29,724,117 (+283,119)

Countdown: 49 days.

5 key takeaways from President Donald Trump's ABC town hall in Pennsylvania.

Trump defends claim coronavirus will disappear, citing 'herd mentality'. -- No, Donald. Jonestown was a “herd mentality.” Charles Manson and his followers were a “herd mentality.” MAGAs are a “herd mentality.”

Another presidential assault on science as fires and pandemic rage. The President has fixed priorities: For instance, promoting big oil companies. Accepting that climate change is real would require him to take some steps to address it. Since he is loath to do so, the President finds that ignoring the problem -- and using his propagandistic Twitter feed, which is a gusher of misinformation and falsehoods -- suits him better. Rejecting the advice of highly educated scientists and expert government bureaucrats also sits well with the President's political image as an outsider and scourge of elite political, academic and scientific establishments. It helps to solidify his bond with supporters, who prize that image and may themselves share Trump's reluctance to accept changes to traditional lifestyles -- which a national effort to combat global warming, for instance, might entail. As such, Trump's dismissal of science and fact is not just a personality trait, it's also a key factor in the method he uses to build, wield and cling to power. — Trump and the Trump Party will kill us all. Vote them all out in November.

Scientific American has never endorsed a presidential candidate in its 175-year history. This year we are compelled to do so. We do not do this lightly. The evidence and the science show that Donald Trump has badly damaged the U.S. and its people—because he rejects evidence and science...Joe Biden, in contrast, comes prepared with plans to control COVID-19, improve health care, reduce carbon emissions and restore the role of legitimate science in policy making. He solicits expertise and has turned that knowledge into solid policy proposals.

Last week was a disaster for voting rights in the courts. Republicans won two important court victories that could potentially shape the outcome of this year’s elections. If last week is any indication, the right to vote is unlikely to fare well in a judiciary that is increasingly dominated by Republicans.

Trump denies downplaying virus, casts doubt on mask usage. -- The gaslighting continues.

Catholic group launches $9.7 million campaign against Biden targeting swing-state voters. “Joe Biden’s record makes clear he will not protect our Catholic values or defend our way of life,” CatholicVote President Brian Burch said in a statement. “For Catholics who cherish the Faith and their freedom to live it, a Biden presidency represents an existential threat.” -- So just don’t get an abortion. Your way of life should not infringe upon others. What a useless way to spend $9.7 million. Aren’t their hungry children that can be fed with that money? Homeless people that need shelter? 

Nurse questions medical care at immigration jail in Georgia. An immigration detention center in Georgia performed questionable hysterectomies, refused to test detainees for COVID-19 and shredded medical records, according to a nurse quoted in a complaint filed Monday.

A whistleblower complaint filed Monday by several legal advocacy groups accuses a detention center of performing a staggering number of hysterectomies on immigrant women, as well as failing to follow procedures meant to keep both detainees and employees safe from the coronavirus. Staggering Number of Hysterectomies Happening at ICE Facility, Whistleblower Says. "We’ve questioned among ourselves, like, goodness, he's taking everybody’s stuff out," said a former nurse at the facility. "That's his specialty, he’s the uterus collector." — Genocide. 

The city of Louisville settles a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Breonna Taylor's family. The officers in her shooting have not yet faced charges.

Protesters held on $1 million bail after demonstration over Pennsylvania police shooting. -- That seems excessive.

Prosecutors subpoena John Bolton's book publisher in criminal investigation into whether former Trump adviser disclosed classified matters.

To be clear: climate change plays a central role in the alarming scale and severity of the West Coast wildfires. But it's not the only reason we're seeing such deadly and destructive blazes. Here are some of the other factors at play.

Portland, Seattle, LA among cities with world's worst air quality as wildfires rage in western states.

Seeping under doors, bad air from West’s fires won’t ease up.

Postal police union sues USPS, DeJoy over limits to mail theft enforcement authority. The Postal Service last month abruptly ordered its police officers to stop investigating mail theft that occurs away from post office property, the Postal Police Officers Association alleged Monday, suing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to block a change they say could erode the safety of mail carriers and delivery.

Trump tariffs on $200bn of Chinese goods deemed illegal by WTO. While the decision may vindicate Beijing, the US has all but incapacitated WTO's ability to hand down a binding verdict.

49ers seek to ban fan who sent racist messages to Cardinals' Budda Baker. -- Good. Fuck racists.

Starved of wifi, Indonesians trade plastic trash to study online. For the last two months, Dimas Anwar Putra, 15, and a friend have been collecting plastic trash in their Jakarta neighbourhood in exchange for wifi access. With no internet access at home, the two students need to collect one kg (2.2 lb) of mostly plastic waste to trade for access to the internet so they can do online learning for around three hours up to three times a week.

Birds are dropping dead in New Mexico, potentially in the 'hundreds of thousands'. It’s unclear to scientists why the die-off is occurring.

Some airlines are introducing ‘flights to nowhere’ [flights that take off and land from the same place]— and people are paying to take them. Though a flight for the thrill of flying isn’t for everyone, no-destination flights may thrive in locations that have low Covid-19 infection rates and limited travel opportunities otherwise.

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

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