Friday, February 19, 2021

And another day of attacking democracy, problems in Texas, relief packages, supporting the LGBTQ community, lying under oath, Earth’s magnetic poles, cloning endangered animals, communicating during lucid dreams, and pussy mask fetishes comes to a close:

“One fifth of the people are against everything all the time.” -- Robert Kennedy

Deaths

US: 507,746 (+2437)

World: 2,463,568 (+11,057)

Cases

US: 28,603,813 (+80,289)

World: 111,243,370 (+409,163)

Georgia voting rights groups are denouncing a sweeping voting bill introduced by Republican state legislators as a "direct attack on democracy" and on Black voters as the state becomes ground zero for election law changes in the wake of the 2020 election.

Power comes back for most in Texas, but other problems pile up. Millions don't have safe water at home, and residents looking for groceries or bottled water said they arrived to stores with bare shelves and long lines.

Texans without water or shelter face another foe: Price gouging.

‘How in the world can anyone pay that?': Some seeing electric bills as high as $17K in wake of Texas winter storm. If you were on a variable or indexed plan, your rate — and therefore, your electric bill — may have skyrocketed.

Animal cruelty cases are surging in freezing Texas.

New research has shown that the Pfizer vaccine generates a robust immune response after one dose.

Nearly 45 percent of Washingtonians are reporting anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two women who dressed up to make themselves appear as older adults to get coronavirus vaccinations were turned away and issued trespass warnings in Orlando.

US officially rejoins the Paris climate accord.

Joe Manchin comes out against Neera Tanden as Biden's OMB chief, imperiling nomination. The Democrat's opposition is a significant blow to her prospects of confirmation to head the Office of Management and Budget. -- Manchin voted to confirm Bill Barr and Jeff Sessions. Yeah. He’s really a Republican pretending to be a Democrat.

House panel unveils $1.9 trillion relief package.

Over 800 footballers in Germany have signed up to a campaign to offer their support for LGBTQ colleagues and take a stand against homophobia. In total, over 800 players from both the men's and women's games have signed up to the campaign that organizers say isn't about forcing anybody to come out — but rather focused on offering support and creating a more understanding environment.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department is investigating allegations of domestic violence by Marilyn Manson.

Louis DeJoy personally ordered cuts to overtime for USPS workers last summer, according to a memo sent to Republican Senate staff and obtained by CREW. DeJoy denied doing so — under oath — last August.

Rush Limbaugh taught me how to think like a piece of shit. The truth about Rush though is he was a phony. He wasn’t speaking any hidden truth. He was, instead, an utter sellout. He was a failed disc jockey who found a gimmick.

Reversal of Earth's magnetic poles may have triggered Neanderthal extinction -- and it could happen again. In the paper, published in the journal Science, experts say there is currently rapid movement of the north magnetic pole across the Northern Hemisphere -- which could signal another reversal is on the cards.

Scientists have cloned an endangered US animal for the first time, creating a black-footed ferret named Elizabeth Ann from the frozen cells of an ancestor in a landmark achievement that boosts conservation efforts.

Scientists Achieve Real-Time Communication With Lucid Dreamers In Breakthrough. What’s more, many participants were able to recall the interactions with the researchers after they woke up, with individuals reporting that the prompts sounded like a voiceover narrator or a radio speaker that was clearly coming from outside of their dream.

Incredible new images shared by Perseverance rover after Mars landing. After safely landing on the surface of Mars Thursday, NASA's Perseverance rover has sent back a never-before-seen view: what it looks like to land on Mars.

For fetish item sellers, the pandemic is an opportunity for a new kind of item: pussy masks. Pussy-Scented Face Masks Are the Hot New Pandemic Fetish Item. If you see someone wearing a mask who seems particularly delighted, it might be because they paid for the pleasure of wearing a mask that smells like someone else's genitals or feet.

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

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