Wednesday, March 31, 2021

And another ‘once in a generation’ day of vaccine effectiveness in young teens, infrastructure plans, preventing voter suppression, allowing same-sex couples to adopt, turning off FB comments, and two SpongeBob episodes get pulled comes to a close:

“The term `fascism` itself has become acceptable. It's become an aspiration for the Republican party. It's become their platform." — Sarah Kendzior

Deaths

US: 565,256 (+1118)

World: 2,828,021 (+12,167)

Cases

US: 31,166,344 (+69,190)

World: 129,461,409 (+666,177)

Pfizer says its Covid-19 vaccine is 100% effective in in teenagers aged 12 to 15. The findings, which were announced Wednesday in a news release, have not been peer-reviewed.

The CDC says COVID-19 was the third underlying cause of death in 2020, after heart disease and cancer. Overall death rates from the virus were highest among Black and American Indian/Alaska Native people. — And hence why Republicans played the virus as no big deal.

France to close schools, ban domestic travel as virus surges. French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced a three-week nationwide school closure and a month-long domestic travel ban, as the rapid spread of the virus ramped up pressure on hospitals.

Everyone 16+ in Washington will be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 15.

Biden announces huge infrastructure plan to ‘win the future’. The Democratic president’s infrastructure projects would be financed by higher corporate taxes — a trade-off that could lead to fierce resistance from the business community and thwart attempts to work with Republican lawmakers.

Biden infrastructure plan could be big boost for blue-collar America.

Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure and jobs plan, explained. The bulk of Biden’s plan involves upgrading America’s roads, bridges, and public transit. But it also takes a sweeping definition of the word “infrastructure,” expanding long-term care for older adults through Medicaid, banning exclusionary zoning, and investing in community-based violence reduction programs, among many other things.

The top House Republican said he would remove Rep. Matt Gaetz from his committees if the allegations are proven true.

North Carolina lawmakers push to repeal Jim Crow-era voter literacy test in state constitution. They've been trying since the 1970s.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam approves a bill aimed at preventing voter suppression and discrimination in elections — a move that's in stark contrast to Republican-led efforts to restrict voting access in key states around the US.

Two U.S. Capitol police officers are suing former President Trump for allegedly inciting the riots on Jan. 6 — arguing he's responsible for the physical and emotional injuries that officers sustained.

Arkansas is the first state to pass a trans health care ban, but more could be coming: At least 18 other states have considered similar proposals this year.

Nebraska Supreme Court allows same-sex couple to adopt. The Nebraska Supreme Court has ruled that a lesbian couple can legally adopt a 3-year-old child who has lived with them since birth, overturning a lower court’s decision rejecting their petition.

Two more women accuse Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct. A total of 21 women have filed lawsuits alleging that the NFL player engaged in inappropriate behavior during massage sessions.

Facebook now lets users and pages turn off comments on their posts. The new feature to limit comments comes after an Australian court ruling that found news outlets are liable for comments on their pages.

Two 'SpongeBob SquarePants' episodes pulled from Nickelodeon. A virus-themed "SpongeBob SquarePants" episode has been pulled amid the coronavirus pandemic, while another was taken off the air because the storyline was not appropriate for children.

Football (Soccer) teams retain home advantage with no crowd, study finds. Research carried out during Covid spectator bans suggests support is not a key factor in match results.

This species of sea slug can separate its head from its body and move around while growing a new body, according to a study from Nara Women’s University in Japan.

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

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

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

And another day of working vaccines, judicial nominees, a sexual relationship that might be sex trafficking, the Mark of the Beast, locked up children, a rape conviction thrown out, lawsuits against the DOE, and allegations against Epstein and Maxwell that you have to read to believe comes to a close:

“What if...Republicans were the pedophile cult all along. Q-uite the projection.” -- Andrea Chalupa

Deaths

US: 564,138 (+932)

World: 2,815,854 (+11,508)

Cases

US: 31,097,154 (+63,353)

World: 128,795,232 (+556,083)

All 50 states now have expanded or will expand Covid vaccine eligibility to everyone 16 and up.

New rise in Covid cases shows that, yes, the vaccines work. Younger, unvaccinated people appear to be driving the latest uptick in Covid-19 cases.

Louisiana nixes majority of COVID-19 restrictions, effective Wednesday.

Biden announces diverse first slate of judicial nominees. President Biden announced his first slate of nominees to serve on federal courts and for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The list released by the White House includes Black, Muslim American, and Asian American Pacific Islander candidates.

Matt Gaetz Being Investigated Over Possible Sexual Relationship With 17-Year-Old Girl. If Gaetz paid for a 17-year-old he was engaged with sexually to travel with him, it could constitute a violation of federal sex trafficking laws. -- No wonder he is considering leaving Congres for a position at Newsmax.

Flashback: Matt Gaetz defends lone no vote on anti-human trafficking bill. -- From December 2017.

Marjorie Taylor Greene slams COVID-19 vaccine passports as "Biden's mark of the beast". — Christ on a cross these people.

No convictions returned for 3 white St. Louis police officers accused of beating a Black undercover colleague so severely during a protest over another officer’s acquittal that he had to undergo multiple surgeries.

Video shows vicious attack of Asian American woman in NYC. A vicious attack on an Asian American woman as she walked to church near New York City’s Times Square is drawing widespread condemnation and raising alarms about the failure of bystanders to intervene amid a rash of anti-Asian violence across the U.S. -- It was bad.

Children sleeping on mats in overcrowded plastic pods: Inside a facility on the US-Mexico border. Children lying side by side in plastic-lined pods. Shelves stocked with supplies, including baby bottles and diapers. Girls huddled together in a playpen - where they'll also sleep at night - singing and coloring with crayons. The challenge facing the Biden administration at the US-Mexico border can be boiled down to a string of photos.

Inside a Border Patrol migrant holding facility at 16 times its capacity.

A lawsuit names Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell and alleges actions sinister even by his standards. The woman, who is identified only as “Jane Doe,” claims that Epstein and Maxwell repeatedly raped her in front of her 8-year-old son at a hotel in Naples, Florida, in early 2008; that they trafficked her to have sex with a number of other men, including an unnamed local judge; and that Epstein forced her to undergo vaginal surgery so that he could market her as a virgin to one of their “high-profile” clients...Then Epstein and Maxwell ordered Doe to drive with them in Doe’s vehicle, picking up her son along the way. During the trip, they pulled off the side of the road to a waterway filled with alligators. “Epstein then ushered the plaintiff to the body of water and told her in explicit detail that — as had happened to other women in the past, according to the pair — she would end up in this body of water and be devoured should she ever reveal what Epstein had done to her,’’ the suit says. -- Read the rest.

In Minnesota, a rape conviction thrown out because the victim drank alcohol first. According to the state Supreme Court, victims must have been intoxicated against their will to qualify as mentally incapacitated. While it may seem surprising that such a technicality could overturn a case of rape in Minnesota, the truth is that a majority of states say that in order for a victim to be considered to be mentally incapacitated, they must have become intoxicated against their will.

LGBTQ students file class-action lawsuit against Department of Education. The suit claims Title IX’s religious exemption allows religious schools that receive federal funds to discriminate against LGBTQ students.

Fired, interrogated, disciplined: Amazon warehouse organizers allege year of retaliation. The number of charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board accusing Amazon of interfering with workers’ right to organize more than tripled during the pandemic.

Poll: US church membership falls below 50 percent for first time. — Good.

Sprechen sie joke? Volkswagen issues false news release announcing new brand name. Volkswagen of America issued false statements this week saying it would change its brand name to "Voltswagen," ostensibly as a way to stress its commitment to electric vehicles, only to reverse course Tuesday and admit that the supposed name change was just a joke.

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

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

Monday, March 29, 2021

And another day of cringing about ‘normal,’ vaccine eligible adults, rebounds, not letting our guard down, failing grades, banning treatment for trans youth, another book pulled, sexual misconduct, and sex trafficking charges comes to a close:

 “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.” -- Mark Twain

Deaths

US: 563,206 (+680)

World: 2,804,346 (+8259)

Cases

US: 31,033,801 (+70,998)

World: 128,239,149 (+474,384)

Dear Normal: Were you really that great in the first place? Do others feel it, too, cringing every time new Normal, old Normal, any Normal is uttered? That to go back to you would mean we don’t question the ways things were, that we ignore the cracks that have been exposed, and that we forget the lessons — good and bad — that have been learned?...After living through all that, going back to Normal feels more and more like returning to a lover we just can’t seem to leave...Without Normal, the path forward is more open, the opportunities perhaps broader. What if there’s a whole lot of amazing that stands to be lost if Normal returns? What if, instead of banking on normalcy, we focused on that one-of-a-kind ability to adapt and evolve? Maybe that’s the way forward, instead of simply reconciling with what was and trying to recreate something that’s already had its day.

President Joe Biden says 90% of adults will be vaccine eligible in three weeks: "For the vast, vast majority of adults, you won't have to wait until May 1. You'll be eligible for your shot on April 19".

Biden, CDC director warn of virus rebound if nation lets up.

The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made an impassioned plea to Americans Monday not to let their guard down in the fight against COVID-19, saying she has a recurring feeling “of impending doom,” even as President Joe Biden announced further efforts to expand access to coronavirus vaccines.

Ten states set to open COVID-19 vaccines to all adults as cases surge.

As a growing number of states have removed eligibility requirements for getting vaccinated, it’s become less clear why some states are acting faster than others.

Another danger for kids in the age of COVID: Failing grades. — Grades are stupid.

Georgia voting law leads to calls for some sports events to be moved or canceled. Georgia has a long history of attracting national sports events, but a controversial new voting law might have severe repercussions for that tradition.

Florida Republicans are considering a bill that would effectively make it a crime to give voters food or drink, including water, within 150 feet of polling places.

Arkansas Senate OKs ban on treatments for transgender youth. If the bill is enacted it would be the first prohibition of its kind in the country, opponents say. The bill would prohibit doctors from providing gender confirming hormone treatment or surgery to minors, or from referring them to other providers for the treatment.

Book by 'Captain Underpants' author pulled for 'passive racism'. The book under scrutiny is 2010's “The Adventures of Ook and Gluk” by Dav Pilkey, who has apologized, saying it “contains harmful racial stereotypes" and is “wrong and harmful to my Asian readers.”

Federal prosecutors on Monday expanded the criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's longtime confidant, charging her for the first time with sex trafficking. The new eight-count indictment accuses Maxwell of grooming and paying a 14-year-old girl to engage in sex acts with Epstein at his home in Palm Beach, Fla., between 2001 and 2004.

3 more women accuse Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct, now 19 lawsuits against NFL QB. -- It’s like he’s collecting them.

Volkswagen plans to change its brand name in the United States to “Voltswagen” as its shifts its production increasingly toward electric vehicles and tries to distance itself from an emissions cheating scandal.

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

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

Sunday, March 28, 2021

And another day of spiking variants, unvaccinated children, overwhelmed ICUs, record rains, legalizing marijuana, ghost workers demanding to be seen, and ravens stealing groceries in Alaska comes to a close:

“In the American media, white people debate whether race matters, rich people debate whether poverty matters, and men debate whether gender matters. People for whom these problems must matter--for they structure the limitations of their lives--are locked out of the discussion.” -- Sarah Kendzior

Death

US: 562,526 (+514)

World: 2,796,087 (+6459)

Cases

US: 30,962,803 (+45,673)

World: 127,764,765 (+482,371)

Cases of coronavirus variants spiking in Florida amid spring breakers, lax restrictions.

Conceivable that unvaccinated children could go to camp or playgrounds this summer, Fauci says. "We don't know that for sure," he cautioned, "but I think that's an aspirational goal that we should go for."

Doctors warn Paris ICUs could be overwhelmed by Covid-19 surge. Dozens of doctors from the Paris public hospital group (AP-HP) warned on Sunday they were preparing to have to triage patients in the next two weeks, amid fears of surging Covid-19 cases in the French capital.

5,000 fans pack Barcelona rock concert after Covid-19 tests. Music fans in Barcelona hugged, danced and sang along at a sold-out rock concert on Saturday night after taking rapid Covid-19 tests in a trial that could revive the live music industry in Spain and beyond. Some 5,000 fans at the show for Spanish indie band Love of Lesbian had to wear masks but social distancing was not required in the Palau Sant Jordi arena.

Record rains cause flash flooding in Tennessee; 4 dead.

Cuomo, state leaders agree to legalize marijuana.

AI: Ghost workers demand to be seen and heard. As we train the machines to become more human, are we actually making the humans work more like machines? And what role do these workers play in shaping the AI systems that are increasingly controlling every aspect of our lives?

Some Alaska Costco shoppers said they’ve had their groceries stolen by ravens in the store parking lot.

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

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

Saturday, March 27, 2021

And another day of growing boycotts, protecting pregnant women, greater calamities, a rock concert, youth activist, Tik Tok triggers ‘eating disorders,’ and BDSM and meditation are more connected than you might think comes to a close:

“When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.” -- Charles Evans Hughes

Deaths

US: 562,012 (+870)

World: 2,789,628 (+9887)

Cases

US: 30,917,130 (+64,098)

World: 127,282,394 (+582,030)

Calls for economic boycott grow after Georgia adopts voter restrictions.

According to a new study, COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting pregnant women and likely provide protection for their babies as well.

Brazil accounts for one-quarter of the entire world’s daily COVID-19 deaths, far more than any other single nation. Health experts are warning that the nation is on the verge of even greater calamity and that shutdowns are no longer avoidable. — Brazil is in some deep shit. 

Facebook says it is "freezing" Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's page for a month after repeated violations of the platform's rules against Covid-19 misinformation.

Barcelona: 5,000 to attend rock concert after same-day Covid screening. The show on Saturday by Spanish band Love of Lesbian has the special permission of the country’s health authorities. While the rest of Spain is limited to gatherings of no more than four people in closed spaces, the concertgoers will be able to mix freely, although face masks are mandatory.

China's massive arms buildup has raised doubts about America's ability to defend Taiwan if a war broke out, reflecting a shifting balance of power in the Pacific where American forces once dominated, US officials and experts say.

Youth activists lead the fight against anti-trans bills. Young transgender activists say they’re being ignored by state representatives who have introduced more than 70 bills targeting trans people.

Scientists probe whether West Africa's recent Ebola outbreak was from man who survived epidemic five years ago. This would suggest infections may persist once people recover and have the potential to start a future outbreak.

Security forces killed more than 90 people across Myanmar in one of the bloodiest days of protests since a military coup last month.

Sexual abuse rife in state schools, say police. Sexual abuse by pupils is widespread across state and private education, according to a leading police officer, who has revealed that more than 100 schools have been named on a website set up to expose misogyny, harassment and assault.

Detroit restaurant advises people who smell like marijuana to not "even think of stepping inside". “Most importantly, if you smell like marijuana don’t even think of stepping inside the Caucus Club,” the post added. “Please be mindful that strong ‘odors’ are unacceptable.” The restaurant’s owner, George Sboukis, told local Fox affiliate station WJBK that the post was prompted by customers showing up to the fine-dining establishment in more relaxed dress during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as complaints from some customers that other guests smelled like pot.

BDSM and meditation are more connected than you'd think. So who are we to judge a method like BDSM or ritual body piercing, when BDSM practitioners report many of the same cognitive benefits that meditators get, like stress reduction, improvement in mood, and pain relief.

Body-editing apps on TikTok 'trigger eating disorders'. Body-editing apps advertised on social media platforms TikTok and Instagram are “triggering” young people with eating disorders, campaigners fear.

Return of the 'dad-bod': survey finds people prefer a softer male body type. Some 75% of respondents to a survey conducted by Dating.com said that they preferred the soft and round male body type to a more toned one.

A Dog Who Kept Sneaking into a Dollar General for a Unicorn Toy Gets His Plush and a New Start. Dogs may be man's best friend, but apparently, a unicorn — a stuffed purple one at that — is a dog's best friend.

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

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

Friday, March 26, 2021

And another day of discrimination towards the LGBTQ community, free membership to a gym, requiring students to be vaccinated, migrant children in federal custody, sexual harassment, audio descriptions, millions of rodents, and the deaths of two authors comes to a close:

“They were totally fine with all of these innovations...with how everything ran until Democrats won, until a Black senator was elected. And only THEN did they say: we need to change this entire system because it’s not working for us anymore.” -- Ari Berman

“So let me get this straight: Sitting members of Congress face no consequences for inciting a deadly insurrection at the Capitol, but a Georgia Democratic rep gets a felony for trying to watch her governor sign an egregious voter suppression bill?” -- Robert Reich

Deaths

US: 561,142 (+1398)

World: 2,779,741 (+12,458)

Cases

US: 30,853,032 (+78,999)

World: 126,700,364 (+642,607)

Arkansas governor signs bill allowing medical workers to refuse treatment to LGBTQ people. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Friday signed into law legislation allowing doctors to refuse to treat someone because of religious or moral objections, a move opponents have said will give providers broad powers to turn away LGBTQ patients and others. The measure says health care workers and institutions have the right to not participate in non-emergency treatments that violate their conscience. The new law won’t take effect until late this summer. -- Once again religion is used to oppress others.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a transgender sports bill into law Friday requiring students to prove their sex at birth in order to play in middle and high school sports.

Covid-19 cases are rising. States are opening up anyway. The uptick comes at a critical time: Americans are exhausted, but also perhaps better equipped than at any other point in the pandemic to turn the tide.

When Texas ended its mask mandate, the event cancellations started — and the losses are adding up. At least four organizations canceled conferences or conventions in Austin, citing health concerns after Texas ended its statewide mask mandate earlier this month. The cancellations cost the Hilton Austin hotel $350,000 in revenue, according to Austin Convention Enterprises, a city-created corporation that owns and manages the hotel.

New Jersey gym owners offer free membership to those who don't get COVID-19 vaccine. -- I can’t make this shit up.

Rutgers University announces that it would require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before coming to campus next fall. The public institution in New Jersey may be the first or at least among the first universities to take the step of mandating students receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Students sue Oregon colleges over cost of remote learning during the pandemic.

Colorado shooting suspect passed check in legal gun purchase.

Number of unaccompanied migrant children in federal custody jumps by nearly a thousand in one day.

More than 100,000 kids could show up alone at our border this year. What's going on?

MLB could move All-Star game from Georgia after controversial new voter restrictions.

Lower your mask: Female restaurant workers face sexual harassment even during pandemic. Shelly Ortiz spent 10 years working in restaurants, most recently at a ramen joint in Phoenix, Arizona, before deciding to change careers five months into the pandemic. The last straw: A male customer asked that she pull down her face mask so he could base his tip on the attractiveness of her smile. When she declined, he declared that he would instead make his decision by eyeballing her chest.

'It's not a safe place': Thierry Henry quits social media, hoping to inspire others to stand up to online abuse. Former France international Thierry Henry says he hopes his decision to step away from social media will inspire others to stand up against racist abuse and bullying online.

HBO Max begins rolling out audio descriptions. Select titles on HBO Max now have audio descriptions, which are separate audio tracks that describe what’s visually happening on-screen. The option is currently available on the website and mobile apps but not on TV apps.

'Worst mice plague I've ever seen': Millions of rodents descend on eastern Australia.

RIP Beverly Cleary. She was 104.

RIP Larry McMurtry. He was 84.

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

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