Friday, April 16, 2021

And another day of shootings, donations, sharing racist jabs, the GOP hurrying to restrict early voting, vaccine hesitancy, leaving religion, America’s insane wealth gap, and a GOP driven “Anglo-Saxon” caucus comes to a close:

“147 mass shootings in US already this year: let's make it easier to buy guns. 2 cases of voter fraud in 2020: let's make it harder to vote.” — Ari Berman

Deaths

US: 579,942 (+949)

World: 3,012,007 (12,761)

Cases

US: 32,305,912 (+81,773)

World: 140,511,425 (+840,611)

Eight people were shot and killed and several others injured in a mass shooting Thursday night at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis.

“We’re the only high income country where ‘getting back to normal’ after a pandemic means shootings resume in places where people should be safe.” — Shannon Watts

"US police and public officials donated to Kyle Rittenhouse, data breach reveals". Officers and officials also donated to fundraisers for far-right activists and fellow officers accused of shooting black Americans.

In secret Facebook groups, America's best warriors share racist jabs, lies about 2020, even QAnon theories. “It's a problem, and it's an internal threat to the United States," said Wilson, who was counterterrorism director on the National Security Council during the Obama and Trump administrations.

A group of ultraconservative House Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., are discussing launching an "America First Caucus" that would protect "Anglo-Saxon political traditions." -- a.k.a. White Supremacy

Kinzinger: Republicans who join 'America First' caucus should be stripped of committees. "While we can’t prevent someone from calling themselves Republican, we can loudly say they don’t belong to us.”

The GOP is raising money off Tucker Carlson's racism. -- Don’t ever forget that Tucker Carlson is a racist.

As America embraces early voting, GOP hurries to restrict it. Nearly seven of every 10 voters cast their ballots before Election Day in 2020. Republicans are moving to make it harder for that to happen again, potentially affecting the voting preferences of millions of Americans.

States see rise in unused vaccines as demand flattens, shifting focus to hesitancy. -- Get vaccinated, people.

Moderna plans to have third vaccine booster shot ready by fall.

Gym That Defied Lockdown Linked to at Least 580 Infections And One Death.

President Biden walks back from pledge to increase refugee admissions to the US and will keep Trump's cap of 15,000 for this year in place.

After outcry, WH says Biden will lift refugee cap in May. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said later that Biden is expected to increase the refugee cap by May 15, though she didn’t say by how much.

Justice Department sues Trump ally Roger Stone, alleging millions in unpaid taxes.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan violated federal ethics rules in assigning staff "personal" errands, watchdog finds. -- Surprising no one.

America's wealth gap is much more obscene than you had imagined. According to Mechanic, a major culprit for the stratification of American society has been the tax code. Income taxes in the United States may be progressive, but there are fewer mechanisms for taxing accumulated wealth. This is partly because the richest Americans, and their teams of accountants and lawyers, have figured out how to set up complicated tax-dodging mechanisms, like trusts, off-shore accounts, or expatriation. On March 1, 2021, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced the Ultra-Millionaire Tax to try to address this issue. “The very, very, very wealthiest people in America pay a lower tax rate than the people at the bottom, or the people in the middle,” Mechanic says. “Which is crazy, but they can do this because of the way the system is set up.” Studies have found that great wealth can have profound psychological effect on those who have it. Mechanic investigated the ways that affluence can affect a person’s behavior, perceptions, and values. “Higher wealth is associated with more entitlement and narcissism, less compassion,” explains Mechanic. “People who are wealthier tend to be less socially attuned to those around them; they’re more likely to engage in unethical behavior. It just goes on and on.”

It’s Not Just Young White Liberals Who Are Leaving Religion.

NIH reverses Trump administration's ban on fetal tissue research.

Biden’s blunt opposition to marijuana legalization. As his own party moves ahead on the issue, the president remains opposed to legalization. —He is way out of touch with Americans on this one.

‘Godzilla’ shark discovered in New Mexico gets formal name. The recovered fossil skeleton is considered the most complete of its evolutionary branch —ctenacanth — that split from modern sharks and rays around 390 million years ago and went extinct around 60 million years later.

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

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