And another day of grim lists, two more dead from police, a sweeping police probe, the tipping point on Covide-19, 12 rich individuals, unhealthy air quality, tuition-free colleges, and robots thinking ‘out loud’ comes to a close:
“White privilege is when your lived experience allows you to see each police shooting as just a stand-alone incident to be evaluated independently rather than as yet another example of systemic racism, injustice and state violence.” — The Hoarse Whisperer
Deaths
US: 583,330 (+874)
World: 3,071,625 (+14,084)
Cases
US: 32,602,051 (+65,581)
World: 144,431,869 (+889,319)
Senior Democratic and Republican aides — who would never let their bosses say so on the record — privately told Axios the convictions have lessened pressure for change. — And as with mass shootings, they will wait long enough so that it is out of the public consciousness until the next atrocity occurs. The cycle is never broken.
After Floyd, Congress ready to plunge into policing laws. Bolstered with new momentum, Congress is ready to try again to change the nation’s policing laws, heeding President Joe Biden’s admonition that the guilty verdict in George Floyd’s death is “not enough” for a nation confronting a legacy of police violence. -- Let’s hope this happens...but see the first story.
Grim list of deaths at police hands grows even after verdict. The shooting of Ma’Khia Bryant, 16, who was swinging a knife during a fight with another person in Columbus, is in some ways more representative of how Black and other people of color are killed during police encounters than the death of George Floyd, pinned to the ground by Chauvin and captured on video for all the world to see...While Tuesday’s conviction was hailed as a sign of progress in the fight for equal justice, it still leaves unanswered difficult questions about law enforcement’s use of force and systemic racism in policing. The verdict in the Chauvin case might not be quickly repeated, even as the list of those killed at the hands of police grows...The day after Bryant was fatally shot, at least two other people were also killed by police in the United States.
One in 1,000 Black men "can expect to be killed by police". How will America respond?
Ohio police kill Black teenage girl seen threatening others with knife. A slow-motion replay of the video shows the second victim stumbling backward against a car parked in the driveway as the knife-wielding youth raises the weapon as if about to stab her, and an officer opens fire.
Man in North Carolina fatally shot while deputies served warrant, authorities say. -- Still waiting on more details.
Garland announces sweeping police probe after Floyd verdict. The Justice Department is opening a sweeping investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis after a former officer was convicted in the killing of George Floyd there, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday.
US may soon reach a tipping point on Covid-19 vaccine demand. Here's why that's concerning. A slowing vaccine demand now, experts say, could give dangerous coronavirus variants the opportunity to continue to mutate, spread and set off new surges -- and it could delay the country's return to a semblance of normalcy.
Johnson & Johnson trial shows vaccine effective, even against variants.
Just 12 individuals and couples plowed $3.4 billion into presidential and congressional elections in the last six election cycles, a new study finds. — That’s $1 out of every $13 spent to influence congressional and presidential races in the last six elections. End Citizen’s United.
Investigators in Cuomo impeachment probe have received more than 200 tips regarding his conduct.
New York state legislature passes a bill that would automatically restore voting rights to people on parole.
Divided U.S. Senate confirms Vanita Gupta to No. 3 job at Justice Department.
Missouri House finds state rep sexually, mentally abused his children. The Missouri House Ethics Committee on Monday recommended that state Rep. Rick Roeber (R) be expelled, after it released a report that found that the lawmaker allegedly physically, sexually and mentally abused his children when they were as young as five years old in the 1990s. — I know you’re shocked he is a Republican.
After suspending male student for wearing nail polish, Texas school changes policy. A Texas school district has adopted a new gender-neutral dress code after making national headlines in December for suspending an openly gay male student who wore nail polish to school.
More than 40% of Americans live in areas with unhealthy air quality. People of color are most affected -- the report found that they are 61% more likely than White people to live in a county with a failing grade for at least one pollutant. They are also three times more likely to live in a county that failed all three air quality grades (ozone pollution, "short term" particle pollution and "year round" particle pollution).
Biden to pledge halving greenhouse gases by 2030.
A group of 12 governors is calling on President Biden to order a ban on cars and light trucks that emit greenhouse gases by 2035.
North Dakota governor vetoes transgender sports ban.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) has vetoed a restrictive sex education bill that would have mandated that parents give consent before their children learn about LGBTQ issues.
Democrats unveil plan for tuition-free college amid student debt crisis. If passed, the College for All Act would make community colleges and trade schools tuition-free for all students. It would also make public four-year colleges and universities as well as public nonprofit minority-serving institutions — such as historically Black colleges and universities — tuition-free for all students from families earning less than $125,000 a year.
Italian hospital employee accused of skipping work for 15 years. -- And received full pay the entire time.
Study explores inner life of AI with robot that ‘thinks’ out loud. The researchers programmed a robot called Pepper, made by SoftBank Robotics, with the ability to vocalise its thought processes. This means the robot is no longer a “black box” and its underlying decision-making is more transparent to the user...When the human user asked Pepper to contradict the rules of etiquette by placing the napkin at the wrong spot, the robot started talking to itself, concluding that the human may be confused and enquiring whether it should proceed with the action. Once the user confirmed his request, the Pepper said to itself: “This situation upsets me. I would never break the rules, but I can’t upset him, so I’m doing what he wants,” placing the napkin in the spot requested. — I worry about the day they actually don’t care if they upset a human. You know? Skynet and all.
Discovery of Mass Death Site Bolsters Theory That Tyrannosaurs Hunted in Packs. A remarkable fossil site in Utah, in which several tyrannosaurs were found buried together, strengthens a burgeoning theory that these fearsome creatures hunted in packs, similar to wolves.
Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.
Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.
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