Monday, May 31, 2021

And another day of finally remembered tragedies, BS from Abbott in TX, the fact most people can’t spot fake news, traitor Flynn, Osaka brings awareness, Christian discrimination, banning police from lying to minors, and a dangerous TikTok challenge comes to a close:

“Don’t underestimate the absolute will of white men to hold onto power.” — Dionne P

“Let's be clear. If 10 Republican Senators cannot even vote for a bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6th insurrection, 10 Republican Senators will not vote for anything meaningful to improve the lives of the American people. We must abolish the filibuster & act now.” — Bernie Sanders

Deaths

US: 609,767 (+346 over two days)

World: 3,564,764 (+16,194 over two days)

Cases

US: 34,113,146 (+77,828 over two days)

World: 171,455,838 (+830,944 over two days)

Tulsa Race Massacre: 5 free online resources to learn about a largely forgotten tragedy.

In case you missed it: Texas Democrats abandon House floor, blocking passage of voting bill before final deadline.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vows to defund state Legislature after voting restrictions bill fails, threatening salaries. "This would eliminate the branch of government that represents the people and basically create a monarchy.” -- So he’s targeting legislators’ pay.

Most Americans think they can spot fake news. They can't, study finds. As many as three in four Americans overestimate their ability to spot false headlines -- and the worse they are at it, the more likely they are to share fake news, researchers reported Monday..."We show that overconfident individuals are more likely to visit untrustworthy websites in behavioral data; to fail to successfully distinguish between true and false claims about current events in survey questions; and to report greater willingness to like or share false content on social media, especially when it is politically congenial...In all, these results paint a worrying picture: The individuals who are least equipped to identify false news content are also the least aware of their own limitations and, therefore, more susceptible to believing it and spreading it further..."Finally, Republicans are more overconfident than Democrats, which is not surprising given the lower levels of media trust they report.”

Michael Flynn says Myanmar-like coup "should happen" in US. -- He is such a traitor.

117 employees sue Houston Methodist hospital for requiring COVID-19 vaccine.

Gig workers to lose all unemployment benefits in 20 GOP states: "You can't prepare for it".

Tennis star Naomi Osaka says she is withdrawing from the French Open. She'd been fined $15,000 for not talking to media at the event, citing mental health reasons. — She is bringing awareness to mental health. Listen. 

A major Rugrats character is gay in the new reboot: 'She's a beacon for young queer people'.

A Christian management company is suing for the right to discriminate against workers for being members of the LGBT+ community, having sex and using Grindr. Steve Hotze – a conservative Christian with a long history of opposing LGBT+ rights – has filed a lawsuit in Texas alongside the Bear Creek Bible Church asking for a religious exemption to employment equality laws...Hotze’s lawsuit goes on to request that he be allowed to discriminate against LGBT+ workers under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act or the free exercise clause of the First Amendment...The plaintiffs offer a series of examples of how they can exclude LGBT+ people from their workplaces while still meeting the obligations of the Supreme Court’s ruling. — They do. And they’re something else. There’s more. Check out the rest. Bigotry and hatred in the name of religion is still bigotry and hatred.

Illinois became the first state Sunday to pass a bill that will ban police from lying to youth during interrogations -- a practice that adds significantly to the risk of false confessions and wrongful convictions. It is expected to be signed into law by the governor in coming weeks. — It’s okay for the police to lie to e everyone else, though.

37% percent of the world’s heat deaths each year are due directly to global warming, a new study finds.

13-year-old girl severely burned while imitating TikTok video, family says. Parents warned of potentially dangerous TikTok challengeA 13-year-old girl was hospitalized after attempting to copy a TikTok video showing a person using alcohol to draw shapes on a mirror before lighting them on fire.

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

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

Saturday, May 29, 2021

And another day of a new variant, TX GOP changing their own rules to restrict voting and make it easier to overturn elections, massacres, an AR-15 religious sect, piranhas, and “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” as the captain of “The Love Boat” sails off into the sunset all comes to a close:

“Texas legislators put forth a bill that joins Georgia & Florida in advancing a state law that attacks the sacred right to vote. It's part of an assault on democracy that we've seen far too often this year—and often disproportionately targeting Black and Brown Americans." — President Joe Biden

Deaths

US: 609,421 (+460)

World: 3,548,573 (+11,005)

Cases

US: 34,035,318 (+12,661)

World: 170,624,894 (+498,266)

7 signs that summer is about to be lit. We're going on vacation again, drinking heavily (still), dressing up and eating out. Oh, we're apparently having a lot of sex, too — so, good for us!

Vietnam finds new virus variant, hybrid of India, UK strains. Nguyen Thanh Long said scientists examined the genetic makeup of the virus that had infected some recent patients, and found the new version of the virus. He said lab tests suggested it might spread more easily than other versions of the virus.

A large cache of intelligence information that has yet to be fully analyzed could hold clues to the origin of COVID-19, officials say.

The update in mask guidelines has some parents worried about their kids who are too young to be vaccinated. But infectious disease experts say the risk of a child getting seriously ill from COVID is extremely small — comparable to their risk from the flu.

Texas GOP puts final touches on sweeping voting restrictions. Texas Republicans dug in Saturday for a final weekend vote on some of the most restrictive new voting laws in the U.S., putting the last touches on a sweeping bill that would eliminate drive-thru voting, empower partisan poll watchers and limit voting on Sundays, when many Black churchgoers head to the polls...Another new provision could also make it easier to overturn an election in Texas, allowing for a judge to void an outcome if the number of fraudulent votes cast could change the result, regardless of whether it was proved that fraud affected the outcome.

Defense for some Capitol rioters: election misinformation. Falsehoods about the election helped bring insurrectionists to the Capitol on Jan. 6, and now some who are facing criminal charges for their actions during the riot hope their gullibility might save them or at least engender some sympathy.

Nashville hat store causes uproar over "not vaccinated"  patches shaped like Star of David.

Tulsa Race Massacre, 100 years later: Why it happened and why it's still relevant today.

How Tulsa massacre spent most of last century unremembered. The nightmare cried out for attention, as something to be investigated and memorialized, with speeches and statues and anniversary commemorations. But the horror and violence visited upon Tulsa’s Black community didn’t become part of the American story. Instead, it was pushed down, unremembered and untaught until efforts decades later started bringing it into the light. And even this year, with the 100th anniversary of the massacre being recognized, it’s still an unfamiliar history to many — something historians say has broader repercussions.

State GOP lawmakers try to limit teaching about race, racism. Educators and education groups are concerned that the proposals will have a chilling effect in the classroom and that students could be given a whitewashed version of the nation’s history. Teachers are also worried about possible repercussions if a student or parent complains.

More than 200 bodies found at Indigenous school in Canada. The remains of 215 children, some as young as 3 years old, have been found buried on the site of what was once Canada’s largest Indigenous residential school — one of the institutions that held children taken from families across the nation.

A religious sect known for worshipping with AR-15s and its MAGA politics has purchased a sprawling, 40-acre compound in central Texas, which it hopes will offer a safe-haven for “patriots” from what they believe is an imminent war brought by the “deep state.” — Wow. Just wow.

The Defense Department is requesting $17.4 billion for the U.S. Space Force in 2022, up from the $15.2 billion it received in the current budget year, or roughly a 7 percent increase after inflation.

Southwest won't resume alcohol service after flight attendant attack: report.

Red piranha caught in a lake near LSU. Louisiana wildlife authorities are making sure there aren't more.

RIP B.J. Thomas. He was 78. 

RIP Gavin McCloud. He was 90.

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

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

Friday, May 28, 2021

And another day of minority rule, AZ BS, support for bigger infrastructure plan, movie theaters nix masks, first ever Colorado River shortage, and an expensive concert ticket price for the unvaccinated comes to a close:

“Unless we remember we cannot understand.” -- E. M. Forster

Deaths

US: 608,961 (+2782 over two days)

World: 3,537,568 (+25,381 over two days)

Cases

US: 34,022,657 (+51,456 over two days)

World: 170,126,628 (+1,050,460 over two days)

Senate Republicans used their first filibuster since President Biden took office to block bipartisan legislation creating a commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Audits and recounts are an essential part of our voting system, but what’s happening in Arizona isn’t.

As Biden attempts to get Republicans on board with his infrastructure plan, the majority of voters support a bigger plan passed without the GOP. — 58% of voters support it.

Three major movie theater chains nix mask mandate for vaccinated customers.

Unvaccinated kids still need masks at summer camp, CDC says.

Florida rock concert tickets are $18 if you're vaccinated – $1,000 if you're not. Fans looking to see Teenage Bottlerocket, MakeWar and Rutterkin at the VFW Post 39 venue in St. Petersburg on June 26 will have to spend just $18 to get in if they’re vaccinated — while unvaccinated attendees will be charged $999.99 per ticket. “To be eligible for the DISCOUNT, you will need to bring a government issued photo ID and your PHYSICAL COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card,” the website where tickets can be purchased states.

In response to February’s massive electricity outages, Texas lawmakers are considering legislation that would add charges to most Texans’ power bills to cover companies’ financial losses during the winter storm. Here’s the latest:

First-ever Colorado River water shortage is now almost certain, new projections show. The looming water cuts will have the greatest impact in Arizona.

Scientists are working to develop patches that deliver vaccines through your skin via tiny, water-soluble needles — a painless approach that feels like velcro pressed firmly against your arm. The technology could be used for a COVID-19 vaccine.

The US Postal Service wants to raise the cost of mailing a letter to 58 cents.

A 2-year-old from California is the youngest American to become a member of Mensa. So they decided to take her to a psychologist, who administered the Mensa test. The result? Kashe had an IQ of 146, according to her parents. To join Mensa, applicants must score at or above the 98th percentile on a standard intelligence test.

Human-like robot creates creepy self-portraits. The paintings question the role of artificial intelligence in human society.

Galápagos tortoise found alive is from species thought extinct. Genetic tests have confirmed that a giant tortoise found on the Galápagos Islands is from a species which scientists thought had died out more than a century ago.

How pop culture set the stage for the coming UFO report — for better or worse.

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

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

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

And another day of a mass shooting, fighting disinformation, a ‘steady drumbeat,’ the Postal Service surveilling Americans’ social media posts, Earth to get hotter, and a high school deadnames trans students at graduation comes to a close:

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” -- Mahatma Gandhi

Deaths

US: 606,179 (+971)

World: 3,512,187 (+12,753)

Cases

US: 33,971,207 (+24,018)

World: 169,076,168 (+561,973)

Employee shoots, kills 8 at California rail yard, police say. An employee opened fire Wednesday at a California rail yard, killing eight people before taking his own life as law enforcement rushed in, authorities said, marking the latest attack in a year that has seen a sharp increase in mass killings as the nation emerges from coronavirus restrictions.

Texas is on the verge of becoming the most-populous state in the nation to allow permit-less carry of handguns, meaning any adult who can legally obtain a gun can take it to town, without any training or certification. It’s the firearms equivalent of abandoning drivers licenses.

Black Lives Matter Fights Disinformation To Keep The Movement Strong.

Judge says Trump's 'steady drumbeat' of the Big Lie could continue to inspire his supporters to take up arms.

The House Oversight Committee is asking for an investigation into the Postal Service’s surveillance of Americans’ social media posts about protests, following a series of reports by Yahoo News about the program. “According to these [Yahoo News] reports, iCOP analysts have been monitoring social media sites to look for posts that are ‘inflammatory’ and then sharing details about the posts and individuals who posted the information with other federal law enforcement agencies. USPIS confirmed this practice in recent briefings with Committee staff,” the letter continues. “These activities raise serious questions about the scope of the program, the extent of sharing of information among law enforcement agencies, and whether USPIS has the authority to conduct such an operation.”...The letter comes after Democrats and Republicans on the Oversight Committee received separate briefings on the program in the wake of Yahoo News’ reporting. — There is a lot to unpack here. Also see what Republicans were told, and then what Democrats were told.

Forecast: 40% chance Earth to be hotter than Paris goal soon. There’s a 40% chance that the world will get so hot in the next five years that it will temporarily push past the temperature limit the Paris climate agreement is trying to prevent, meteorologists said.

Court orders Shell to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions in a landmark decision that could have far-reaching consequences for oil companies. The company must slash its CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels, according to a judgment from a district court in The Hague on Wednesday. That includes emissions from its own operations and from the energy products it sells.

Thousands demand high school not deadname trans student at graduation: 'This is a blatant act of transphobia'. — The petition has already garnered 18,000 names.

Amazon is buying MGM, the movie and TV studio behind James Bond and “Shark Tank,” for $8.45 billion.

John Davis: True Milli Vanilli singer dies from Covid aged 66.

RIP Eric Carle. He was 91.

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

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

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

And another day of effective vaccines, keeping masks on, a special grand jury, the DOJ seeks to block a full document on Trump, fining tech companies for banning politicians, AZ Republicans pass a bad measure, and the 11,695 piece Lego set comes to a close:

"In all of my studies of authoritarian regimes, I have never seen a case where a country attempted to memory hole a coup, but that's what's been happening... The refusal to rigorously investigate the coup mirrors the refusal to stop it in the first place." -- Sarah Kendzior

“Republicans and the Fox News folks are really upset that China lied about the virus, but they really don’t care at all that Trump lied about the virus.” — Joe Walsh

“For the past 3 years, I’ve regularly apologized for helping to create Trump. I think EVERY Republican, former Republican, conservative, NeverTrumper, & establishment GOPer is complicit in creating Trump & Marjorie Taylor Greene. And I think it’s important WE ALL acknowledge this.” — Joe Walsh

Deaths

US: 605,208 (+792)

World: 3,499,434 (+12,394)

Cases

US: 33,947,189 (+24,252)

World: 168,514,195 (+528,338)

Moderna says its COVID vaccine found to be 100% effective in children 12 to 17 two weeks after second dose.

Half of the US adult population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to CDC data.

They're keeping their masks on. Their reasons extend beyond their health. Masks have given some an unexpected reprieve from social expectations in addition to helping people avoid colds to Covid-19. These mask-wearers say they see a multitude of benefits to covering up. No one can tell you to smile when you don’t feel like it. It gives you a break from putting on makeup. And it provides a degree of anonymity.

New York prosecutors have convened a special grand jury to consider evidence in a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s business dealings.

The Justice Department released part of an internal memo about the decision not to charge former President Trump with obstruction of justice, but said in a court filing it would seek to block the release of the full document. The move is certain to disappoint watchdog groups and Biden administration allies in Congress, who have called for transparency about alleged wrongdoing in the Trump years — and accountability for officials who allegedly abused their power.

“—We now spend $107,575,000,000 more on police than on public housing.

“—15 states spend $27,000 more per person in prison than they do per student.

“We have it all backwards.” — Robert Reich

DeSantis signs bill to fine tech companies for banning politicians. The push is fueled by allegations leveled by a number of Republicans that social media companies are censoring content with an anti-conservative bias. Such accusations, however, have been debunked. — The inconsistency of the GQP is something else. Yes, it’s by design. “You don’t have to bake a cake for a gay wedding. You cannot ban politicians from your social media platform.”

Auschwitz Memorial calls Greene Holocaust comments a "sad symptom of moral and intellectual decline". 

Arizona Republicans passed a measure on Tuesday to strip Democrat Katie Hobbs, the current secretary of state, of her ability to defend election lawsuits, a seemingly partisan retaliation for her sharp criticism of the party's controversial election audit. -- The GQP knows they can only “win elections” by cheating.

Marilyn Manson warrant issued on two counts of misdemeanor simple assault in New Hampshire.

The Largest Lego Set Ever Is a Map of the World That Will Test Your Sanity With Over 11,000 Tiny Dots. — On sale June 1. Has 11,695 pieces with some customization. Costs $250. It does look pretty cool though. 

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

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

Monday, May 24, 2021

And another day of no more remote learning, no mandatory vaccinations, live studio audiences, arguments for D.C. statehood, undermining political races, loosening gun laws in TX, arresting journalists, and yearbook photos in FL comes to a close: 

“Guys, I'm beginning to suspect the republicans don't really want us to know what happened on 1/6, or during the 2016 campaign, or when trump tried to extort Ukraine for russian propaganda on Biden, or when he lied and downplayed the contagiousness and lethality of the coronavirus.” — Luke Zaleski

Deaths

US: 604,416 (+329)

World: 3,487,040 (+8800)

Cases

US: 33,922,937 (+26,277)

World: 167,985,857 (+467,644)

India is now the third country in the world after Brazil and the United States to surpass more than 300,000 official Covid-19 deaths.

New York City's school system, the largest in the country, will not offer remote learning when the new school year begins in September, requiring all of its 1.1 million students to attend classes in person.

United Airlines, union agree against mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for pilots.

Stephen Colbert says he’s going back before live audiences. Audience members will have to provide proof that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 before attending shows at New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater. Face masks will be optional.

Dozens of constitutional scholars tell Congress it has power to make D.C. a state. They argue that there is "no constitutional barrier" to the District's "entering the Union through a congressional proclamation, pursuant to the Constitution's Admissions Clause, just like the 37 other states that have been admitted since the Constitution was adopted." The letter is a new entry into the heated battle over whether Congress can — and should — make this city of about 700,000 residents a state, with equal representation on Capitol Hill. It is likely to fuel the debate over legal questions that have left proponents struggling to find a path to get the legislation on the desk of President Joe Biden, who has endorsed statehood.

Grassroots or Astroturf? Congressional candidate says he was tricked into running by RNC strategist. Blind and permanently disabled, Kevin Ne Se Shores is accustomed to navigating life’s obstacles, but it has never stopped him from pursuing his third-party political ambitions. Still, he was surprised by the unsolicited call he got in June of 2020 from a man who encouraged him to run against Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN) as a candidate for the Grassroots Legalize Cannabis Party...It’s not just about winning races anymore, he said, it’s about undermining the process. "What is happening here is the very rules of the game are being challenged and undermined. And a situation like this really pointing to the changing nature of American politics and how parties are not willing to play fair anymore," Schultz said. Sounds like the very reason Kevin Shores wanted to run for congress. He just didn’t know who was signing him up, or the endgame. "I call them now the powers that should not be," Shores said.

Texas set to allow people to carry handguns without a license – or training. The measure is opposed by law enforcement groups, who say it would endanger the public and police. Gun control groups also oppose the measure, noting the state’s recent history of mass shootings, including those at an El Paso Walmart, a church in Sutherland Springs, and a high school outside Houston. Texas already has some of the loosest gun laws in the country and has more than 1.6 million handgun license holders.

EU leaders agree on Belarus sanctions after plane diversion. The European Union agreed Monday to impose sanctions on Belarus, including banning its airlines from using the airspace and airports of the 27-nation bloc, amid fury over the forced diversion of a passenger jet to arrest an opposition journalist.

Biden condemns arrest of detained Belarusian dissident journalist. President Joe Biden on Monday lambasted Belarus' sudden grounding of a commercial flight and subsequent arrest of onboard dissident journalist Roman Pratasevich as "a direct affront to international norms."

American journalist detained in Myanmar while trying to fly out of country. "We do not know why Danny was detained and have not been able to contact him since this morning. We are concerned for his wellbeing and call for his immediate release. Our priorities right now are to make sure he is safe and to provide him with whatever assistance he needs.”

'He died like an animal': Some police still 'hogtie' people despite risks. The Justice Department warned 25 years ago that people can die when police tie handcuffed wrists to bound ankles. Some police are still doing it.

50 years later, the culture wars debate over the child care crisis has barely budged.

Florida high school draws backlash after altering girls' yearbook photos to cover up exposed skin. Parents are criticizing a move by a Florida high school to digitally alter yearbook photos of their daughters in an effort to cover up exposed skin...Photos obtained by the Record show poorly-done Photoshop edits, in which officials crudely pasted splotches of color or patterns similar to students' clothing over their chests and shoulders, with some attempts mismatching colors or resulting in strange, misshaped images..."It sends the message that our young girls should be ashamed of their naturally growing bodies," she added.

Commercial fishing "not as carbon friendly" as previously thought and could emit as much CO2 as air travel, study suggests.

US citizens warned not to travel to Japan as Tokyo Olympics near.

Defending world champion gymnast Simone Biles became the first woman to land the Yurchenko double pike vault move in competition at the GK US Classic in Indianapolis on Saturday. The Yurchenko double pike -- a high-difficulty skill historically only done by men -- is a roundoff onto the springboard, followed by a back handspring onto the vaulting table, and ending with a piked double backflip into the air to landing. Biles, 24, performed the move and then added two extra hops for a slightly imperfect landing.

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

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