Friday, May 21, 2021

And another day of dropping price tags, another audit, impregnating a 14-year-old, a new type of coronavirus, covid and hate, denying tenure, Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend cooperating, banning healthcare for trans, Lady Gaga, and LGBTQ-themed Legos comes to a close:

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” -- Nelson Mandela

Deaths

US: 603,408 (+792)

World: 3,457,619 (+12,963)

Cases

US: 33,862,398 (+29,217)

World: 166,467,940 (+625,341)

Infrastructure deal slips, GOP pans $1.7T White House offer. Prospects for an ambitious infrastructure deal were thrown into serious doubt late Friday after the White House reduced President Joe Biden’s sweeping proposal to $1.7 trillion but Republican senators rejected the compromise as disappointing, saying “vast differences” remain. -- And again, the Democratas will cave and the American people will once again get screwed by Republicans.

Another ballot audit set to move ahead in Fulton County, Georgia, as judge rules absentee ballots can be unsealed. -- The Big Lie continues.

US House candidate Bouchard says he impregnated 14-year-old when he was 18. Bouchard, who did not specify the girl’s age in the video, said he went public with the information to get ahead of the story after learning that people were investigating it in opposition to his candidacy. A Wyoming state senator since 2017, Bouchard has risen in prominence since announcing he would challenge Rep. Liz Cheney following her vote to impeach then-President Donald Trump.

Biden says he won't allow Justice Dept to seize phone or email records of reporters.

A new type of coronavirus believed to have originated in dogs was detected among patients hospitalized with pneumonia, and maybe the eighth unique coronavirus known to cause disease in humans if it is confirmed as a pathogen, a study says.

These Asian American health care workers are fighting two viruses: Covid and hate.

Leaders of UNC-Chapel Hill say Nikole Hannah-Jones' tenure was revoked because she did not come from a “traditional academic-type background”. On Wednesday, it was revealed that Hannah-Jones was denied tenure, allegedly after conservative groups complained about her hire at the school because of her work on The 1619 Project, which examines the role slavery played in the U.S. founding.

Matt Gaetz's ex-girlfriend to cooperate with federal authorities in sex trafficking investigation. The woman, a former Capitol Hill staffer, is seen as a critical witness, as she has been linked to Gaetz as far back as the summer of 2017, a period of time that has emerged as a key window of scrutiny for investigators. She can also help investigators understand the relevance of hundreds of transactions they have obtained records of, including those involving alleged payments for sex, the sources said.

Tennessee becomes second state to cruelly ban healthcare for trans kids.

Lady Gaga says rape as teenager left her pregnant and caused ‘psychotic break’. Speaking on The Me You Can’t See, Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry’s new Apple TV+ series about mental health, she said the rape – that she first disclosed in 2014 – was by a music producer and left her pregnant. “I was 19 years old, and I was working in the business, and a producer said to me, ‘Take your clothes off,’” she said. “And I said no. And I left, and they told me they were going to burn all of my music. And they didn’t stop. They didn’t stop asking me, and I just froze and – I don’t even remember.” She said “the person who raped me dropped me off pregnant on a corner”. She did not name the producer, and said: “I do not ever want to face that person again.”

New law mandates Utah police undergo autism awareness training. The new law requires all police officers in Utah have "training in intervention responses to autism spectrum disorder and other mental illnesses."

LEGO reveals first LGBTQ-themed set ahead of Pride Month. The "Everyone Is Awesome" set also features 11 figures, each with its own rainbow color and individual hairstyle.

An ancient star casts new light on the birth of the universe. A distant star may be one of the oldest astronomers have  seen, and its discovery reveals  details about the very first stars.

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

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