Friday, May 7, 2021

And another day of fresh coronavirus waves, deaths higher than official figures, a CDC warning, secretly obtaining records, turning down millions of dollars, the ‘Purity of the ballot box,’ and your vaccination status to determine compatibility with others comes to a close:

“This is not complicated. If you can’t afford to pay your employees a living wage, you do not have a viable business model.” -- Robert Reich

Deaths

US: 594,911 (+905)

World: 3,283,727 (+14,387)

Cases

US: 33,418,826 (+49,634)

World: 157,530,729 (+849,205)

Beyond India, a growing number of Asian countries are being ravaged by fresh coronavirus waves.

A new study estimates that the number of people who have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. is more than 900,000, a number 57% higher than official figures.

CDC warns virus can spread more than six feet under certain conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned in a document published Friday of "repeatedly documented" instances of coronavirus spreading through the air to people more than 6 feet away under certain conditions.

Indian Covid variant is ‘of concern’, says Public Health England.

The bodies of New York City coronavirus victims are still being stored in refrigerated trailers converted into makeshift morgues during the height of the pandemic one year ago, according to the medical examiner's office.

A shot at love: Your vaccination status is the latest Covid-era compatibility test. Vaccination status has become a new type of compatibility test for dating app users seeking a match, and with roughly 250 million doses of the vaccines administered in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some are beginning to feel pangs of optimism that future first dates will no longer take place virtually as video chats.

Washington Post says US secretly obtained reporters’ records. The Trump Justice Department secretly seized the phone records of three Washington Post reporters who covered the federal investigation into ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, the newspaper said Friday.

Texas GOP’s voting restriction bill passes key House vote. Texas Republican lawmakers advanced a sweeping elections bill early Friday following hours of discussion that would put America’s biggest red state closer to imposing a raft of new voting restrictions in the face of growing warning from corporations.

“‘Purity of the ballot box’ was a term drafted specifically to disenfranchise Black voters following the Civil War. This justification was used again during the Jim Crow Era. And today, this lie was resurrected in the txlege to justify SB7.” — Rafael Anchia

Republican governors, again, turn down millions of dollars that would aid their own constituents. South Carolina will now pay for the privilege of punishing its people twice over. For the past decade, the state has deprived nearly 200,000 residents of health insurance by refusing to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid. Now, it will also turn down federal unemployment insurance as part of an effort to force people back to work.

4 ex-cops indicted on US civil rights charges in Floyd death.

While majorities of both Democrats and Republicans say it is at least somewhat important to provide safe and sanitary conditions to asylum-seekers once they arrive in the U.S., fully 91% of Democrats say this, compared with 61% of Republicans.

Gay country star TJ Osborne 'hurt' after Republicans block move to honour his brave coming out.

California's population dropped for the first time in the state's recorded history.

Walmart buys MeMD to provide virtual healthcare nationwide. Walmart is determined to counter Amazon Care with a similarly powerful option. The retailer has acquired telehealth provider MeMD to offer virtual healthcare across the US, including urgent and behavioral care on top of the usual primary services. The new offering will serve as a complement to Walmart Health's in-person help.

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

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