Saturday, June 5, 2021

And another day of Swiss Army knives, TX AG Paxton admitting voter suppression won Trump TX, the stigma of ‘late-term’ abortions, staying online for school, a drug to keep the pounds off, and 40 years ago the nation’s first AIDS cases were announced in US comes to a close:

“Like the Swiss Army knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment. Good for both home and battle.” — U.S. Federal Judge Roger Benitez

Deaths

US: 612,203

World: 3,736,081 (+8798)

Cases

US: 34,204,374 (+9351)

World: 173,715,562 (+397,092)

Judge overturns California assault weapons ban. In the opening to his ruling, Judge Benitez wrote: "Like the Swiss Army knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment. Good for both home and battle."

Gov. Newsom vows to appeal the ruling overturning California’s assault weapons ban.

Texas AG Ken Paxton said yesterday that if he hadn’t been successful with lawsuits to block mail-in ballots, Trump definitely would have lost the election in Texas. — He says it out loud. He tells us voter suppression worked in Texas. 

The Stigma of “Late-Term Abortions” Is the Point. Crucially, there is no real definition or medical designation for what constitutes a late-term abortion, so it’s used somewhat haphazardly. Medical experts also criticize the term for implying that abortions are taking place after a pregnancy reaches “term” at 37 weeks—which does not happen—or a point in pregnancy referred to by obstetricians as “late term,” up to 41 weeks—which also does not happen. But the squishiness of the term means it has become an effective weapon, easily evoking an ill-defined evil as it leaks into broader vernacular...The problem “isn’t abortion,” Rosales says. “The problem is people’s rhetoric around abortion.”

After a tough year, schools are axing virtual learning. Some families want to stay online. “On average, students at schools that were mostly remote were more likely to have been disadvantaged in the past,“ Kaufman said. “It makes it hard to interpret the poor results of remote learning, or to say remote learning, on its own, is bad.”

Growing number of GOP-led states seek to limit officials' power to respond to next pandemic. Several Republican governors have seen lawmakers from their own party limit their emergency powers in recent months, a response to highly partisan complaints about masks, business shutdowns and other safety measures to meet the pandemic...And at least 15 state legislatures have passed or introduced bills to weaken the public health authority of governors or local governments. — The GOP is actively trying to kill us.

FDA approves diabetes drug to help people keep the pounds off. Studies have shown the once-a-week injection, called semaglutide, can help people lose up to 12% of their body weight over about a year and a half compared to people given a placebo shot, and 15% of their body weight overall.

40 years ago, the first cases of AIDS were reported in the US. Saturday marks the 40th anniversary of the nation's first reported cases of AIDS. More than 700,000 people in the US have died of the disease since then -- and though medical advancements have drastically changed the prognosis for HIV/AIDS patients, there remains to this day no cure.

Teacher on leave after speaking out against pronoun policy for students. "I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it's against my religion," Loudoun County, Virginia, teacher Byron "Tanner" Cross said. — Bigotry and hatred in the name of religion is still bigotry and hatred. 

High school senior denied diploma after wearing Mexican flag over gown.

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

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