Sunday, July 18, 2021

And another day of national security threats, the delta variant, testing positive, TX repealing the requirement to teach history of white supremacy, GOP revisionist history, fires, ‘near total amnesia,’ and ice cream comes to a close:

“I wish being stupid only punished the stupid.” — Ricky Gervais

Deaths

US: 624,746 (+140 over two days)

World: 4,105,743 (+13,834 over two days)

Cases

US: 34,963,907 (+.4,051 over two days)

World: 191,218,111 (+921,255 over two days)

Ex-Trump official: “And the No. 1 national security threat I’ve ever seen in my life to this country’s democracy is the party that I’m in — the Republican Party. It is the No. 1 national security threat to the United States of America.” — A true American  would leave the Republican Party.

The Delta variant is so contagious, those unprotected will likely get it, a Trump administration FDA chief says.

Olympic Village records first COVID-19 case days before Olympics begin.

Las Vegas follows LA's lead in recommending masks be worn indoors regardless of vaccination status.

Canada likely to reopen border to vaccinated Americans in August.

Teen tennis star Coco Gauff tests positive for Covid, will sit out Tokyo Olympics: Gauff, 17, had been expected to lead Team USA in tennis in what was to have been her first Olympics this month.

3 fully vaccinated members of the Texas delegation have tested positive for Covid-19, the state’s House Democratic Caucus says. "This is a sober reminder that Covid is still with us, and though vaccinations offer tremendous protection, we still must take necessary precautions.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will spend 10 days self-isolating after contact with a confirmed coronavirus case, his office said Sunday — reversing an earlier announcement that he would not have to quarantine.

The Texas state Senate has passed legislation that would repeal requirements to teach the history of white supremacy and the ways “in which it is morally wrong,” among other lessons pertaining to prominent people of color and women.

Months after the U.S. Capitol riot, Donald Trump and his supporters are offering a revisionist history. First, they tried to blame leftists. Then, they said the attackers were basically tourists. Now, Trump and company say they were peace-loving patriots. Hate is “love.” Violence is “peace.” The pro-Donald Trump attackers are patriots.

Tokyo 2020: Germany's men's football team walk off in friendly due to alleged racist abuse. Germany's men's Olympic football team walked off the field with five minutes left of their friendly against Honduras after defender Jordan Torunarigha was allegedly racially abused. "When one of our players is racially abused, playing on is not an option."

California fire prompts evacuations; Oregon blaze balloons. A rapidly growing wildfire south of Lake Tahoe forced the evacuation of a mountain town and the cancellation of an extreme bike ride through the Sierra Nevada, leaving thousands of riders and spectators stranded Saturday and rushing to flee the area.

Seventy wildfires force evacuations in western US with conditions predicted to deteriorate.

Greenland suspends oil exploration because of climate change. “The future does not lie in oil. The future belongs to renewable energy, and in that respect we have much more to gain,” the Greenland government said in a statement. The government said it “wants to take co-responsibility for combating the global climate crisis.”

Ghislaine Maxwell was mocked by lawyers for her "near-total amnesia" about the reported 23 flights she took with Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, according to newly unsealed court documents.

60 people sickened in 'chemical incident' at Texas water park. Public health officials are ordering the park to remain closed until they determine exactly what happened.

'Ridiculous' price of medical marijuana leaves patients scrambling. Across the U.S., the price of medical marijuana can be more than double the cost of street pot – even before you factor in the additional step required to keep it legal. Patients have to qualify for a medical marijuana card, which can cost up to $200 a year in states like Minnesota, according to an NBC News review.

Sunscreen recall: What the finding of a cancer-causing chemical means for you. The burning heat of summer has us all reaching for sunscreens. But before you slather that product on your skin, first check to see if it is part of a voluntary recall by sunscreen brands Neutrogena and Aveeno.

Happy National Ice Cream Day! The Scoop on National Ice Cream Day.

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

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