Thursday, July 8, 2021

And another day of booster shots, clusters, making it harder to vote, cutting water usage, updating your PC, an about face, surrendering to police, and animals recognized as ‘sentient’ beings with feelings comes to a close:

“Imagination and fiction make up more than three quarters of our real life.” -- Simone Weil

Deaths

US: 622,213 (+340)

World: 4,026,186 (+8564)

Cases

US: 34,676,896 (+33,084)

World: 186,330,636 (+487,074)

Pfizer to seek OK for 3rd vaccine dose; shots still protect. But antibodies naturally wane over time, so studies also are underway to tell if and when boosters might be needed. On Thursday, Pfizer’s Dr. Mikael Dolsten told The Associated Press that early data from the company’s booster study suggests people’s antibody levels jump five- to 10-fold after a third dose, compared to their second dose months earlier.

Five undervaccinated clusters put the entire United States at risk. The analysis by researchers at Georgetown University identified 30 clusters of counties with low vaccination rates and significant population sizes. The five most significant of those clusters are sprawled across large swaths of the southeastern United States and a smaller portion in the Midwest.

Texas is the hardest state to vote in. It could soon get much harder.

Texas Republicans revive voting restriction bills to begin special session. Unlike the defeated bill from last session, neither of the new proposals would ban Sunday morning voting, a provision that was criticized for the impact it would have on Black voters and "souls to the polls" efforts. Republicans defended it, but later said it was a typographical error. Democrats say their walk-out — and national outrage over voting restrictions — have forced Republicans to modify their legislation. “There’s no doubt about it: Republicans are walking it back, and it’s not because they want to — it’s because of the fight that’s been put up by Democrats.”

The engineered conservative panic over critical race theory, explained. Because so many Americans don't know what CRT is, it's the perfect tool for scaring White conservative voters with made-up problems -- for mobilizing them against the racial awakening of the past year. Here's how we got here:

Gov. Newsom asks Californians to cut water use, expands emergency as drought worsens.

Microsoft issues urgent security warning: Update your PC immediately. Microsoft is urging Windows users to immediately install an update after security researchers found a serious vulnerability in the operating system. The security flaw, known as PrintNightmare, affects the Windows Print Spooler service. Researchers at cybersecurity company Sangfor accidentally published a how-to guide for exploiting it.

Toyota will stop donating to Republicans who objected to election certification. Japanese automaker Toyota announced Thursday it will stop contributing to Republican members of Congress who on Jan. 6th voted against certification of the 2020 election results after a PAC said it would begin running ads criticizing companies for such donations.

Marilyn Manson surrenders to police on assault arrest warrant. "As an agency, we are pleased with Mr. Warner's decision to finally address the arrest warrant that has been outstanding since 2019," Bean Burpee said in a statement.

Flossing your teeth may protect against cognitive decline, research shows.

Animals with spines in the UK could soon be legally recognized as “sentient” beings with feelings if a bill being debated in Parliament moves forward. Should the bill become law, it could get lawmakers to consider animals’ feelings, like pain or even joy, when crafting any new policy. The bill is part of a larger push by the government to set high standards for animal welfare in the country.

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

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