Thursday, August 19, 2021

And another day of ‘miserable’ cases, immoral booster shots, record waves, full ICUs, pulling kids from schools, ACL needs proof of vax, TX House Dems end break, erasing student debt, life-like nurse robots, and rain in Greenland comes to a close:

“People sometimes seem confused by what we mean when we say white privilege. Well, today a congressman sympathized with a terrorist who threatened to blow up Washington. He was white. Black members don’t get passes for shit like that.” -- Rex Chapman

Deaths

US: 643,112 (+1766)

World: 4,417,385 (+12,044)

Cases

US: 38,231,787 (+159,131)

World: 210,845,425 (+ 752,154)

‘Miserable' breakthrough COVID-19 cases are increasing, but experts aren't sure how common they are. She's not wrong to worry. From the earliest days of the pandemic, public health officials told Americans vaccination was the way back to normal life, but the path forward has become less clear. While COVID-19 vaccines were delivered in record time, the promise of vaccine salvation was upended by entrenched hesitancy, waning immunity and a wildly contagious mutation of the enigmatic  virus that causes the disease…Americans are flying blind…The latest CDC studies showed the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines may not be as effective against the delta variant compared with the original virus, bolstering the Biden administration’s decision to begin COVID-19 booster shots for most Americans this fall…While it is clear breakthrough infections are increasing, the studies showed hospitalizations remained stable, an indication the vaccines continue to hold up against severe illness.

World Health Organization blasts plans for vaccine booster shots as immoral. “We’re planning to hand out extra life jackets to people who already have lifejackets, while we’re leaving other people to drown without a single lifejacket,” said the director of the WHO’s health emergency program.

‘We're going to do both': White House argues it can offer booster shots to Americans while sharing vaccines globally. “Look, I do not accept the idea that we have to choose between America and the world," US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told reporters at a White House Covid-19 briefing on Wednesday. Murthy continued: "We clearly see our responsibility to both, and that we've got to do everything we can to protect people here at home while recognizing that tamping down the pandemic across the world and getting people vaccinated is going to be key to preventing the rise of future variants."

Record delta wave hits kids, raises fear as US schools open. But with the highly contagious delta variant spreading across the U.S., children are filling hospital intensive care beds instead of classrooms in record numbers, more even than at the height of the pandemic. Many are too young to get the vaccine, which is available only to those 12 and over. The surging virus is spreading anxiety and causing turmoil and infighting among parents, administrators and politicians around the U.S., especially in states like Florida and Texas, where Republican governors have barred schools from making youngsters wear masks. With millions of children returning to classrooms this month, experts say the stakes are unquestionably high.

No, masks do not increase carbon dioxide levels for children. Carbon dioxide molecules cannot be trapped by breathable materials like cloth or disposable masks, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Inside Mississippi's 4th Covid wave: Younger patients, crying nurses and 7 ICU beds left. This is what the fourth wave of the pandemic in Mississippi looks like: As of Thursday, only seven ICU beds were available in the state, and 96 patients needed them, according to the state Department of Health.

Texas health officials warn of full ICUs as state grapples with worsening Covid-19 surge. The latest surge in Covid-19 hospitalizations this summer is having a deepening effect in Texas, a state that has seen its leadership rebuke steps such as mandatory mask wearing, yet now faces hospitals stretched to capacity with sick patients.

Gulf Coast’s beloved ‘Redneck Riviera’ now a virus hotspot. Tourists and servers alike dance atop tables and in the aisles at one restaurant on the “Redneck Riviera,” a beloved stretch of towns along the northern Gulf Coast where beaches, bars and stores are packed. Yet just a few miles away, a hospital is running out of critical care beds, its rooms full of unvaccinated people fighting for their lives. On maps that show virus “hot spots” in red, this part of the U.S. coast is glowing like a bad sunburn. And a summer of booming tourism that followed the lockdowns and travel restrictions of 2020 is making the turn toward fall with only a few signs of slowing down.

Parents pull kids from schools as district bucks CDC guidance and board member spreads misinformation. It's the third week of school in Cobb County, Georgia, and many parents are livid with the district's lax Covid-19 protocols and dangerous misinformation being disseminated by a school board member via his official email account. Some parents, including those with children suffering from asthma and one whose 13-year-old has a flagging immune system after fending off a rare leukemia as a younger child, are taking their kids out of school, -- The Republican goal is to get rid of public education. All this misinformation and outright lies to sow confusion and get people doubting public schools is helping them toward that goal.

Georgia Governor bans cities from imposing Covid restrictions on businesses. At a news conference, Gov. Brian Kemp said his order will prevent local governments from forcing businesses to be the city’s mask and vaccine police.

3 US senators announce positive Covid tests Thursday. Three US senators — Angus King of Maine, Roger Wicker of Mississippi and John Hickenlooper of Colorado — announced separately that they have tested positive for Covid-19. All three have been vaccinated.

Washington’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate among strictest in the US. Here’s who is exempt. The state isn’t allowing a philosophical statement exemption option either like it has for other required vaccines. However, as required by law, there are certain exemptions to the mandate based on medical or religious reasons.

People attending the 2021 Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) will need to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a printed copy of a negative COVID-19 test, the festival announced this morning.

Texas Democrats' effort to freeze voting bill ends. Texas House Democrats' historic quorum break unexpectedly ended Thursday evening when at least three new Democrats returned to the floor, paving the way for state Republicans to pass restrictive voting legislation.

Life Under Taliban Rule. “The only difference between before and now is that earlier, we could be sent to jail for being gay. Now, we will be shot dead.” Omid, who has not known life without war in Afghanistan, said queer people “just cannot survive the barbaric Taliban rule.” “Believe me, if they find out that I’m gay, they will kill me on the spot,” the 21-year-old told VICE World News. “Taliban has made speeches about forgiving Afghans. That’s just posturing for the world. It’s not real.”

Rain fell at the normally snowy summit of Greenland for the first time on record. For the first time on record, precipitation on Saturday at the summit of Greenland — roughly two miles above sea level — fell as rain and not snow. Temperatures at the Greenland summit over the weekend rose above freezing for the third time in less than a decade. The warm air fueled an extreme rain event that dumped 7 billion tons of water on the ice sheet, enough to fill the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall in Washington, DC, nearly 250,000 times.

Thousands more evacuated as California wildfire swells 24 times its size in 2 days. Fueled by wind and dry conditions, the fire burning in El Dorado County swelled to 62,586 acres Wednesday and is 0% contained.

Facebook pledges to become ‘water positive’ by 2030. The tech firm aims to restore more water than it consumes, as it competes to meet green goals.

US to erase student debt for those with severe disabilities. The Biden administration announced Thursday it will automatically erase student loan debt for more than 300,000 Americans with severe disabilities that leave them unable to earn significant incomes. The move will wipe out more than $5.8 billion in debt, according to the Education Department, and it marks the start of a broader overhaul of a program that has been criticized for having overly burdensome rules.

More Americans now say government should take steps to restrict false information online than in 2018. Roughly half of U.S. adults (48%) now say the government should take steps to restrict false information, even if it means losing some freedom to access and publish content...When it comes to whether technology companies should take steps to address misinformation online, more are in agreement. A majority of adults (59%) continue to say technology companies should take steps to restrict misinformation online, even if it puts some restrictions on Americans’ ability to access and publish content.

Meet Grace, the ultra-lifelike nurse robot. Designed as an assistant for doctors, Grace is equipped with sensors, including a thermal camera to detect a patient's temperature and pulse, to help doctors diagnose illness and deliver treatments. The android is a companion for patients, too. Specializing in senior care, Grace speaks three languages -- English, Mandarin, and Cantonese -- and can socialize and conduct talk therapy.

OnlyFans to ban "sexually-explicit conduct" in October. Creators will still be able to post nudity as long as it complies with platform policy, the company noted. OnlyFans did not provide a definition of "sexually-explicit conduct" when asked.

Reports claim Amazon is planning to open several large department stores. These would sell things like clothes, household items and electronics.

Scientists show that cuddling with a dog significantly improves your well-being.

The New Longest Pi Beats Previous Record by 12.8 Trillion Digits. A supercomputer in Switzerland calculated the mathematical constant to a new, totally impractical length.

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

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