Sunday, September 26, 2021

And another day of hiring PIs, Iceland makes history, femicides in the US, nonbinary characters in children’s television, ‘probably the worst drug approval decision in recent US history,’ and dating while autistic comes to a close:

“To begin, begin.” -- William Wordsworth

Deaths

US: 706,317 (+259)

World: 4,761,864 (+4592)

Cases

US: 43,750,983 (+25,711)
World: 232,596,030 (+320,499)

Black Families Are Hiring Private Investigators Because Cops Won’t Find Their Kids. Other families have hired private investigators and lawyers—even ordered second autopsies because they felt the police investigation was insufficient—a time-consuming and potentially costly venture that advocates say should not be necessary because policing is a public service.

Iceland first country in Europe to have more female than male MPs. Of the 63 seats in the Althing parliament, 33 – or 52% – were won by women, projections based on the final results showed on Sunday. No other European country has had more than 50% female lawmakers, with Sweden coming closest at 47%, according to data compiled by the World Bank.

Femicides in the US: the silent epidemic few dare to name. According to analysis of FBI data, of all female homicides accounted for in 2018 where the relationship between perpetrator and victim could be identified, 92% of cases involved women or girls killed by a man they knew, 63% of whom were killed by current husbands, ex-husbands or current boyfriends.

Nonbinary characters like 'Gonzo-rella' are lighting up children's TV and encouraging self-acceptance. For children whose gender expression may not subscribe to preconceived notions of what a boy or girl should look or act like, it can be hugely significant to see themselves reflected onscreen, even if the characters are puppets or whimsical gem-people who live in a pastel wonderland, said Lindsay Toman, an assistant professor of LGBTQ studies at Colgate University.

Hurricane Ida power grid failure forces a reckoning over Entergy's monopoly in the South. Entergy says it's committed to storm-hardening and clean power. Critics say it works against those goals.

The road to Aduhelm: What one ex-FDA adviser called 'probably the worst drug approval decision in recent US history' for an Alzheimer's treatment. Of course, an advisory committee's recommendations are just that -- advisory. The FDA is not required to follow them. Indeed, one study found that between 2008 and 2015 the agency rejected advisory committee recommendations 22% of the time. But Kesselheim, along with the other experts CNN interviewed, could not recall a single occasion when the FDA had rejected the unanimous conclusion of an advisory committee -- which is what happened here.

Dating while autistic: romance isn’t easy when you miss the social cues – and the red flags.

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

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