Friday, October 1, 2021

And another day milestones, vaccinated benefits, CA requiring vaccinations for students, Sotomayor rejects requests, Kavanaugh tests positive, S&W move states, and NWSL cancels games comes to a close:

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” -- Abraham Lincoln

Deaths

US: 718,984 (+2137)

World: 4,805,099 (+7948)

Cases

US: 44,443,406 (+121,981)

World: 235,039,880 (+488,463)

The United States has reached its latest tragic pandemic milestone, eclipsing 700,000 deaths from COVID-19 just as the surge from the delta variant is starting to slow down and give overwhelmed hospitals some relief.

Vaccinated people are less likely to spread Covid, new research finds. People who are vaccinated against Covid-19 are less likely to spread the virus even if they become infected, a new study finds, adding to a growing body of evidence that vaccines can reduce transmission of the delta variant.

California becomes first US state to require Covid-19 vaccination for students, governor says. California will add the Covid-19 vaccination to immunizations required for in-person school attendance.

Justice Sotomayor rejects request to block New York City school vaccine mandate. Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Friday denied a request from a group of New York City teachers to block the city's vaccine mandate for public school employees. Sotomayor did not refer the request to the other Supreme Court justices, or comment on her action, likely signaling they agreed with her decision. In August, Justice Amy Coney Barrett likewise rejected an effort to block Indiana University's vaccine mandate.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh tests positive for Covid. The Supreme Court justice has been fully vaccinated since January and has no symptoms, the court said.

Gunmaker Smith & Wesson to move to Tennessee as Massachusetts considers assault weapons ban. The gunmaker founded in 1852 is currently centered in Springfield, Massachusetts, a state where company officials say legislative proposals would prohibit them from manufacturing certain weapons. A proposal in the Democrat-led state Legislature would extend the state’s ban on the sale and possession of assault weapons or large-capacity magazines to also outlaw manufacturing them in Massachusetts, unless it’s for the military or law enforcement.

National Women's Soccer League calls off upcoming weekend games amid abuse allegations. “Recognizing that trauma, we have decided not to take the field this weekend to give everyone some space to reflect," NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird said.

Scores of students took a stand for trans rights by staging a massive walkout after one of their classmates was blocked from the girls’ locker room and toilets. The protest kicked off at Temple High School in Texas on Wednesday (30 September) in support of a 16-year-old trans girl named Kendall Tinoco after she shared her experience on Instagram.

1 in 8 acres in California has burned in last decade. Federal and state fire officials have warned that fires are not only becoming more frequent amid hotter temperatures and more dry conditions, but they are also increasing in intensity and length, thus resulting in much more damage than previously seen.

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

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