Friday, October 22, 2021

And another day of possible changes, Delta+, quitting jobs, SCOTUS and the TX abortion law, Afghan girls setting up a secret school, Lyft reports thousands of sexual assaults, death on a film set, and Lego trafficking comes to a close:

“Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.” -- John W. Gardner

Deaths

US: 755,705 (+1958)

World: 4,953,385 (+8180)

Cases

US: 46,263,935 (+89,388)

World: 243,730,712 (+467,832)

The future of vaccine mandates will likely come down to Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Thus far, the justices have not given much comfort to anti-vaxxers. That could change soon.

Delta 'Plus' Covid variant may be more transmissible. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has moved it up into the "variant under investigation" category, to reflect this possible risk. There is no evidence yet that it causes worse illness. And scientists are confident that existing vaccines should still work well to protect people.

People who got Covid-19 vaccines were not only less likely to die from the virus, but they were less likely to die from any cause over the following months, researchers have reported.

Why are so many Americans quitting their jobs? It's common to see a surge in quitting when the job market is tight and there's a cornucopia of open positions. But what's happening now is unlike anything we've seen before. Economists and pollsters are still investigating what's going on. Are generous government benefits encouraging people to quit? Maybe, but some evidence suggests not. Are people angling for a raise after decades of stagnant pay? Probably, yeah. The family pressures imposed by closed schools, the closing and reopening of businesses, the reshuffling of the population to different locations and industries, and the fear of the virus in face-to-face settings have all also almost certainly played a role. But the historic rise in quitting also seems to be about more than all of this…The pandemic and the rise of remote work have changed the way we view our lives and the world.

Texas abortion law gets Supreme Court arguments. The Supreme Court on Friday allowed a Texas law that bans most abortions to remain in effect for now. But in an unusual move the justices said they want to hear arguments in the case at the soonest opportunity.

Afghan girls set up 'secret school' amid Taliban restrictions. Fourteen Afghan girls gather every day in the basement of a building in Kabul to continue their studies in defiance of Taliban restrictions on girls' education…After the Taliban overthrew Ashraf Ghani's government and captured the capital Kabul, they imposed restrictions on girls' education. In some cities, girls are not allowed to attend schools after grade 6, and in some areas, older girls are not allowed to sit with male students. The measures are arbitrary but in stark contrast to the Islamists' initial statements that they would respect fundamental human rights.

Teaching about trans people is a 'crime against humanity', says war criminal Vladimir Putin. Russian president Vladimir Putin has attacked gay and trans rights in a fiery speech advocating for “traditional family values”.

US taxi-hailing firm Lyft reveals 4,158 reports of sexual assault. Of the 4,158 incidents of sexual assaults disclosed by Lyft, 360 were reports of rape.

The film industry has been left shocked and in mourning after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on set when actor and producer Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm…Investigations remain ongoing, with many people asking how such a tragedy could happen on a film set -- 28 years after Bruce Lee's son Brandon Lee was accidentally killed on set by a firearm. — She was 42.

Twitter's algorithm amplifies right-leaning content, internal study finds. In every country but Germany, tweets posted by accounts on the political right received more amplification than those on the political left.

California teacher placed on leave after video shows her imitating Native American dance, wearing headdress. The footage showed the teacher at John W. North High School in Riverside Unified School District donning a fake feather headdress while chanting "SOH-CAH-TOA," a mnemonic for remembering a trigonometry principle. The teacher's name has not been revealed.

Bisexual Superman makes DC Comics history after 'unprecedented' fan response. The comic featuring Superman coming out as bisexual and sharing a kiss with a male love interest has attracted “unprecedented orders” for DC Comics.

Lego trafficking scheme of stolen sets worth thousands busted 'brick by brick,' Seattle police say. One thief involved in the scheme stole an estimated $10,000 worth of Lego sets, especially Star Wars "The Mandalorian" sets, the Seattle Police Department said.

RIP Peter Scolari. He was 66. Thank you for all the laughs.

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

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