Sunday, October 3, 2021

And another day of whistleblowers, virus surges, emergency health protocols, October 19, the GOP’s goal to reconfigure government, and the Supreme Court’s new term could see landmark rulings on divisive issues all comes to a close:

“When they got rid of Civic Integrity, it was the moment where I was like, ‘I don’t trust that they’re willing to actually invest what needs to be invested to keep Facebook from being dangerous.’” -- Frances Haugen

Deaths

US: 719,933 (+949 over two days)

World: 4,815,893 (+10,794 over two days)

Cases

US: 44,518,437 (+75,031 over two days)

World: 235,718,694 (+678,814 over two days)

Virus surge hits New England despite high vaccination rates. Despite having the highest vaccination rates in the country, there are constant reminders for most New England states of just how vicious the delta variant of COVID-19 is.

Alaska activates emergency health protocols. Alaska on Saturday activated emergency crisis protocols that allow 20 health care facilities to ration care if needed as the state recorded the nation’s worst COVID-19 diagnosis rates in the U.S. in recent days, straining its limited health care system.

Facebook whistleblower revealed on '60 Minutes,' says the company prioritized profit over public good. The 37-year-old former Facebook product manager who worked on civic integrity issues at the company says the documents show that Facebook knows its platforms are used to spread hate, violence and misinformation, and that the company has tried to hide that evidence. -- Are you going to delete Facebook?

Why October 19 could be a catastrophic day for the US economy. The United States could be just weeks away from defaulting on its debt for the first time ever.

Scores of former Trump political appointees gathered at a GOP social club Wednesday night to hear Steve Bannon detail how they could help the next Republican president reconfigure government. "If you’re going to take over the administrative state and deconstruct it then you have to have shock troops prepared to take it over immediately," Bannon said in a telephone interview with NBC News. "I gave 'em fire and brimstone."…"We’re going to have a sweeping victory in 2022 and that’s just the preamble to a sweeping victory in 2024, and this time we’re going to be ready — and have a MAGA perspective, MAGA policies, not the standard Republican policies," he said, referring to Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan and describing a 2024 electoral victory as a "second term." — We all lose when you vote Republican.

Supreme Court's new term could see landmark rulings on abortion, guns and vouchers. For the first time in more than a year, the Supreme Court will convene in its crimson velvet-lined majestic chamber Monday to begin a new term and hear some of the most divisive issues of the day at a time when the Court's institutional legitimacy is under attack and the majority of the public doesn't approve of the job the justices are doing.

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

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