Monday, November 15, 2021

And another day of surrenders, announcements, stopping recognition, CO announcing mandates, parents protesting mental health programs, Indigenous boarding schools, liable for defamation, a massive flu outbreak, and a deadly parasite comes to a close:

"I'm glad he shot him." -- Kyle Rittenhouse defense lawyer Mark Richards during closing.

Deaths

US: 784,779 (+1214)

World: 5,121,745 (+6589)

Cases

US: 48,072,898 (+156,708)

World: 254,577,865 (+550,041)

Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, surrendered to federal authorities on Monday to face contempt charges after defying a subpoena from a House committee investigating January’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Former congressman and Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke announces he’s running to unseat Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022. "I'm running for governor," he tweeted alongside a video announcement. "Together, we can push past the small and divisive politics that we see in Texas today -- and get back to the big, bold vision that used to define Texas. A Texas big enough for all of us." — Don’t let us down, Texas.

Wyoming GOP votes to stop recognizing Liz Cheney as a Republican. The 31-29 vote by the state party central committee was the group's second official rebuke of Cheney over her criticism of former President Donald Trump.

Colorado announces vaccine mandate for certain indoor events as Mountain West states grapple with Covid-19 surge. With hospitals throughout Colorado facing increases in Covid-19 hospitalizations, state officials announced that attendees of large public indoor events in certain jurisdictions must be vaccinated in order to help curb the virus' spread.

Parents protesting 'critical race theory' identify another target: Mental health programs. Groups this year have voiced opposition to suicide prevention programs, mental health coordinators and social emotional learning, claiming they are being used to indoctrinate students. Activists have accused school districts of using the programs to ask children invasive questions — about their feelings, sexuality and the way race shapes their lives — as part of a ploy to “brainwash” them with liberal values and to trample parents’ rights. Groups across the country recently started circulating forms to get parents to opt their children out of surveys designed to measure whether students are struggling with their emotions or being bullied, describing the efforts as “data mining” and an invasion of privacy. -- These people are fucking nuts.

Mission to identify hundreds of children who died at Indigenous boarding schools. Native boarding schools were initially created by the U.S. and Canadian governments in the late 1800s to force Indigenous people to assimilate at any cost…According to the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, there were more than 350 Indigenous boarding schools across the U.S. More than 60,000 Native American children were placed in these schools. That’s nearly 83% of all school-aged Indigenous children.

Alex Jones liable for defamation in Sandy Hook 'giant hoax' case. The judge took the rare step of declaring the conspiracy theorist and Infowars host in default in the defamation lawsuits. She will hold a hearing on how much he should pay in damages.

CDC to probe massive flu outbreak at the University of Michigan. Most of the flu cases have occurred in unvaccinated individuals.

Yes, a potentially deadly parasite that enters people through bare feet is in the US. Dr. Rojelio Mejia, an infectious disease physician-scientist at Baylor College of Medicine, says the parasite is found throughout the world, primarily in countries with tropical climates that have poor sanitation systems. In the U.S., Mejia says the parasite has been found in the Appalachian Mountains, as well as in Alabama, and as one study he authored shows, in Texas. Strongyloides larvae, which are microscopic, often penetrate the feet of humans who walk on soil contaminated with sewage or fecal matter. It then moves through different parts of the body. “It enters the blood system, travels up to the lungs,” Mejia explained. “In the lungs, it'll go through a couple of changes and it'll crawl its way up your trachea, and you swallow it into your esophagus down into your stomach. And then when it reaches the small intestine and the intestinal system, then it starts replicating itself or giving birth.”

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

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