Sunday, November 14, 2021

And another day of promoting the US to have only “one religion,” CO hospitals filling up, fake FBI emails, military families and food insecurity, Sesame Street’s first Asian American muppet, Howard students living in tents, and socio-spatial cognition in cats comes to a close:

“If we are going to have one nation under God, which we must, we have to have one religion. One nation under God, and one religion under God.” — Micheal Flynn

“Michael Flynn and the hard right MAGA cult want a theocracy in this country for a white Christian minority. Just replace everything they say about Jesus with Muhammad and Christianity with Islam and how would the GOP respond? They're telling you their vision and their plan.” — Wajahat Ali

Deaths

US: 783,565 (+126)

World: 5,115,156 (+4607)

Cases

US: 47,916,190 (+24,193)

World: 254,027,824 (+355,813)

Michael Flynn says of the US: "We have to have one religion". Michael Flynn, former national security adviser in the Trump administration, on Saturday said the United States should have a single religion. -- Michael Flynn can fuck right off. 

Colorado hospitals on edge amid renewed COVID surge, staffing shortages. Just 6% of ICU beds are currently available in Colorado. "Our hospitals and ICUs are filling up with patients who are going on ventilators and many of them dying.”

Fake FBI emails about a sophisticated attack are part of 'ongoing situation,' agency says. "The FBI and CISA are aware of the incident this morning involving fake emails from an @ic.fbi.gov email account," the FBI said in a statement. "This is an ongoing situation and we are not able to provide any additional information at this time. The impacted hardware was taken offline quickly upon discovery of the issue. We continue to encourage the public to be cautious of unknown senders and urge you to report suspicious activity to www.ic3.gov or www.cisa.gov."

Thousands of military families struggle with food insecurity. It’s a hidden crisis that has existed for years inside one of the most well-funded institutions on the planet and has only worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. As many as 160,000 active-duty military members are having trouble feeding their families. That estimate by Feeding America, which coordinates the work of more than 200 food banks around the country, underscores how long-term food insecurity has extended into every aspect of American life, including the military. The exact scope of the problem is a topic of debate, due to a lack of formal study. But activists say it has existed for years and primarily affects junior-level enlisted service members — ranks E1 to E4 in military parlance — with children.

"Sesame Street" is welcoming its first ever Asian American muppet. Ji-Young is 7, Korean American and loves to rock out on her guitar. The hope is that she will be a positive force against a rise in anti-Asian hate. Ji-Young will formally be introduced in “See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special.” Simu Liu, Padma Lakshmi and Naomi Osaka are among the celebrities appearing in the special, which will drop Thanksgiving Day on HBO Max, “Sesame Street” social media platforms and on local PBS stations.

Since coming to power three months ago, the Taliban ordered Kabul’s historic Ariana Cinema to stop operations while they decide whether they will allow movies in Afghanistan.

Howard students are living in tents to avoid the mold, roach and mice infestation in their dorms. Student activists and civil rights leaders say the controversy is indicative of a widespread issue with crumbling buildings on century-old HBCU campuses that are often underfunded compared to predominately White institutions.

The new steel? Hope and fear as a new plastics factory rises in Appalachia. Some see a plastics complex near Pittsburgh as a boon for a struggling region. Others fear a return to a toxic past for a product the world needs less of.

A study found cats can mentally map their owner's location using the sound of the owner's voice. Cats in the study were surprised when their owners appeared to "transport" from one location to another, the study concluded. Results from this study demonstrate evidence of socio-spatial cognition in cats, meaning they can mentally picture where others are through cues like sound.

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

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