And another day of more omicron cases, the all-or-nothing abortion fight, Maxwell’s trial, blame-shifting is a feature, the Taliban’s new rules, voluntary evacuations, ‘good bots,’ and women sharing stories of sex with celebrities comes to a close:
"That's okay. I'm just gonna do my job, and I'm gonna be saving lives, and they're gonna be lying." -- Dr. Fauci on Republicans scapegoating him
“People like to say that the conflict is between good and evil. The real conflict is between truth and lies.” — Miguel Angel Ruiz
Deaths
US: 799,414 (+276 over two days)
World: 5,217,086 (+10,821 over two days)
Cases
US: 49,099,590 (+48,673 over two days)
World: 261,760,996 (+883,979 over two days)
More omicron cases pop up as world rushes to learn more. Cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in countries on opposite sides of the world Sunday and many governments rushed to close their borders even as scientists cautioned that it’s not clear if the new variant is more alarming than other versions of the virus. The variant was identified days ago by researchers in South Africa, and much is still not known about it, including whether it is more contagious, more likely to cause serious illness or more able to evade the protection of vaccines. But many countries rushed to act, reflecting anxiety about anything that could prolong the pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people.
Canada reports North America's first cases of omicron COVID-19 variant. Canadian health officials reported two cases of the COVID-19 omicron variant on Sunday, confirming for the first time that the variant has spread to North America.
Supreme Court set to take up all-or-nothing abortion fight. Both sides are telling the Supreme Court there’s no middle ground in Wednesday’s showdown over abortion. The justices can either reaffirm the constitutional right to an abortion or wipe it away altogether.
The People v. Ghislaine Maxwell: What’s Really on Trial? Nearly 17 months after Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged accomplice was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges, her trial begins on Monday.
Blame-Shifting Gives a Pass to Abusers—and It’s a Dominant Feature of U.S. Culture and Law. When it comes to sexual assault and harassment, women are routinely held responsible for controlling men’s urges, turning misconduct into the fault of the victim rather than the abuser. As a matter of course, survivors are faulted for dressing provocatively, smiling, not finding a way to stop the assault or harassment and so forth. Even women who do next to nothing may nonetheless be blamed for their abuse, since their existence alone is seen as temptation enough. Simply by being, a woman can activate our blaming impulses.
Afghanistan: What Taliban's new media rules mean for female actors. By imposing new restrictions on the media and female actors, the Taliban once again reaffirmed their misogynistic ideology, rights advocates say. Afghanistan's Taliban rulers unveiled a new set of restrictions on Afghan media earlier this week, banning television channels from showing dramas and soap operas featuring women actors…The broadcasting of films that promote foreign cultures or traditions in Afghan society, or which provoke immorality, is also to be prohibited, the directive said.
UT-Austin professors criticize university for halting antiracism study with preschoolers. The decision to halt the study comes after a University of Michigan-Flint professor filed an Office for Civil Rights complaint against the study, arguing it discriminates against children of color. But professors said pausing the study sets a negative precedent that could impact academic freedom.
Voluntary evacuations requested due to potential flooding in Northwest. In Washington state, flood watches have been issued for Whatcom County, Skagit County, Snohomish County and King County, according to The Seattle Times. In Whatcom County, residents in Sumas and Everson have been advised to voluntarily evacuate from their homes.
Phil Saviano, key clergy sex abuse whistleblower, dies at 69. Phil Saviano, a clergy sex abuse survivor and whistleblower who played a pivotal role in exposing decades of predatory assaults by Roman Catholic priests in the United States, has died.
Women Are Sharing Stories Online About Sex With Celebrities. Stories like Jenny’s are emblematic of the messy post-#MeToo debates swirling around sex, power, and agency — especially in celebrity–civilian encounters. More and more stories are popping up on social media about these interactions and the complicated feelings women have about them — particularly around expectations of honesty. And perhaps most crucially, women now feel more comfortable uniting with each other to call out the power imbalances. But not everyone agrees on the most effective way to do it or how best to untangle the thorny questions that arise.
Twitter feature labels 'good bots' that send automated tweets. A robot icon identifies automated accounts so they won't be taken for human-helmed ones. The focus is on potentially helpful bots. Bad bots? Twitter says it's "proactively sniffing them out."
Researchers try producing potatoes resistant to climate change. University of Maine researchers are trying to produce potatoes that can better withstand warming temperatures as the climate changes.
Skeleton of new dinosaur species found at secret location in Missouri. “I can’t imagine anything that’s more impressive than what we discovered here,” Darrough told Fox2Now. “A new genus in species. It’s [a] world-famous discovery.”
Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.
Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.
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