Wednesday, November 10, 2021

And another day of retribution, concentrated corporate power making inflation worse, gerrymandering, a Capitol rioter sentenced, TX mask ban violates ADA, more banning books, hand sanitizers, and a multivitamin comes to a close:

“Voters don’t decide the issues, they decide who will decide the issues.” -- George Will

Deaths

US: 780,102 (+1786)

World: 5,087,996 (+8222)

Cases

US: 47,647,745 (+111,209)

World: 252,111,221 (+554,430)

Trump loyalists demand retribution against 13 Republicans who voted for President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill, demonstrating the power of the far-right in the party. It's purge o'clock again in the GOP. But House Republicans aren't rushing to ostracize Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, who publicly posted a video of an animated version of himself killing a Democratic colleague and attacking President Joe Biden. Instead, their fury is aimed at 13 GOP colleagues who voted with most Democrats — and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — for Biden's $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. At the exact moment that Democrats largely unified, the Republican fracture over fealty to former President Donald Trump revealed itself anew.

How concentrated corporate power makes inflation worse. Why are prices from everything from laundry detergent to potato chips to My Little Pony going up? Inflation is a complex phenomenon. Supply chain disruptions, increased labor costs, and surging demand all play a role. But one factor driving inflation is seldom discussed: mega-corporations with massive market power. In competitive markets, profit margins should approach zero, as long as there are reasonable substitutes available for a given product. But corporate profits as a share of the American economy have risen dramatically over the last two decades, from 5% of GDP to nearly 12%…corporations are not being forced to raise prices to stay afloat. They are choosing to raise prices to maintain large profit margins because they have enough market power to do so without losing customers. — We are so screwed.

Gerrymandering surges as states redraw maps for House seats. North Carolina’s plan drew instant criticism for its aggressive approach, but it’s hardly alone. Experts and lawmakers tracking the once-a-decade redistricting process see a cycle of supercharged gerrymandering. With fewer legal restraints and amped up political stakes, both Democrats and Republicans are pushing the bounds of the tactic long used to draw districts for maximum partisan advantage, often at the expense of community unity or racial representation.

A Capitol Rioter Was Just Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison. Scott Fairlamb, a 44-year-old gym owner and former MMA fighter, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer. He was the first Capitol rioter sentenced for violence against the police, and the federal judge’s highly awaited decision will likely serve as a benchmark for how other January 6 insurrectionists charged with violence will be punished. Most other Capitol riot cases have dealt with nonviolent offenders charged with misdemeanors and sentenced to minimal, if any, jail time.

Federal judge rules Texas school mask ban violates Americans with Disabilities Act. A federal judge has ruled that Texas' ban on mask mandates in schools violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to court documents filed Wednesday in US District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Mandates drive up vaccinations at colleges, despite leniency. Universities that adopted COVID-19 vaccine mandates this fall have seen widespread compliance even though many schools made it easy to get out of the shots by granting exemptions to nearly any student who requested one.

Goddard school district orders 29 books removed from circulation. The list of books includes several well-known novels, including “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky.It also includes “Fences,” a play by August Wilson that won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1987, and “They Called Themselves the K.K.K.,” a historical look at how the white supremacist group took root in America. Julie Cannizzo, assistant superintendent for academic affairs in Goddard, sent an email to principals and librarians last week with the list of 29 books…“We haven’t even evaluated these books," she said. "I couldn’t even tell you what these books have in them or why someone may find them offensive or not."

Without ability to force recalls, FDA can only warn consumers about benzene in hand sanitizers. “The toxicity of benzene has been known for over 120 years. It’s directly linked with causing leukemia in humans,” said the CEO of a lab that found the contamination.

Could a daily multivitamin help slow cognitive decline? Results from a clinical trial suggest a multivitamin could help, but researchers say the findings need to be confirmed with additional studies.

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

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