Friday, June 10, 2022

And another day of alternate realities, more Ginni Thomas emails, charging Giuliani over false election claims, warnings to the US from Salvadoran women jailed for abortion, false claims by Biden, monkeypox symptoms, and warnings on individual cigarettes in Canada comes to a close: 

"I'm from a part of the country where people justified the actions of slavery, the Ku Klux Klan, and lynching. I'm reminded of that dark history as I hear voices today try to justify the actions of the insurrectionists on January 6, 2021.” — Rep. Bernie Thompson

“The road to fascism is lined with people telling you to stop overreacting.” -- Anonymous

Deaths

US: 1,035,675 (+355)

World: 6,329,854 (+1713)

Cases

US: 87,246,309 (+131,569)

World: 539,795,775 (+1,739,839)

As America watched Capitol attack testimony, Fox News gave an alternate reality. This was the alternate reality that Carlson, Fox News’ most-watched host, presented as he opened his hour-long show. He followed it up with a boast: the rightwing network would not be covering one of the most consequential political hearings in recent American history.

Ginni Thomas emailed 29 Arizona lawmakers to help reverse Biden’s win. The emails encouraged the recipients to “stand strong in the face of political and media pressure,” arguing they have the power to choose Arizona’s electors who vote in the Electoral College for president. But voters have the power to choose a state’s electors by casting their ballots, not state legislatures, as Trump and his allies argued following the election. — Justice Thomas is compromised by the actions of his wife. She should be indicted, and he should be removed from the Supreme Court. 

Giuliani hit with ethics charges by Washington D.C. authorities over false election claims. The District of Columbia office that polices attorneys for ethical misconduct filed charges on Friday against President Donald Trump's former attorney, Rudy Giuliani, over baseless claims he made in federal court alleging the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

Salvadoran Women Jailed for Abortion Warn US of Total Ban. The nightmare that followed is common in El Salvador, a heavily Catholic country where abortion is banned under all circumstances and even women who suffer miscarriages and stillbirths are sometimes accused of killing their babies and sentenced to years or even decades in prison...Abortion rights activists say the law has led to widespread human rights violations against Salvadoran women and should serve as a cautionary tale for the United States, where more than 20 states are expected to ban abortion if the Supreme Court overturns the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling in the coming weeks.

Facebook allows 10 strikes before booting gun sellers from platform: report. The Post reported that Facebook’s guidelines also include a five-strikes system for gun sellers and buyers who call for violence or voice support for a “known dangerous organization” before they lose Facebook access. Facebook reportedly banned the private sale of guns on its website more than five years ago but has not publicly explained in much detail how the company enforces the ban.

Republican-controlled states have higher murder rates than Democratic ones: study. Republican politicians routinely claim that cities run by Democrats have been experiencing crime waves caused by failed governance, but a new study shows murder rates are actually higher in states and cities controlled by Republicans…The study found that murder rates in the 25 states Trump carried in 2020 are 40% higher overall than in the states Biden won. (The report used 2020 data because 2021 data is not yet fully available.) The five states with the highest per capita murder rate — Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Alabama and Missouri — all lean Republican and voted for Trump…Criminologists say research shows higher rates of violent crime are found in areas that have low average education levels, high rates of poverty and relatively modest access to government assistance. Those conditions characterize some portions of the American South. “They are among the poorest states in our union,” Ortiz said of the Deep South. “They have among the highest rates of child poverty. They are among the least-educated states. They are among the states with the highest levels of substance abuse. All of those factors contribute to people engaging in criminal behavior.”

Fact check: Biden falsely claims US has 'fastest-growing economy in the world'. Those comments are accurate. But Biden said on Kimmel's show, three times, that the US economy is growing faster than that of any other country in "the world," not just growing faster than six particular countries. And that's inaccurate.

CDC says monkeypox symptoms look different in some recent cases than in past. In some of the new cases, monkeypox has caused people to develop what looks like a pimple or blister, rather than a widespread rash, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a briefing. In other cases, tiny bumps on the skin are the first or only indication of an infection, she said.

Feds probe multi-state salmonella outbreaks linked to backyard poultry. Federal health officials are probing several multi-state outbreaks of salmonella infections linked to backyard poultry, saying more than 200 Americans have been stricken so far this year, with one death reported.

Canada mulls putting warnings on each cigarette. Canada's government is proposing putting health warnings on individual cigarettes in what would be a world-first way of tackling the habit.

Tampon shortage adds to long list of consumer woes amid record inflation. If you're having trouble finding a tampon these days, you're probably not alone. Reports of shortages in feminine hygiene products have circulated online recently. As some have noted, tampons in particular appear to be harder to find than most products that were in short supply during the early months of the pandemic.

One in 500 men carry extra sex chromosome, research suggests. While most men have one X and one Y chromosome, some are born XXY or XYY, putting them at increased risk of health issues ranging from type 2 diabetes, blocked blood vessels and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung condition, the study found.

Justin Bieber says he has facial paralysis due to Ramsay Hunt syndrome. "It is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis," he said in the video. "As you can see this eye is not blinking. I can't smile on this side of my face; this nostril will not move. So there's full paralysis on this side of my face." According to the Mayo Clinic, Ramsay Hunt syndrome "occurs when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near one of your ears. In addition to the painful shingles rash, Ramsay Hunt syndrome can cause facial paralysis and hearing loss in the affected ear."

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

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