Friday, August 5, 2022

And another day of lots of jobs, more abortion bans, the Parkland massacre site, AR-15s in schools, $45.2M, China stops contact with US, monkeypox, “beliefs” are not discrimination, and Greg Abbott and Kim Crockett being horrible people comes to a close:

“President Biden just had the best week of his administration. Pass it on!” — Tea Pain

“It’s time for the media to reassess the way they cover the Biden administration. Big things are getting done, and while they may not be as sensational as injecting bleach or nuking hurricanes, they deserve much more attention.” — Andrew Weinstein

Deaths

US: 1,058,637 (+826)

World: 6,433,809 (+3698)

Cases

US: 93,866,641 (+126,975)

World: 587,594,865 (+1,027,181)

US employers add 528,000 jobs; unemployment falls to 3.5%. Defying anxiety about a possible recession and raging inflation, America’s employers added a stunning 528,000 jobs last month, restoring all the jobs lost in the coronavirus recession. Unemployment fell to 3.5%, lowest since the pandemic struck in early 2020.

The Inflation Reduction Act, explained. It contains historic provisions to tackle climate change and takes steps toward fulfilling a longtime Democratic policy goal: letting Medicare negotiate the prices of some prescription drugs. The bill could affect what kind of car you buy and how you heat your home. It will prevent big price increases this year for some people who purchase individual health insurance. And if you aren’t paying your taxes, there’s a better chance that the IRS will find out. Here’s what’s in the bill and what it would mean for American life in the coming years.

Indiana House passes abortion ban, sends to Senate. The Indiana House on Friday voted for a ban on nearly all abortions in the state, sending the legislation back to the state Senate to confer on House changes. House members advanced the near-total abortion ban 62-38 with limited exceptions, including in cases of rape and incest, and to protect the life and physical health of the mother.

Frozen in horror: Notes from inside the Parkland school massacre site. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School's 1200 building has been sealed since the massacre on February 14, 2018. On Thursday, jurors in the sentencing phase of the school shooter's trial walked through the undisturbed scene, where the blood of the victims still stains classroom floors...These are the unsettling notes from a group of reporters allowed to enter the building after jurors completed their walk-through to provide details to media outlets across the country, including CNN.

Some North Carolina schools now have locked-up AR-15s for law enforcement. Gun safety experts are appalled. A North Carolina sheriff's office has placed locked-up AR-15 rifles on a school district's six campuses as an added security measure for the coming school year in response to the Uvalde, Texas, mass school shooting.

Alex Jones ordered to pay $45.2M more over Sandy Hook lies. A Texas jury on Friday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of a child who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, adding to the $4.1 million he has to pay for the suffering he put them through by claiming for years that the nation’s deadliest school shooting was a hoax.

China cuts off vital US contacts over Pelosi Taiwan visit. China cut off contacts with the United States on vital issues Friday — including military matters and crucial climate cooperation — as concerns rose that the Communist government’s hostile reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit could signal a lasting, more aggressive approach toward its U.S. rival and the self-ruled island.

Monkeypox is disproportionately affecting Black, Hispanic people, latest CDC breakdown shows. Among the cases with available data, 94% were in men who reported recent sexual or close intimate contact with another man. More than half (54%) of cases were among Black and Hispanic people, a group that represents about a third (34%) of the general US population. And the share of cases among Black people has grown in recent weeks, according to the CDC analysis.

Spain leads Europe in monkeypox, struggles to check spread. Spanish health authorities and community groups are struggling to check an outbreak that has already claimed the lives of two young men. They reportedly died of encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, that can be caused by some viruses. Most monkeypox cases cause only mild symptoms. Spain has had 4,942 confirmed cases in the three months since the start of the outbreak, which has been linked to two raves in Europe, where experts say the virus was likely spread through sex.

Minnesota pharmacist who refused to fill morning-after pill prescription did not discriminate, jury rules. A Minnesota jury ruled Friday that a pharmacist who refused to fill a prescription for a morning-after pill because of his "beliefs" did not violate a woman's civil rights under state law but inflicted emotional harm and said she should be entitled to $25,000 in damages. But the lawyer for pharmacist George Badeaux said Andrea Anderson is not likely to get a dime because the jury concluded she was not discriminated against because of her sex.

Gov. Greg Abbott appoints officer indicted for misconduct during George Floyd protests to police regulatory agency. Justin Berry was among 19 Austin police officers indicted earlier this year in the protests spurred by the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Berry is charged with two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant...Now, at the governor’s hand, Berry will serve on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which sets minimum licensing and training standards for police. -- Republicans really are some of the worst people on the planet.

GOP candidate for Minnesota secretary of state Kim Crockett, who would be the state’s chief election officer, says that people requiring assistance because they do not speak English or are disabled “raises the question: Should they be voting?” -- As I said: Republicans are some of the worst people on the planet.

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

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