Wednesday, September 28, 2022

And another day of the ‘MAGA’ label, Ian makes landfall, minors seeking abortions, churches defending loophole in reporting child sex abuse, the dangers of male influencers, an Alzheimer’s drug, and ‘Let’s do the time warp again’ comes to a close:

"I don't want to pretend that I'm interested in what you're interested in, because I'm not." — Ed Bain

Deaths

US: 1,083,227

World: 6,544,351

Cases

US: 98,039,655

World: 621,525,192

Poll: Most U.S. Republicans reject ‘MAGA’ label. A total of 42% of Republicans in the U.S. identify as “MAGA” Republicans, while 58% disavow the term, according to a new national poll by J. Ann Selzer and Grinnell College. Overall, 17% of respondents said they identify as MAGA Republican when told the phrase and asked if it describes them, the poll found. -- If you don’t identify as MAGA, then you are not Republican. So don’t vote for Republicans.

Ian makes landfall in southwest Florida as Category 4 storm. Hurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday in southwest Florida as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamping streets with water and smashing trees along the coast while moving at a crawl that threatened catastrophic flooding across a wide area.

Some don't evacuate, despite repeated hurricane warnings, because they can't. Whether it's first responders, people working in animal shelters, those with disabilities or people with a language barrier, the reality is often far more complicated for those who can't easily get up and evacuate to safety.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends universal masking in health care settings, unless the facilities are in areas of high COVID-19 transmission. The agency quietly issued the updates as part of an overhaul to its infection control guidance for health workers published late Friday afternoon. It marks a major departure from the agency’s previous recommendation for universal masking.

Ohio minors sought abortions out of state after being sexually assaulted, affidavits say. “This patient experienced immense trauma from the assault itself and then endured further trauma from a forensic interview alongside a physical exam to collect evidence for the ongoing police investigation,” Krishen said in the affidavit. “This trauma was further exacerbated by needing to wait over 3 weeks for her appointment. In each step of this process she felt the complete denial of bodily autonomy and safety, something that all people, especially children, should unequivocally have at all times.”

Churches defend clergy loophole in child sex abuse reporting. In 33 states, clergy are exempt from any laws requiring professionals such as teachers, physicians and psychotherapists to report information about alleged child sexual abuse to police or child welfare officials if the church deems the information privileged. This loophole has resulted in an unknown number of predators being allowed to continue abusing children for years despite having confessed the behavior to religious officials. In many of these cases, the privilege has been invoked to shield religious groups from civil and criminal liability after the abuse became known to civil authorities. Over the past two decades state lawmakers like Romero have proposed more than 130 bills seeking to create or amend child sex abuse reporting laws, an Associated Press review found. All either targeted the loophole and failed to close it, or amended the mandatory reporting statute without touching the clergy privilege amid intense opposition from religious groups. The AP found that the Roman Catholic Church has used its well-funded lobbying infrastructure and deep influence among lawmakers in some states to protect the privilege, and that influential members of the Mormon church and Jehovah’s Witnesses have also worked in statehouses and courts to preserve it in areas where their membership is high. -- So many evil people who hide behind religion. Leave the pews.

Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin speaks about racism from fans. The 20-year-old, who plays Lucas Sinclair in the Netflix hit, said the experience "took a toll" on him.

“My Brother Is So Far Gone”: How Male Influencers Turned The Men In These People’s Lives Toxic. A beloved brother who suddenly supports violence against women, a dad who minored in women’s studies and now wants to murder “effeminate” men, a boyfriend who starts making misogynistic jokes. We asked our readers how toxic male influences have changed the men in their lives, and they responded with disturbing stories…What makes this particular strain of content creation so insidious is how it’s packaged: most often as self-help for men who are struggling with real issues.

Success of experimental Alzheimer’s drug hailed as ‘historic moment’. An experimental drug has slowed the rate of decline in memory and thinking in people with early Alzheimer’s disease in what is being described as a “historic moment” for dementia treatment.

Alice, the first all-electric passenger airplane, takes flight. Israeli company Eviation Aircraft successfully launched the Alice on Tuesday morning from Washington’s Grant County International Airport. The zero-emission plane traveled at an altitude of 3,500 feet for its eight-minute inaugural flight.

Do the ‘Time Warp’ again — ‘Rocky Horror’ show will travel. Grab your toilet paper. Bring a flashlight. Don’t forget a newspaper — or your fishnets. A touring, interactive version of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is hitting the road to celebrate the cult film’s birthday with screenings, live shadow casts, the invitation to be inappropriate and one of its original stars — Barry Bostwick.

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

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