And another day of politics, Omicron shots, a shooting at the UVA, a racist teacher in TX, codifying same-sex marriage, Holocaust survivors on TikTok, double beds on planes, and the health benefits of acts of kindness comes to a close:
“If you wish to become a philosopher, the first thing to realise is that most people go through life with a whole world of beliefs that have no sort of rational justification, and that one man’s world of beliefs is apt to be incompatible with another man’s, so that they cannot both be right. People’s opinions are mainly designed to make them feel comfortable; truth, for most people is a secondary consideration.” ― Bertrand Russell, The Art of Philosophizing and other Essays (1942)
Deaths
US: 1,100,296
World: 6,616,556
Cases
US: 99,935,041
World: 640,649,137
Hobbs wins Arizona governor’s race, flipping state for Dems. Democrat Katie Hobbs was elected Arizona governor on Monday, defeating an ally of Donald Trump who falsely claimed the 2020 election was rigged and refused to say she would accept the results of her race this year.
Democrats keep Senate majority as GOP push falters in Nevada. Democrats kept control of the Senate on Saturday, repelling Republican efforts to retake the chamber and making it harder for them to thwart President Joe Biden’s agenda. The fate of the House was still uncertain as the GOP struggled to pull together a slim majority there.
Across the US, a return to democratic order. Will it last? There was no violence. Many candidates who denied the legitimacy of previous elections lost and quietly conceded. And few listened when former President Donald Trump tried to stoke baseless allegations of electoral fraud. For a moment, at least, there’s a sense of normalcy in the U.S. The extremism that has consumed political discourse for much of the last two years has been replaced by something resembling traditional democratic order.
Conservatives warn McCarthy: You don't have the votes for speaker. The California Republican is expected to easily surpass the simple majority needed to win the nomination, but members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus are planning to put up a symbolic challenger to make clear that McCarthy can’t reach the magic number needed — 218 votes — in the formal floor vote when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.
Moderna's Omicron shots shows better immune response than original COVID vaccine. Moderna Inc said on Monday its Omicron-tailored vaccines produced a better immune response against the BA.4/5 subvariants in a mid-to-late stage study, when given as a booster dose, compared with its original shot.
3 UVA football players killed in shooting are remembered as role models with 'lasting impact'. Family and friends of three college football players, gunned down at the University of Virginia, called their slayings "heartbreaking and tragic." Cavaliers linebacker D'Sean Perry and wide receivers Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr. were allegedly killed by one-time football player Christopher Darnell Jones on Sunday night, a little more than 30 hours after team's game against the University of Pittsburgh.
Teacher fired after telling Black students his race is 'superior'. A middle school teacher in Texas has been fired after a video posted on social media showed him telling students his race is "superior." "Deep down in my heart, I'm ethnocentric, which means I think my race is the superior one," the teacher was recorded telling students of various races last week inside a classroom at Bohls Middle School, a sixth- through eighth-grade school in Pflugerville, about 18 miles northeast of Austin. -- Fucking racist asshole.
Senators set to vote on bill to codify Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage protections. The Senate is set to vote this week on a bill to codify the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage protections after a bipartisan group of senators unveiled a deal earlier Monday, signaling they believe they have the votes to get past a filibuster and move the measure to President Biden’s desk.
For People with Disabilities on Parole and Probation, Accessible Communication is Essential. By design, once someone with a disability is entangled in the criminal legal system, they are more likely to stay trapped. They cycle in and out of prison and jail, experiencing isolation and communication deprivation along the way. When released on parole or probation, they face complex and everchanging rules, exorbitant fees, and the constant threat of reincarceration for minor violations. But due to sparse compliance with federal laws that prohibit disability discrimination, disabled people are at heightened risk of “violating” rules they did not know or comprehend.
Dolly Parton receives $100 million Courage and Civility Award from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. “I try to put my money where my heart is. I will do my best to do good things with this money,” Parton tweeted. “Thank you @JeffBezos #LaurenSanchez”
Holocaust survivors turn to TikTok to teach a new generation not to forget. People who use their accounts to educate followers say it’s difficult to understand the severity and scope of the Holocaust through textbooks and history lessons alone. TikTok allows survivors to speak to a generation that may know little about the extermination of 6 million Jews in Europe during World War II.
Singer Roberta Flack can no longer sing after ALS diagnosis. Grammy-winning musician Roberta Flack, whose hits include “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” has been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and can no longer sing, her representatives said on Monday.
New levels of luxury on planes, from double beds to high-walled suites. In fact, some airlines almost seem to be encouraging their elite travelers to get down to business, with the introduction of snuggle-friendly double beds. Meanwhile in first class, a new generation of high-wall supersuites are reaching right up to the ceilings of some of the latest wide-body jets, offering unprecedented levels of privacy. As for the rest of us in economy, it's more about squeezing than snuggling. Airplane seats are shrinking and US travelers have a lot to say about it.
The health benefits of a random act of kindness. Putting the well-being of others before our own without expecting anything in return — or what is called being altruistic — stimulates the reward centers of the brain, studies have shown. Those feel-good chemicals flood our system, producing a sort of “helper’s high.” Volunteering, for example, has been shown to minimize stress and improve depression. That’s not all: The same activity can also reduce the risk for cognitive impairment and even help us live longer. One reason for this, experts say, is because kindness contributes to our sense of community and belonging. And that, studies have found, is a key contributor to a healthy, longer life.
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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