And another day of tax returns, climate disaster aid to poor nations, Fauci’s final briefing, flu cases rising, Americans turning away from vaccines, Bolsonaro contests election, the World Cup, earthquakes, and Taylor Swift fans comes to a close:
“The "Gay Agenda" is to work, study, create, shop, worship, and live without being emotionally, physically, and legislatively attacked at every turn by phobic Christians who believe someone else's body, relationship, marriage, or bedroom is their business.” — John Pavlovitz
Deaths
US: 1,103,355 (+455)
World: 6,629,178 (+1512)
Cases
US: 100,279,698 (+28,344)
World: 643,907,724 (+461,634)
Supreme Court OKs handover of Trump tax returns to Congress. The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the imminent handover of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns to a congressional committee after a three-year legal fight. The court, with no noted dissents, rejected Trump’s plea for an order that would have prevented the Treasury Department from giving six years of tax returns for Trump and some of his businesses to the Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee. -- I don’t have high hopes that anything will come of this.
Cop27 Climate Summit Promises Disaster Aid to Poor Nations. “There is no way we can avoid a catastrophic situation, if the two [the developed and developing world] are not able to establish a historic pact,” he said, in an interview with the Guardian. “Because at the present level, we will be doomed.” In the end, after two weeks of fraught and often bitter negotiations, the “historic pact” Guterres wanted was finally struck. For the first time in 30 years of climate talks, developed countries agreed to provide finance to help rescue and rebuild poorer countries stricken by climate-related disasters, known as a loss and damage fund.
In final White House briefing, Fauci urges Americans to get updated Covid booster. “The final message I give you from this podium is that please, for your own safety, for that of your family, get your updated Covid-19 shot as soon as you’re eligible.”…Fauci does not plan to retire. He told NBC News he is considering various paths that include working in academia, a foundation, or possibly on his own. He said it is "highly likely" he will write a book. But in a departure from so many government officials-turned authors in the post-Trump era, he added it wouldn't be a tell-all.
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) wants the public to know flu cases are rising quickly in Washington as well as nationwide. In a statement released Tuesday, health officials said flu hospitalizations are at the highest rates seen in 10 years for this point in the year. They say things have especially ramped up in the last two weeks.
Will America continue to turn away from vaccines? Precisely because of the highly public discourse around the Covid-19 vaccines — which have been ferociously debated like no shot in modern memory — the small but vocal minority that oppose them, and the prevalence of hard-to-stamp-out disinformation and misinformation, the public is paying more attention to vaccines in general. Instead of leading to greater appreciation of our best weapons against infectious disease, it is possible, even likely, that the hesitation and fatigue generated by Covid vaccines may spill over into vaccines for other diseases…That’s in part because Americans tend to view vaccines in the same way they do consumer products, like a dietary supplement or over-the-counter drug — meaning they believe it’s up to them to decide whether to use or not, based on their perception of its risks and benefits, rather than relying on expert or government recommendations…Recent polling suggests politically motivated vaccine hesitancy has already spilled over from Covid-19 into the flu vaccine. In October, Grid News found that nearly half of Democrats but only 22 percent of Republicans had gotten the flu shot so far this year. This polarization of flu vaccine attitudes had already existed before the pandemic, but since then, the gap between Democrats and Republicans has grown even wider.
Bolsonaro contests Brazil election, demands votes be anulled. More than three weeks after losing a reelection bid, President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday blamed a software bug and demanded the electoral authority annul votes cast on most of Brazil’s nation’s electronic voting machines, though independent experts say the bug doesn’t affect the reliability of results.
Top US diplomat criticizes FIFA armband threat at World Cup. America’s top diplomat on Tuesday criticized a decision by FIFA to threaten players at the World Cup with yellow cards if they wear armbands supporting inclusion and diversity. Speaking alongside his Qatari counterpart at a news conference, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was “always concerning ... when we see any restrictions on freedom of expression.”
Iran media blames humiliating World Cup loss on protests. Iran was reeling Tuesday from the humiliation of starting the World Cup with a lopsided 6-2 loss against England in a match overshadowed by protests on and off the field. Hard-line Iranian media sought to blame the defeat on the unrest that has gripped the Islamic Republic since the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police. Iranian newspapers turned to the familiar tactic of accusing foreign enemies, including the United States, Britain and Israel, of stirring up protests to throw the national team off its game. -- Anything to try and quell the human rights protests. Fucking authoritarians.
Search effort intensifies after Indonesia quake killed 268. More rescuers and volunteers were deployed Wednesday in devastated areas on Indonesia’s main island of Java to search for the dead and missing from an earthquake that killed at least 268 people.
Taylor Swift ticket trouble could drive political engagement. Some of Taylor Swift’s fans want you to know three things: They’re not still 16, they have careers and resources and, right now, they’re angry. That’s a powerful political motivator, researchers say. Look what Ticketmaster made them do.
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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