And another day of more people disciplined, DeSantis following Hungarian authoritarianism playbook, ending Covid emergencies, record high absences from work, Valley Fever, music-making AI, and the Vagina Museum needs a new home comes to a close:
“The only minority group to be afraid of *is* the Republican Party.” — Snide Sally
“We fund what we value. We police what we don't.” — Ahmed Ali
“Florida is basically 1930’s Germany with theme parks.” — William Buecker
Covid Deaths
US: 1,132,719
World: 6,760,868
Covid Cases
US: 104,183,562
World: 675,032,978
71 Commands in 13 Minutes: When Tyre Nichols Couldn't Comply With Impossible Orders, Police Assaulted Him. Police officers unleashed a barrage of commands that were confusing, conflicting and sometimes even impossible to obey, a New York Times analysis of footage from Tyre Nichols’ fatal traffic stop found. When Nichols could not comply — and even when he managed to — the officers responded with escalating force…Officers commanded Nichols to show his hands even as they were holding his hands. They told him to get on the ground even when he was on the ground. And they ordered him to reposition himself even when they had control of his body. Experts say the actions of the Memphis police officers were an egregious example of a long-standing problem in policing in which officers physically punish civilians for perceived disrespect or disobedience — sometimes called “contempt of cop.” The practice was notoriously prevalent decades ago. — Like politics, many people who go into law enforcement are horrible people.
7th Memphis officer disciplined, EMTs fired in Nichols death. Two more Memphis police officers have been disciplined and three emergency responders fired in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols, officials said Monday, widening the circle of punishment for the shocking display of police brutality after video showed many more people failed to help him beyond the five officers accused of beating him to death.
Ron DeSantis is following a trail blazed by a Hungarian authoritarian. The Florida governor isn’t doing “competent Trumpism.” He’s inventing American Orbánism. When I asked DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw about a possible connection, she initially denied knowing of Hungarian inspiration for Florida’s law. After I showed her the quote from Dreher, she did not respond further. Dreher did not reply to two requests for comment.
Florida GOP leaders want to get rid of gun permits. Saying gun owners don’t need a government permission slip to protect their God-given rights, Florida’s House speaker proposed legislation Monday to eliminate concealed weapons permits, a move Democrats argue would make a state with a history of horrific mass shootings less safe. Republican leaders, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, have expressed support for the idea, so the bill should not have a problem passing in a legislature with a GOP a super-majority.
At least 10 people wounded in Lakeland, Florida, shooting, police say. At least 10 people were wounded Monday afternoon in a drive-by shooting in Lakeland, Florida, police said, and two are in critical condition.
President Biden to end COVID-19 emergencies on May 11. President Joe Biden informed Congress on Monday that he will end the twin national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, as most of the world has returned closer to normalcy nearly three years after they were first declared.
Absence from work at record high as Americans feel strain from Covid. About 1.5 million Americans missed work because of sickness in December. Each month, more than a million people have called out sick for the past three years. About 7% of Americans currently have long Covid, which can affect productivity and ability to work, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)…Last year, the trend accelerated rather than returning to normal. In 2022, workers had the most sickness-related absences of the pandemic, and the highest number since record-keeping began in 1976. — Yeah, no matter how much so many of you want it to be true, we are not “back to normal.”
West Virginia advances school mandate on ‘In God We Trust’. Public schools in West Virginia may soon be required to display the phrase “In God We Trust” in every building if a bill passed by the state Senate on Monday becomes law. The bill was introduced by Republican Sen. Mike Azinger, who said he wants to give kids in schools something to look up to and let them know it’s OK to “say God” in school.
Valley fever, historically found only in the Southwest, is spreading. It can have devastating consequences. The fungus is endemic to the hot, dry soils of the Southwest; 97% of all U.S. cases of Valley fever are reported in Arizona and California, according to the California Department of Public Health. But that could change: Fungal infections, including Valley fever, are increasingly being diagnosed outside of their usual ranges. One study in the journal GeoHealth projected that, due to climate change, the range of Valley fever could spread east, through the Great Plains and north, to the Canadian border, before the end of the century.
Namibia reports record level of rhino poaching. The number of endangered rhinos poached in Namibia last year was the highest on record and almost twice as many as the year before, officials say. A total of 87 rhinos were killed compared with 45 in 2021, official government data show.
Google has developed a music-making AI bot. It's also not surprising that tech giant Google would be the first major player on the scene. The company is reportedly building an AI bot that can create "original" music(Opens in a new window) from both text and sound prompts — users would be able to type in increasingly specific prompts noting genres and styles or even build songs based on a hummed or whistled melody, according to reports. The future app is known in-house as MusicLM.
World's first Vagina Museum set to close as property scheme ends. The Vagina Museum opened at the site in Bethnal Green in March last year, having moved from Camden Market. It was using the space in Victoria Park Square alongside entertainment venue Enter under a property guardianship scheme. A spokesperson said it was sad news it had to close so soon and appealed for help in finding new premises…"As a property guardianship, we have always been aware that we may be asked to leave at very short notice," Florence Schechter, the museum's director, said. "We are disappointed that this notice to vacate has come so soon."…"In our time at Bethnal Green, we've once again demonstrated just how much the world needs and wants a Vagina Museum.”
Hockey Hall of Famer and Stanley Cup champion Bobby Hull has died at 84.
RIP Cindy Williams. She was 75. And god damn she was funny. Thank you for all the laughs.
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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