How COVID-19 is affecting society

[Free]

Biden Administration to Treat Masks in Schools as a Civil Rights Issue

Officials will investigate complaints that inadequate mask policies violate the rights of vulnerable students, the education secretary says.

www.edweek.org

The Biden administration stands ready to investigate civil rights complaints from families concerned that restrictions on masking in schools violate their children’s rights to a free and appropriate public education, U.S. Education Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said Wednesday.

The statement came the same day as a memorandum from President Joe Biden that directs the U.S. Department of Education to “use all available tools to ensure that governors and other officials are providing a safe return to in-person learning for the nation’s children.”

“This isn’t about politics,” Biden said in a White House address Wednesday afternoon. “It’s about keeping our children safe. It’s about taking on the virus together, united. I’ve made it clear that I will stand with those who are trying to do the right thing.”

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Biden Administration to Treat Masks in Schools as a Civil Rights Issue

Officials will investigate complaints that inadequate mask policies violate the rights of vulnerable students, the education secretary says.

www.edweek.org

Next thing you know, these anti-maskers will start targeting the vaccination requirements all children must meet to be enrolled in public schools as some sort of civil rights issue.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

I've given up worrying about how their brains work. I've now moved on to wondering what the effect of these deaths (and long-term illnesses) will be on future elections. This wave (or undulation, since it could be argued it's all been one long wave) is hitting rural, evangelical GOP voters the hardest. They got by more lightly (comparatively speaking) during the Alpha phase, but now Delta is kicking them in the butt. I don't expect this to change their voting choices, but are the deaths sufficiently high to change the outcome of elections?

Primarily red counties will stay red, but with fewer votes. What about purple counties? Will they shift toward blue? Or have the deaths been comparable from both sides (primarily blue before, primarily red now)? Is this even a factor given the percentage of deaths is small? Are the actual numbers enough to make a difference?

Fed study ties 1918 flu pandemic to Nazi Party gains

The paper examined municipal spending levels and voter extremism in Germany from the time of the initial influenza outbreak until 1933.

www.politico.com

I suspect we're only a few short years away from the angry sunglasses guys in cars are shooting video about the drains on society with all these people with disabilities from COVID. History Rhyme, yo.

 

[Free]

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Real life

Real life - Ctrl+Alt+Del Comic

cad-comic.com

 

[Essence Lumin]

 

[Beebo Brink]

That 'damn machine': the dark side of mechanical ventilators in the ICU

Covid-19 is creating an army of sufferers trapped in the state of persistent critical illness, relying on breathing machines in ICUs around the world. Some have described it as a "state worse than death."

www.statnews.com

 

[Free]

Oregon patient with COVID-19 makes it to hospital, dies waiting for ICU bed; ‘We didn’t have enough’

The nightmare scenario health officials talked about Thursday played out in Douglas County the day before.

www.oregonlive.com

I don't have an emoji for this one.

 

[Grandma Bates]

The NRA is trying to throw a party for their 150th anniversary. Their annual convention is scheduled to be held in Houston, Texas, and between cancelling last year due to COVID and their membership's denial that COVID is even a problem there has been a bit of a conflict between the attendees and the vendors sponsoring the event. At this point there is only one firearms manufacturer officially on the list of vendors scheduled to be at the event. There is now a report that many of the other manufacturers are trying to pressure the NRA to cancel the event, and there is growing tension between the NRA and the industry. it appears that some of the firearms manufacturers are much more concerned about themselves than they are about school children caught in the crossfire.

What happens when you throw a convention for angry white men but there is nobody to fleece them of their money?

 

[Innula Zenovka]

The NRA is trying to throw a party for their 150th anniversary. Their annual convention is scheduled to be held in Houston, Texas, and between cancelling last year due to COVID and their membership's denial that COVID is even a problem there has been a bit of a conflict between the attendees and the vendors sponsoring the event. At this point there is only one firearms manufacturer officially on the list of vendors scheduled to be at the event. There is now a report that many of the other manufacturers are trying to pressure the NRA to cancel the event, and there is growing tension between the NRA and the industry. it appears that some of the firearms manufacturers are much more concerned about themselves than they are about school children caught in the crossfire.

What happens when you throw a convention for angry white men but there is nobody to fleece them of their money?

It seems to me that the the firearms industry created something of a Frankenstein's monster in the NRA, or when they hired Wayne LaPierre, and their marketing tool morphed into a powerful right-wing pressure group in its own right, while providing Mr LaPierre and his friends with an opulent lifestyle and large financial rewards, all out of the NRA's money.

If I were a gun manufacturer in the US I'd be trying to cut them loose, too, and just hope they all get hauled off to prison for fraud, or whatever fate awaits them, and try to start over and persuade the public that gun owners aren't necessarily far right crackpots who shouldn't be allowed anywhere near guns.

UK gun-owners cringe at the mention of the NRA -- the damage that organisation has done to the public perception of gun-owners in the UK is incalculable.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

UK gun-owners cringe at the mention of the NRA -- the damage that organisation has done to the public perception of gun-owners in the UK is incalculable.

I watch an English wildlife rescue channel “Wildlife Aid” and I recall one video where Mister Cowell, the founder, was attending an injured deer. He assessed the situation, produced a pistol and shot the animal. I recall my shock being seeing a very proper and jovial Englishman, OBE even, with a firearm. Shooting a badly injured animal as an act of mercy didn’t phase me at all by comparison.

 

[Essence Lumin]

Orlando uses liquid oxygen to treat their water supply. There isn't enough because hospitals are using so much to treat covid patients.

Orlando mayor asks residents to start conserving water immediately due to liquid oxygen shortage

Dyer explained that many COVID-19 patients require liquid oxygen for their treatment. OUC has used liquid oxygen to treat the water supply for years.

www.wesh.com

 

[Veritable Quandry]

I think it's adorable when they say they are confident people will come together to conserve water and get through this together. If they could come together in a crisis, there wouldn't be a fucking Covid surge in the first place.

 

[WolfEyes]

The point is SOLID. But the people he's talking to won't ever watch it because it'll hurt their fee-fees.

 

[Free]

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

hahaha so fake and shopped


oh.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

 

[Romana]

 

[Kathryn Elisabeth]

I've given up worrying about how their brains work. I've now moved on to wondering what the effect of these deaths (and long-term illnesses) will be on future elections. .....

I actually think some Republican leaders think that the deaths will increase Republican chances.

One side: A little over 1% death rate overall, due to lack of ICU space.

Other side: A doubling down on the mentality of 'Well I survived 'The COBID, so thems was a lying.. and trying to inject me with atheist 5G microchips", with a good dose of "That COBID is what a kill't Granny!" "Was a lettin' all them Furreners in that did her in!"

So expect increased obstinate militancy on the part of the Republican voters.

This is gonna add another dose of anger that can be easily aimed by unscrupulous demagogues, and no rational, reality based, counterpoints will be effective.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]