Post by mhbruin on Dec 13, 2021 9:28:10 GMT -8
US Vaccine Data - We Have Now Administered 485 Million Shots (Population 333 Million)
--------------
Will It Become the New QOP Boogie Man?
A two-year BBC investigation into Black Axe - a Nigerian student fraternity which evolved into a dreaded mafia-group - has unearthed new evidence of infiltration of politics, and a scamming and killing operation spanning the globe.
Black Axe's international cybercrime network is likely to be generating billions of dollars in revenue for their members. In 2017 Canadian authorities say they busted a money laundering scheme linked to the gang worth more than $5bn. Nobody knows how many similar Black Axe schemes are out there. The leaked documents show members communicating between Nigeria, the UK, Malaysia, the Gulf States, and a dozen other countries.
"It's spread all over the world," the source of the data hack told us. He says he's an anti-fraud investigator in his private life and began pursuing Black Axe after encountering a number of their scam victims.
"I would estimate there are upwards of 30,000 members," he says.
Black Axe's global expansion has been carefully constructed. The correspondence shows Axemen dividing geographic areas into "zones," and designating local "heads". Zonal heads collect "dues" - something akin to membership fees - from those in their jurisdictions, before sending the money back to leaders in their heartland in Nigeria's Benin City.
"It has spread throughout Europe and America, South America and Asia," says Tobias. "It is not a little club, this is a fantastically large criminal organisation."
We've Had Communists, Al Qaeda, MS-13, Antifa, BLM. And These Guys Are Black. It's Perfect for the QOP!
--------------
Crypto and NFT's. Two of the Dumbest Ideas in Human History. And That's a Low Bar.
An in-demand non-fungible token (NFT) has been accidentally sold for a little more than $3,000 (£2,270) - one-hundredth of its market price.
The Bored Ape Yacht Club is limited run of 10,000 pieces of digital art, each with minor variations.
But the owner of Bored Ape number 3,547 made a "fat fingered" typing error when listing the item for sale online.
The NFT was instantly snapped up by an automated account - and put back on sale at nearly $250,000.
The seller, maxnaut, told CNet he had meant to list Bored Ape number 3,547 for sale at 75 ethereum (ETH), the crypto-currency used for many NFT trades.
But a "lapse of concentration" - during one of the many trades he lists online every day - had caused him to instead type in "0.75 ETH" ($2,989).
"I instantly saw the error as my finger clicked the mouse but… it was instantly sniped before I could click 'Cancel' - and just like that, $250,000 was gone," he said.
I Think I Am Going to Invent BeanieBucks, Secured By Beanie Babies.
--------------
They Must Have Given Him a Bad Science Education, If He Can't Even Blow Himself Up
A Russian teenager has detonated an explosive device at an Orthodox school near a convent outside Moscow, injuring a number of people.
Russia's interior ministry says an 18-year-old man, a graduate of the school in Serpukhov, tried to blow himself up. He has reportedly survived.
The ministry says a 15-year-old is among the injured. Local media say as many as eight people are hurt.
And a Bad Moral Education If He Tried to Kill Others, Too.
--------------
COVID By State and County
On a per capita basis, North Dakota, Alaska and Tennessee have reported the most cases while Mississippi and Alabama are leading the country in deaths.
Check Out Your County
--------------
Stop Me If You've Heard This Story Before.
Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich says he should have been vaccinated sooner after suffering a lung problem due to Covid-19.
Kimmich had previously expressed a reluctance to get vaccinated due to "fears and concerns" about the vaccine, but says doctors found liquid in his lung which will now keep him out of action until 2022.
The 26-year-old tested positive for Covid-19 last month but has still been unable to return to training as doctors recommended he take 10 days to rest. Kimmich says he was told intense activity could lead to heart problems and long-term effects.
"For several reasons, it would have been better to have gotten an earlier vaccination," Kimmich told German outlet ZDF. "There are many good reasons to get vaccinated.
"In general, it was difficult for me to cope with my fears and concerns. Therefore, I was undecided for such a long time. Therefore, I couldn't make this decision.
"I probably had to live through this experience. Looking back, I would have taken the vaccination decision much earlier, but at that point, I was not able to make that decision."
Why Didn't You Stop Me? We've All Heard This Before.
--------------
800,000 And Counting and Preventable
The United States passed another grim Covid-19 milestone Monday, as more than 800,000 Americans have now died from the virus that's plagued the country for nearly two years.
There have been at least 800,156 confirmed deaths traced to the coronavirus, according to a rolling tally by NBC News.
That's more than in any other nation, and more than the population of Boston, Washington, D.C., or Seattle.
This number is expected to increase Monday as more state and local health departments update their data.
This Wasn't a Good Time to Be Old. But When Is a Good Time?
Nearly 590,089 people over 65 have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, CDC data shows.
The data shows that about 1 in every 100 Americans over 65 have died from COVID-19.
They Probably Don't Mourn the 800,000 Dead Americans, But They Mourn Tab
Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey, a 25-year veteran of the company, has been hearing it from disgruntled niche beverage fans.
"I got a lot of emails about Tab," Quincey told CNN Business.
The complaints follow a striking decision Quincey made last year to slash the company's portfolio of products in half — killing beloved brands like the 1980s diet drink Tab, smoothie brand Odwalla and Zico coconut water in the process. Overall, about 200 brands were on the chopping block.
Quincey even heard about fans who held funerals for their dearly departed favorites. That had to be a "first in my career," he added.
--------------
Here's One Reason I Never Got Rooftop Solar
California is expected to propose changes this week to a state policy that allows owners of private homes with solar panels to sell their excess energy into the electric grid at or near the retail rate.
The policy, called net metering, has become a lightning rod of controversy since it was adopted decades ago: solar backers say it has been crucial to supporting the industry's growth in the fight against climate change, while critics contend it amounts to a multi-billion dollar subsidy for wealthy homeowners at the expense of other utility ratepayers.
Any change to the policy could have sweeping impacts on the utility and solar industries -- including big panel installers like Sunrun (RUN) and SunPower (SPWR). It could also provide a cue to states that tend to take California's lead on climate change and clean energy policies, experts said.
California is home to about 40% of the nation's residential solar energy capacity.
The state's Public Utilities Commission has been taking feedback on the issue from utilities, solar industry representatives and others, and could make an announcement as early as Monday. The commission last made modest changes to net metering in 2016.
Critics of net metering say that allowing homeowners with solar panels to sell their energy at market rates effectively excuses them from paying any share in the cost of maintaining grid infrastructure, which is embedded in the price of electricity for normal ratepayers.
A study by the University of California, Berkeley earlier this year estimated that in San Diego, where home solar accounts for more than 20% of residential power consumption, customers without solar are paying up to an additional $230 on their utility bills per year.
"It's a reverse Robin Hood situation," Matthew Freedman, an attorney with California ratepayer advocacy group The Utility Reform Network, said in an interview. "And so we ask ourselves, 'Should we be providing the largest subsidies to the richest customers in the state?'"
Households with solar panels tend to be wealthier than those without, according to studies.
WTF Does "Up To" Ever Mean. $2.25 Qualifies As "Up to $230". So Does 10 Cents.
--------------
The Story Isn't That Interesting, But It's a Great Headline
"The cannons keeping airplanes safe, one chicken at a time"
The throw chicken parts around airports to keep birds away.
--------------
Come Visit Your Toilet Brush
Bolmen: your toilet brush. Toftan: your trash can. Misterhult: your bamboo lamp. Those exotic-sounding names that IKEA gives your household products are familiar words to Swedish speakers -- often, they're named after famous destinations.
And now, the Swedish tourist board is reclaiming those names in a new marketing campaign, designed to get people knowing the elegant originals, as well as the knock-offs.
That toilet brush, for example, is named after Bolmen, a pretty, tree-fringed lake in the Småland region of southern Sweden.
And that trash can? Toftan is another beautiful lake -- this time in the Dalarna region in the center of the country. Misterhult, meanwhile, also in Småland, is an enchanting archipelago of 2,000 islands -- or a lamp.
The campaign, called Discover the Originals, has collated 21 popular IKEA products and matched them to their namesakes, in a bid to make the originals as iconic as the products which have nabbed their names.
I Can Think of Several Cities In California Which Would Be Appropriate Names for a Trash Can. And Several Red States.
--------------
If You Build Them, They Will Come
The Biden administration is releasing a federal strategy Monday to implement an ambitious plan to build 500,000 charging stations for electric vehicles across the country and ultimately transform the U.S. auto industry.
The $1 trillion infrastructure law President Joe Biden signed last month authorizes the charging stations and sets aside $5 billion for states, with a goal to build a national charging network. The law also provides an additional $2.5 billion for local grants to support charging stations in rural areas and in disadvantaged communities.
--------------
It Seems Remarkable That Biden Had to Order These Agencies to Do Their Jobs.
President Joe Biden is set to sign an executive order Monday that will make several government agencies more efficient and easier for Americans to navigate. The new order fast-forwards the nation into the digital age by cutting the time and vexation of federal services such as renewing passports, applying for Social Security benefits, and getting needed aid after natural disasters.
The new order will ensure that those Americans 65+ can claim benefits online more smoothly, and Medicare recipients can better manage online tools to save money on medicine.
Taxpayers will now be able to schedule callbacks instead of waiting on long phone holds or relying on snail mail or faxes. Also, updating addresses or name changes in the Social Security Administration will be more accessible.
Passport services will be online, giving Americans the opportunity to renew and pay digitally versus via a personal check or money order.
Students and military veterans will have a single portal to pay federal loans or access benefits.
Lower-income families will be able to enroll in social service programs without having to manage reams of paperwork and will have the ability to order groceries online.
Those who’ve suffered a natural disaster and are applying for federal aid can now upload photos of damaged property to support claims, forgoing filing via multiple forms from various agencies.
Small businesses and farmers can now access loans online.
--------------
Maybe I Was Too Hasty in Welcoming Omicron
At least one person has died from of the omicron variant, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday as he urged Britons to quickly increase their protection with a booster shot. It was the first reported fatality in the country from the variant.
--------------
Peter Navarro Is Dumb As a Chicken Sandwich
--------------
This Is Chilling
--------------
You're Caught in a Blizzard. Do You Want an Electric Car or a Gas-Powered Car?
At the end of October, an image showing a snowy traffic jam, with a caption about how bad it would be to get stuck in a snowstorm and three-hour traffic jam at night with an electric car, because the battery would go dead and you’d have no heat.
But as Oxford associate professor David Howey told Reuters for a fact check, “electric vehicles use very little power when stationary. The motor doesn’t consume power at zero speed.”
Oh! Well, waddya know, turns out an EV’s actually better than a gas car, and could probably run all the internal climate controls and electronics for “at least a day, probably many days” if it weren’t going anywhere. All this with the added bonus of not killing you with carbon monoxide if you're stuck in a snowbank!
Howey’s Oxford colleague Dr. Katherine Collet told Reuters that the Nissan Leaf could probably provide around 10 hours of heating- just on half a battery charge!
--------------
Lauren Boebert Is a Moron. Therein Lies the Problem
--------------
This Is Only One Poll, But ...
--------------
What If School Districts Just Bought Enough Supplies?
Here's The Next Group of Teachers Waiting to Participate
If They Held It In England, They Could Call It "The Quid Game"
--------------
This Is About As Likely As Snape Betraying Voldemort to Help Harry Potter
Longtime Fox News anchor Chris Wallace announced Sunday that he is leaving his Sunday news show, and CNN quickly announced he would be joining their new streaming service.
--------------
CDC doesn't do a good job of reporting around holidays.
200 Million Fully Vaccinated
Doses Administered 7-Day Average | Number of People Receiving 1 or More Doses | Number of People Fully Vaccinated | New Cases 7-Day Average | Deaths 7-Day Average | |
| Dec 13 | 1,951,329 | 239,274,656 | 202,246,698 | ||
| Dec 12 | 1,984,721 | 239,008,166 | 201,975,235 | 116,742 | 1,131 |
| Dec 11 | 2,020,853 | 238,679,707 | 201,688,550 | 116,893 | 1,131 |
| Dec 10 | 1,721,570 | 238,143,066 | 201,279,582 | 118,575 | 1,146 |
| Dec 9 | 1,583,662 | 237,468,725 | 200,717,387 | 118,052 | 1,089 |
| Dec 8 | 1,611,831 | 237,087,380 | 200,400,533 | 118,515 | 1,092 |
| Dec 7 | 1,781,389 | 236,363,835 | 199,687,439 | 117,488 | 1,097 |
| Dec 6 | 1,780,807 | 236,018,871 | 199,313,022 | 117,179 | 1,117 |
| Dec 5 | 2,264,301 | 235,698,738 | 198,962,520 | 103,823 | 1,154 |
| Dec 4 | 2,009,864 | 235,297,964 | 198,592,167 | 105,554 | 1,150 |
| Dec 3 | 1,700,056 | 234,743,864 | 198,211,641 | 106,132 | 1,110 |
| Dec 2 | 1,428,263 | 234,269,053 | 197,838,728 | 96,425 | 975 |
| Dec 1 | 1,116,587 | 233,590,555 | 197,363,116 | 86,412 | 859 |
| Nov 30 | 1,152,647 | 233,207,582 | 197,058,988 | 82,846 | 816 |
| Nov 29 | 937,113 | 232,792,508 | 196,806,194 | 80,178 | 804 |
| Nov 28 | No Data | 72,008 | 719 | ||
| Nov 27 | No Data | 72,139 | 721 | ||
| Nov 26 | No Data | 73,962 | 742 | ||
| Nov 25 | No Data | 82,440 | 887 | ||
| Nov 24 | 898,833 | 231,367,686 | 196,168,756 | 93,931 | 989 |
| Nov 23 | 1,126,545 | 230,669,289 | 195,973,992 | 94,266 | 982 |
| Nov 22 | 1,521,815 | 230,732,565 | 196,398,948 | 93,668 | 1,009 |
| Nov 21 | 1,774,196 | 230,298,744 | 196,284,442 | 91,021 | 985 |
| Nov 20 | 2,136,513 | 229,837,421 | 196,128,496 | 90,823 | 996 |
| Nov 19 | 1,952,717 | 229,291,004 | 195,920,566 | 92,852 | 1,047 |
| Nov 18 | 1,870,564 | 228,570,531 | 195,713,107 | 94,260 | 1,069 |
| Nov 17 | 1,811,047 | 228,175,638 | 195,612,365 | 88,482 | 1,032 |
| Nov 16 | 1,608,906 | 227,691,941 | 195,435,688 | 85,944 | 1,028 |
| Nov 15 | 1,582,519 | 227,133,617 | 195,275,904 | 83,671 | 1,029 |
| Nov 14 | 1,375,998 | 226,607,653 | 195,120,470 | 80,823 | 1,043 |
| Nov 13 | 1,370,279 | 226,157,226 | 194,951,106 | 80,590 | 1,049 |
| Nov 12 | 1,335,066 | 225,606,197 | 194,747,839 | 78,552 | 1,038 |
| Nov 11 | No Data | 73,218 | 999 | ||
| Nov 10 | 1,316,294 | 224,660,453 | 194,382,921 | 76,458 | 1,051 |
| Nov 9 | 1,316,228 | 224,257,467 | 194,168,611 | 74,584 | 1,078 |
| Feb 16 | 1,716,311 | 39,670,551 | 15,015,434 | 78,292 |
| At Least One Dose | Fully Vaccinated | |
| % of Total Population | 72.1% | 60.9% |
| % of Population 12+ | 82.4% | 70.4% |
| % of Population 18+ | 84.4% | 72.1% |
| % of Population 65+ | 95.0% | 87.2% |
Will It Become the New QOP Boogie Man?
A two-year BBC investigation into Black Axe - a Nigerian student fraternity which evolved into a dreaded mafia-group - has unearthed new evidence of infiltration of politics, and a scamming and killing operation spanning the globe.
Black Axe's international cybercrime network is likely to be generating billions of dollars in revenue for their members. In 2017 Canadian authorities say they busted a money laundering scheme linked to the gang worth more than $5bn. Nobody knows how many similar Black Axe schemes are out there. The leaked documents show members communicating between Nigeria, the UK, Malaysia, the Gulf States, and a dozen other countries.
"It's spread all over the world," the source of the data hack told us. He says he's an anti-fraud investigator in his private life and began pursuing Black Axe after encountering a number of their scam victims.
"I would estimate there are upwards of 30,000 members," he says.
Black Axe's global expansion has been carefully constructed. The correspondence shows Axemen dividing geographic areas into "zones," and designating local "heads". Zonal heads collect "dues" - something akin to membership fees - from those in their jurisdictions, before sending the money back to leaders in their heartland in Nigeria's Benin City.
"It has spread throughout Europe and America, South America and Asia," says Tobias. "It is not a little club, this is a fantastically large criminal organisation."
We've Had Communists, Al Qaeda, MS-13, Antifa, BLM. And These Guys Are Black. It's Perfect for the QOP!
--------------
Crypto and NFT's. Two of the Dumbest Ideas in Human History. And That's a Low Bar.
An in-demand non-fungible token (NFT) has been accidentally sold for a little more than $3,000 (£2,270) - one-hundredth of its market price.
The Bored Ape Yacht Club is limited run of 10,000 pieces of digital art, each with minor variations.
But the owner of Bored Ape number 3,547 made a "fat fingered" typing error when listing the item for sale online.
The NFT was instantly snapped up by an automated account - and put back on sale at nearly $250,000.
The seller, maxnaut, told CNet he had meant to list Bored Ape number 3,547 for sale at 75 ethereum (ETH), the crypto-currency used for many NFT trades.
But a "lapse of concentration" - during one of the many trades he lists online every day - had caused him to instead type in "0.75 ETH" ($2,989).
"I instantly saw the error as my finger clicked the mouse but… it was instantly sniped before I could click 'Cancel' - and just like that, $250,000 was gone," he said.
I Think I Am Going to Invent BeanieBucks, Secured By Beanie Babies.
--------------
They Must Have Given Him a Bad Science Education, If He Can't Even Blow Himself Up
A Russian teenager has detonated an explosive device at an Orthodox school near a convent outside Moscow, injuring a number of people.
Russia's interior ministry says an 18-year-old man, a graduate of the school in Serpukhov, tried to blow himself up. He has reportedly survived.
The ministry says a 15-year-old is among the injured. Local media say as many as eight people are hurt.
And a Bad Moral Education If He Tried to Kill Others, Too.
--------------
COVID By State and County
On a per capita basis, North Dakota, Alaska and Tennessee have reported the most cases while Mississippi and Alabama are leading the country in deaths.
Check Out Your County
--------------
Stop Me If You've Heard This Story Before.
Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich says he should have been vaccinated sooner after suffering a lung problem due to Covid-19.
Kimmich had previously expressed a reluctance to get vaccinated due to "fears and concerns" about the vaccine, but says doctors found liquid in his lung which will now keep him out of action until 2022.
The 26-year-old tested positive for Covid-19 last month but has still been unable to return to training as doctors recommended he take 10 days to rest. Kimmich says he was told intense activity could lead to heart problems and long-term effects.
"For several reasons, it would have been better to have gotten an earlier vaccination," Kimmich told German outlet ZDF. "There are many good reasons to get vaccinated.
"In general, it was difficult for me to cope with my fears and concerns. Therefore, I was undecided for such a long time. Therefore, I couldn't make this decision.
"I probably had to live through this experience. Looking back, I would have taken the vaccination decision much earlier, but at that point, I was not able to make that decision."
Why Didn't You Stop Me? We've All Heard This Before.
--------------
800,000 And Counting and Preventable
The United States passed another grim Covid-19 milestone Monday, as more than 800,000 Americans have now died from the virus that's plagued the country for nearly two years.
There have been at least 800,156 confirmed deaths traced to the coronavirus, according to a rolling tally by NBC News.
That's more than in any other nation, and more than the population of Boston, Washington, D.C., or Seattle.
This number is expected to increase Monday as more state and local health departments update their data.
This Wasn't a Good Time to Be Old. But When Is a Good Time?
Nearly 590,089 people over 65 have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, CDC data shows.
The data shows that about 1 in every 100 Americans over 65 have died from COVID-19.
They Probably Don't Mourn the 800,000 Dead Americans, But They Mourn Tab
Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey, a 25-year veteran of the company, has been hearing it from disgruntled niche beverage fans.
"I got a lot of emails about Tab," Quincey told CNN Business.
The complaints follow a striking decision Quincey made last year to slash the company's portfolio of products in half — killing beloved brands like the 1980s diet drink Tab, smoothie brand Odwalla and Zico coconut water in the process. Overall, about 200 brands were on the chopping block.
Quincey even heard about fans who held funerals for their dearly departed favorites. That had to be a "first in my career," he added.
--------------
Here's One Reason I Never Got Rooftop Solar
California is expected to propose changes this week to a state policy that allows owners of private homes with solar panels to sell their excess energy into the electric grid at or near the retail rate.
The policy, called net metering, has become a lightning rod of controversy since it was adopted decades ago: solar backers say it has been crucial to supporting the industry's growth in the fight against climate change, while critics contend it amounts to a multi-billion dollar subsidy for wealthy homeowners at the expense of other utility ratepayers.
Any change to the policy could have sweeping impacts on the utility and solar industries -- including big panel installers like Sunrun (RUN) and SunPower (SPWR). It could also provide a cue to states that tend to take California's lead on climate change and clean energy policies, experts said.
California is home to about 40% of the nation's residential solar energy capacity.
The state's Public Utilities Commission has been taking feedback on the issue from utilities, solar industry representatives and others, and could make an announcement as early as Monday. The commission last made modest changes to net metering in 2016.
Critics of net metering say that allowing homeowners with solar panels to sell their energy at market rates effectively excuses them from paying any share in the cost of maintaining grid infrastructure, which is embedded in the price of electricity for normal ratepayers.
A study by the University of California, Berkeley earlier this year estimated that in San Diego, where home solar accounts for more than 20% of residential power consumption, customers without solar are paying up to an additional $230 on their utility bills per year.
"It's a reverse Robin Hood situation," Matthew Freedman, an attorney with California ratepayer advocacy group The Utility Reform Network, said in an interview. "And so we ask ourselves, 'Should we be providing the largest subsidies to the richest customers in the state?'"
Households with solar panels tend to be wealthier than those without, according to studies.
WTF Does "Up To" Ever Mean. $2.25 Qualifies As "Up to $230". So Does 10 Cents.
--------------
The Story Isn't That Interesting, But It's a Great Headline
"The cannons keeping airplanes safe, one chicken at a time"
The throw chicken parts around airports to keep birds away.
--------------
Come Visit Your Toilet Brush
Bolmen: your toilet brush. Toftan: your trash can. Misterhult: your bamboo lamp. Those exotic-sounding names that IKEA gives your household products are familiar words to Swedish speakers -- often, they're named after famous destinations.
And now, the Swedish tourist board is reclaiming those names in a new marketing campaign, designed to get people knowing the elegant originals, as well as the knock-offs.
That toilet brush, for example, is named after Bolmen, a pretty, tree-fringed lake in the Småland region of southern Sweden.
And that trash can? Toftan is another beautiful lake -- this time in the Dalarna region in the center of the country. Misterhult, meanwhile, also in Småland, is an enchanting archipelago of 2,000 islands -- or a lamp.
The campaign, called Discover the Originals, has collated 21 popular IKEA products and matched them to their namesakes, in a bid to make the originals as iconic as the products which have nabbed their names.
I Can Think of Several Cities In California Which Would Be Appropriate Names for a Trash Can. And Several Red States.
--------------
If You Build Them, They Will Come
The Biden administration is releasing a federal strategy Monday to implement an ambitious plan to build 500,000 charging stations for electric vehicles across the country and ultimately transform the U.S. auto industry.
The $1 trillion infrastructure law President Joe Biden signed last month authorizes the charging stations and sets aside $5 billion for states, with a goal to build a national charging network. The law also provides an additional $2.5 billion for local grants to support charging stations in rural areas and in disadvantaged communities.
--------------
It Seems Remarkable That Biden Had to Order These Agencies to Do Their Jobs.
President Joe Biden is set to sign an executive order Monday that will make several government agencies more efficient and easier for Americans to navigate. The new order fast-forwards the nation into the digital age by cutting the time and vexation of federal services such as renewing passports, applying for Social Security benefits, and getting needed aid after natural disasters.
The new order will ensure that those Americans 65+ can claim benefits online more smoothly, and Medicare recipients can better manage online tools to save money on medicine.
Taxpayers will now be able to schedule callbacks instead of waiting on long phone holds or relying on snail mail or faxes. Also, updating addresses or name changes in the Social Security Administration will be more accessible.
Passport services will be online, giving Americans the opportunity to renew and pay digitally versus via a personal check or money order.
Students and military veterans will have a single portal to pay federal loans or access benefits.
Lower-income families will be able to enroll in social service programs without having to manage reams of paperwork and will have the ability to order groceries online.
Those who’ve suffered a natural disaster and are applying for federal aid can now upload photos of damaged property to support claims, forgoing filing via multiple forms from various agencies.
Small businesses and farmers can now access loans online.
--------------
Maybe I Was Too Hasty in Welcoming Omicron
At least one person has died from of the omicron variant, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday as he urged Britons to quickly increase their protection with a booster shot. It was the first reported fatality in the country from the variant.
--------------
Peter Navarro Is Dumb As a Chicken Sandwich
--------------
This Is Chilling
--------------
You're Caught in a Blizzard. Do You Want an Electric Car or a Gas-Powered Car?
At the end of October, an image showing a snowy traffic jam, with a caption about how bad it would be to get stuck in a snowstorm and three-hour traffic jam at night with an electric car, because the battery would go dead and you’d have no heat.
But as Oxford associate professor David Howey told Reuters for a fact check, “electric vehicles use very little power when stationary. The motor doesn’t consume power at zero speed.”
Oh! Well, waddya know, turns out an EV’s actually better than a gas car, and could probably run all the internal climate controls and electronics for “at least a day, probably many days” if it weren’t going anywhere. All this with the added bonus of not killing you with carbon monoxide if you're stuck in a snowbank!
Howey’s Oxford colleague Dr. Katherine Collet told Reuters that the Nissan Leaf could probably provide around 10 hours of heating- just on half a battery charge!
--------------
Lauren Boebert Is a Moron. Therein Lies the Problem
--------------
This Is Only One Poll, But ...
--------------
What If School Districts Just Bought Enough Supplies?
Here's The Next Group of Teachers Waiting to Participate
If They Held It In England, They Could Call It "The Quid Game"
--------------
This Is About As Likely As Snape Betraying Voldemort to Help Harry Potter
Longtime Fox News anchor Chris Wallace announced Sunday that he is leaving his Sunday news show, and CNN quickly announced he would be joining their new streaming service.
--------------