Post by mhbruin on Jan 20, 2022 9:38:47 GMT -8
US Vaccine Data - We Have Now Administered 530 Million Shots (Population 333 Million)
--------------
California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday Jan 18)
We had a great December, but January has been pretty bad. There are no big storms in the 10-day forecast.
Reservoirs are still low, but they are filling up a bit.
--------------
How to Lose a Trillion Tons of Ice in Four Years
The monster iceberg A68 was dumping more than 1.5 billion tonnes of fresh water into the ocean every single day at the height of its melting.
To put that in context, it's about 150 times the amount of water used daily by all UK citizens.
A68 was, for a short period, the world's biggest iceberg.
It covered an area of nearly 6,000 sq km (2,300 sq miles) when it broke free from Antarctica in 2017. But by early 2021, it had vanished.
One trillion tonnes of ice, gone.
The Worst Possible Sequel to How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days
--------------
BBC News Asks:
Has the United States become ungovernable?
It's Not Just the Politicians
The latest poll of 1,569 U.S. adults, conducted online Jan. 3 through 14, found a steep rise in the percentage of Americans who said the pandemic is "getting worse," as compared to fall 2021 data.
"Worry has jumped ... and is now the highest it has been since last winter, before COVID-19 vaccines were readily available to the general public," a summary of poll results says.
And yet that very same polling also shows that the number of Americans that choose to practice COVID-19 mitigation measures such vaccination or mask wearing remains stagnant. Go figure.
--------------
Do You Want to Visit the World's Most Remote Museum?
On the icy, southern edge of the Atlantic Ocean, just above the Antarctic circle, is a British island, a ghost town, and a museum.
The island is a tough place to work. The nearest airport is a four-day boat ride away. Fresh food is rare, the internet is "poor to non-existent" and, at times, the wind is strong enough to tip over helicopters.
There are no permanent residents on South Georgia, just 20 or so workers, from scientists to maintenance staff. But despite the remoteness, and the pandemic, its museum has reopened to visitors.
The Story
He Looks Lonely
This is NOT On My Bucket List
--------------
Today's Warning: Do Not Eat Bologna Masks
If the thought of using a slice of bologna as a moisturizing face mask was tempting, you're out of luck — for now.
Oscar Mayer's bologna-inspired face mask sold out less than a day after its release on Amazon. Kraft Heinz blamed the shortage on "unexpected incredibly high demand" and said in a statement that the product would be restocked "over the coming days." It's the number one new release in Amazon's beauty and personal care section.
The new product isn't actually a slimy piece of meat. Rather, Kraft Heinz (KHC) partnered with Seoul Mamas, a Korean skin care company, to create a "hydrating and restoring hydrogel" mask that promotes skin elasticity, improves hydration and moisture retention. (Oddly, those are not among the typical side benefits associated with ingesting the sodium-filled deli meat.)
But the tan-colored masks are not actually edible. There's a large warning on the packaging that says "do not eat bologna masks."
--------------
Duh!
States with weaker gun laws have higher rates of firearm related homicides and suicides, study finds
A new study published Thursday by a leading non-profit organization that focuses on gun violence prevention found that there is a direct correlation in states with weaker gun laws and higher rates of gun deaths, including homicides, suicides and accidental killings.
The study by Everytown for Gun Safety determined that California had the strongest gun laws in the country. Hawaii topped the list with the lowest rate of gun deaths in the country while Mississippi led the country with both the weakest gun laws and highest rate of gun deaths.
--------------
Who Was in the Room Where It Happened?
Trump held secret meetings in days before Capitol attack, ex-press secretary tells panel
Stephanie Grisham gave more significant details than expected about what Trump was doing before 6 January, sources say
The former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told the House select committee investigating the Capitol attack that Donald Trump hosted secret meetings in the White House residence in days before 6 January, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The former senior Trump aide also told House investigators that the details of whether Trump actually intended to march to the Capitol after his speech at the Ellipse rally would be memorialized in documents provided to the US Secret Service, the sources said.
There's a Lot in This Report from The Guardian
The Documents Are Coming! The Documents Are Coming!
The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected former President Donald Trump's effort to stop the National Archives from giving the House Jan. 6 committee hundreds of pages of documents from his time in the White House.
The court's action clears the way for the National Archives to hand the material over now, while the Supreme Court in the meantime decides whether to hear Trump’s broader appeal of lower court rulings that said he could not stop the material from being produced by asserting executive privilege.
Only Justice Clarence Thomas said the court should have granted the Trump motion to block the National Archives from handing the material over while the case is under review.
WTF Is Clarence Thomas Thinking?
--------------
Mitch Is OK With Foreigners Voting?
--------------
Who Were the Phony Electors?
I have long been curious as to who actually participated in this plot, so I submitted a Freedom of Information Act request from National Archives. I received copies of slates of these phony electors from seven states -- Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Given the extraconstitutional nature of the scheme, I expected that most would be Trump partisans on the political fringe. Instead, most were elected party officials, political officeholders and other key figures in state Republican politics.
The return addresses on the certificates included the Arizona Republican Party, the Georgia Republican Party, the Republican Party of New Mexico, the Nevada Republican Party. Michigan's came from Kathy Berden, who included the title, "Chair of the Michigan Republican Electoral College." Pennsylvania's was sent in by Bill Bachenberg, who referred to himself as the "Chairperson, Electoral College of Pennsylvania." Wisconsin's simply stated, "Chairperson of the Electoral College of Wisconsin." When asked by The Detroit News about why she chose to participate in this scheme, Berden said, "I can't comment on anything like that. That was a long time ago." CNN reached out to Bachenberg for comment, but has not received a response.
--------------
Teaching Is So Easy That Any 20-Year-Old With Gun Training Can Do It?
New Mexico is the first state in the nation to ask National Guard troops to serve as substitute teachers as preschools and K-12 public schools struggle to keep classrooms open amid surging COVID-19 infections.
Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Wednesday the unprecedented effort to reopen classrooms in the capital city of Santa Fe and shore up staffing across the state.
I Guess They Figure That If Arnold Schwarzenegger Can Do It in a Movie, Anyone Can.
--------------
The Day the Music Died
Senate Democrats failed again to pass sweeping new voting protections on Wednesday, in what may be the most brutal blow yet to efforts to strengthen protections for voters at a perilous moment for US democracy.
Just as they have done four other times in recent months, all 50 Republicans united in their opposition to the measure. They relied on the filibuster, a Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance legislation to a final vote.
Despite heavy pressure from Joe Biden and fellow Democrats, two senators, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, have dug in defending the measure, preventing Democrats from getting rid of it.
--------------
Some Reporters Will Stop At Nothing to Deliver the News
--------------
Get theLead Med Out
A U.N.-backed organization announced Thursday that it has signed agreements with more than two dozen generic drug makers to produce versions of Merck's COVID-19 pill to supply 105 developing countries.
The Medicines Patent Pool said the deals would allow drug companies to make both the raw ingredients for molnupiravir and the finished product itself.
Molnupiravir, developed by Merck and Ridgeback Therapeutics, has been reported to cut the hospitalization rate in half among patients with early signs of COVID-19. Britain, the European Union and the U.S. authorized its use in recent months.
“This is a critical step toward ensuring global access to an urgently needed COVID-19 treatment,"
--------------
Almost 75% of Adults Are Vaccinated, But Less Than 20% of Young Kids. I Don't Get It.
As the Omicron variant rips through the US, children are being infected with Covid-19 in record numbers – yet their rate of vaccination has lagged, creating a surge in hospitalizations and undermining in-person schooling.
Nearly a million new Covid cases – more than 981,000 – were confirmed in children in the week ending 13 January, a 69% increase from the week before and four times higher than last winter’s peak, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. That means one in 10 Covid cases among children in the entire pandemic have happened in the past week, the organization said.
Adult rates have shot up, too, with an average of more than 870,000 confirmed cases a day in the US – but children have much lower vaccination rates. Only 18.8% of kids aged five to 11, and a little more than half of 12- to 17-year-olds, are fully vaccinated, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hospitalizations for kids are soaring, although severe illness and death are much less likely for children than adults.
Yet vaccinations are lagging. After a short burst of children’s vaccinations soon after the shot was authorized for the five to 11 age group, progress dropped significantly.
--------------
CDC doesn't do a good job of reporting around holidays.
Doses Administered 7-Day Average | Number of People Receiving 1 or More Doses | Number of People 2 or More Doses | New Cases 7-Day Average | Deaths 7-Day Average | |
| Jan 20 | |||||
| Jan 19 | 1,135,453 | 249,702,939 | 209,509,297 | ||
| Jan 18 | 1,158,537 | 249,393,487 | 209,312,770 | 755,095 | 1,669 |
| Jan 17 | No Data | 736,350 | 1,746 | ||
| Jan 16 | No Data | 771,131 | 1,851 | ||
| Jan 15 | 1,268,202 | 248,707,432 | 208,995,438 | 788,628 | 1,858 |
| Jan 14 | 1,286,773 | 248,338,448 | 208,791,862 | 798,335 | 1,784 |
| Jan 13 | 1,291,013 | 247,987,225 | 208,564,894 | 794,587 | 1,730 |
| Jan 12 | 1,234,672 | 247,695,845 | 208,182,657 | 782,765 | 1,729 |
| Jan 11 | 1,213,113 | 247,321,023 | 207,954,605 | 761,535 | 1,656 |
| Jan 10 | 1,307,445 | 247,051,363 | 207,796,335 | 750,996 | 1,633 |
| Jan 9 | 1,331,635 | 246,812,939 | 207,662,071 | 674,406 | 1,552 |
| Jan 8 | 1,286,783 | 246,447,823 | 207,452,448 | 680,330 | 1,544 |
| Jan 7 | 1,226,151 | 246,050,320 | 207,229,983 | 668,497 | 1,513 |
| Jan 6 | 1,164,127 | 245,653,518 | 207,016,514 | 614,552 | 1,350 |
| Jan 5 | 1,117,999 | 245,278,020 | 206,797,799 | 586,391 | 1,245 |
| Jan 4 | 1,093,005 | 244,947,293 | 206,581,659 | 554,328 | 1,238 |
| Jan 3 | No Data | 491,652 | 1,165 | ||
| Jan 2 | No Data | 438,082 | 1,174 | ||
| Jan 1 | No Data | 411,871 | 1,151 | ||
| Dec 31 | No Data | 391,098 | 1,135 | ||
| Dec 30 | 1,234,917 | 243,527,564 | 205,811,394 | 360,276 | 1,144 |
| Dec 29 | 1,042,911 | 243,182,423 | 205,638,307 | 316,277 | 1,100 |
| Dec 28 | 1,091,279 | 242,813,374 | 205,420,745 | 277,241 | 1,085 |
| Dec 27 | 1,034,442 | 242,433,620 | 205,196,973 | 240,408 | 1,096 |
| Dec 26 | No Data | 206,577 | 1,041 | ||
| Dec 25 | No Data | 196,511 | 1,053 | ||
| Dec 24 | No Data | 195,713 | 1,108 | ||
| Dec 23 | 1,189,954 | 241,520,561 | 204,740,321 | 192,453 | 1,199 |
| Dec 22 | 1,283,244 | 241,583,543 | 204,818,717 | 176,097 | 1,213 |
| Dec 21 | 1,542,936 | 241,132,288 | 204,578,725 | 161,261 | 1,223 |
| Dec 20 | 1,554,261 | 241,881,712 | 204,098,982 | 149,331 | 1,188 |
| Dec 19 | 1,558,720 | 241,571,084 | 203,926,479 | 132,659 | 1,169 |
| Dec 18 | 1,562,366 | 241,205,528 | 203,727,446 | 127,445 | 1,182 |
| Feb 16, 2021 | 1,716,311 | 39,670,551 | 15,015,434 | 78,292 |
| At Least One Dose | Fully Vaccinated | % of Vaccinated W/ Boosters | |
| % of Total Population | 75.2% | 64.1% | 39.0% |
| % of Population 5+ | 79.9% | 67.1% | |
| % of Population 12+ | 85.2% | 72.0% | 42.1% |
| % of Population 18+ | 87.1% | 73.6% | 53.6% |
| % of Population 65+ | 95.0% | 88.0% | 62.3% |
California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday Jan 18)
We had a great December, but January has been pretty bad. There are no big storms in the 10-day forecast.
| Percent of Average for this Date | Last Week | 2 Weeks ago | 3 Weeks ago | |
| Northern Sierra Precipitation | 134% | 149% | 158% | 170% |
| San Joaquin Precipitation | 121% | 138% | 156% | 170% |
| Tulare Basin Precipitation | 112% | 127% | 145% | 151% |
| Snow Water Content - North | 117% | 128% | 135% | 134% |
| Snow Water Content - Central | 114% | 129% | 148% | 148% |
| Snow Water Content - South | 121% | 135% | 160% | 158% |
Reservoirs are still low, but they are filling up a bit.
--------------
How to Lose a Trillion Tons of Ice in Four Years
The monster iceberg A68 was dumping more than 1.5 billion tonnes of fresh water into the ocean every single day at the height of its melting.
To put that in context, it's about 150 times the amount of water used daily by all UK citizens.
A68 was, for a short period, the world's biggest iceberg.
It covered an area of nearly 6,000 sq km (2,300 sq miles) when it broke free from Antarctica in 2017. But by early 2021, it had vanished.
One trillion tonnes of ice, gone.
The Worst Possible Sequel to How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days
--------------
BBC News Asks:
Has the United States become ungovernable?
It's Not Just the Politicians
The latest poll of 1,569 U.S. adults, conducted online Jan. 3 through 14, found a steep rise in the percentage of Americans who said the pandemic is "getting worse," as compared to fall 2021 data.
"Worry has jumped ... and is now the highest it has been since last winter, before COVID-19 vaccines were readily available to the general public," a summary of poll results says.
And yet that very same polling also shows that the number of Americans that choose to practice COVID-19 mitigation measures such vaccination or mask wearing remains stagnant. Go figure.
--------------
Do You Want to Visit the World's Most Remote Museum?
On the icy, southern edge of the Atlantic Ocean, just above the Antarctic circle, is a British island, a ghost town, and a museum.
The island is a tough place to work. The nearest airport is a four-day boat ride away. Fresh food is rare, the internet is "poor to non-existent" and, at times, the wind is strong enough to tip over helicopters.
There are no permanent residents on South Georgia, just 20 or so workers, from scientists to maintenance staff. But despite the remoteness, and the pandemic, its museum has reopened to visitors.
The Story
He Looks Lonely
This is NOT On My Bucket List
--------------
Today's Warning: Do Not Eat Bologna Masks
If the thought of using a slice of bologna as a moisturizing face mask was tempting, you're out of luck — for now.
Oscar Mayer's bologna-inspired face mask sold out less than a day after its release on Amazon. Kraft Heinz blamed the shortage on "unexpected incredibly high demand" and said in a statement that the product would be restocked "over the coming days." It's the number one new release in Amazon's beauty and personal care section.
The new product isn't actually a slimy piece of meat. Rather, Kraft Heinz (KHC) partnered with Seoul Mamas, a Korean skin care company, to create a "hydrating and restoring hydrogel" mask that promotes skin elasticity, improves hydration and moisture retention. (Oddly, those are not among the typical side benefits associated with ingesting the sodium-filled deli meat.)
But the tan-colored masks are not actually edible. There's a large warning on the packaging that says "do not eat bologna masks."
--------------
Duh!
States with weaker gun laws have higher rates of firearm related homicides and suicides, study finds
A new study published Thursday by a leading non-profit organization that focuses on gun violence prevention found that there is a direct correlation in states with weaker gun laws and higher rates of gun deaths, including homicides, suicides and accidental killings.
The study by Everytown for Gun Safety determined that California had the strongest gun laws in the country. Hawaii topped the list with the lowest rate of gun deaths in the country while Mississippi led the country with both the weakest gun laws and highest rate of gun deaths.
--------------
Who Was in the Room Where It Happened?
Trump held secret meetings in days before Capitol attack, ex-press secretary tells panel
Stephanie Grisham gave more significant details than expected about what Trump was doing before 6 January, sources say
The former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told the House select committee investigating the Capitol attack that Donald Trump hosted secret meetings in the White House residence in days before 6 January, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The former senior Trump aide also told House investigators that the details of whether Trump actually intended to march to the Capitol after his speech at the Ellipse rally would be memorialized in documents provided to the US Secret Service, the sources said.
There's a Lot in This Report from The Guardian
The Documents Are Coming! The Documents Are Coming!
The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected former President Donald Trump's effort to stop the National Archives from giving the House Jan. 6 committee hundreds of pages of documents from his time in the White House.
The court's action clears the way for the National Archives to hand the material over now, while the Supreme Court in the meantime decides whether to hear Trump’s broader appeal of lower court rulings that said he could not stop the material from being produced by asserting executive privilege.
Only Justice Clarence Thomas said the court should have granted the Trump motion to block the National Archives from handing the material over while the case is under review.
WTF Is Clarence Thomas Thinking?
--------------
Mitch Is OK With Foreigners Voting?
--------------
Who Were the Phony Electors?
I have long been curious as to who actually participated in this plot, so I submitted a Freedom of Information Act request from National Archives. I received copies of slates of these phony electors from seven states -- Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Given the extraconstitutional nature of the scheme, I expected that most would be Trump partisans on the political fringe. Instead, most were elected party officials, political officeholders and other key figures in state Republican politics.
The return addresses on the certificates included the Arizona Republican Party, the Georgia Republican Party, the Republican Party of New Mexico, the Nevada Republican Party. Michigan's came from Kathy Berden, who included the title, "Chair of the Michigan Republican Electoral College." Pennsylvania's was sent in by Bill Bachenberg, who referred to himself as the "Chairperson, Electoral College of Pennsylvania." Wisconsin's simply stated, "Chairperson of the Electoral College of Wisconsin." When asked by The Detroit News about why she chose to participate in this scheme, Berden said, "I can't comment on anything like that. That was a long time ago." CNN reached out to Bachenberg for comment, but has not received a response.
--------------
Teaching Is So Easy That Any 20-Year-Old With Gun Training Can Do It?
New Mexico is the first state in the nation to ask National Guard troops to serve as substitute teachers as preschools and K-12 public schools struggle to keep classrooms open amid surging COVID-19 infections.
Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Wednesday the unprecedented effort to reopen classrooms in the capital city of Santa Fe and shore up staffing across the state.
I Guess They Figure That If Arnold Schwarzenegger Can Do It in a Movie, Anyone Can.
--------------
The Day the Music Died
Senate Democrats failed again to pass sweeping new voting protections on Wednesday, in what may be the most brutal blow yet to efforts to strengthen protections for voters at a perilous moment for US democracy.
Just as they have done four other times in recent months, all 50 Republicans united in their opposition to the measure. They relied on the filibuster, a Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance legislation to a final vote.
Despite heavy pressure from Joe Biden and fellow Democrats, two senators, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, have dug in defending the measure, preventing Democrats from getting rid of it.
--------------
Some Reporters Will Stop At Nothing to Deliver the News
--------------
Get the
A U.N.-backed organization announced Thursday that it has signed agreements with more than two dozen generic drug makers to produce versions of Merck's COVID-19 pill to supply 105 developing countries.
The Medicines Patent Pool said the deals would allow drug companies to make both the raw ingredients for molnupiravir and the finished product itself.
Molnupiravir, developed by Merck and Ridgeback Therapeutics, has been reported to cut the hospitalization rate in half among patients with early signs of COVID-19. Britain, the European Union and the U.S. authorized its use in recent months.
“This is a critical step toward ensuring global access to an urgently needed COVID-19 treatment,"
--------------
Almost 75% of Adults Are Vaccinated, But Less Than 20% of Young Kids. I Don't Get It.
As the Omicron variant rips through the US, children are being infected with Covid-19 in record numbers – yet their rate of vaccination has lagged, creating a surge in hospitalizations and undermining in-person schooling.
Nearly a million new Covid cases – more than 981,000 – were confirmed in children in the week ending 13 January, a 69% increase from the week before and four times higher than last winter’s peak, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. That means one in 10 Covid cases among children in the entire pandemic have happened in the past week, the organization said.
Adult rates have shot up, too, with an average of more than 870,000 confirmed cases a day in the US – but children have much lower vaccination rates. Only 18.8% of kids aged five to 11, and a little more than half of 12- to 17-year-olds, are fully vaccinated, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hospitalizations for kids are soaring, although severe illness and death are much less likely for children than adults.
Yet vaccinations are lagging. After a short burst of children’s vaccinations soon after the shot was authorized for the five to 11 age group, progress dropped significantly.
--------------