Post by mhbruin on Mar 11, 2022 15:31:47 GMT -8
US Vaccine Data - We Have Now Administered 556 Million Shots (Population 333 Million)
First time we have been below 50,000 cases since July 22nd.
↓ 49.5% Cases, two-week change
↓ 30.6% Deaths, two-week change
970,294 Total confirmed deaths
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California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday March 8)
There was some rain in the Nor Cal. A little more in the ten-day.
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Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees
So Disney Will Pause All Donations. They Won't End Donations and They Will Pause Donations to Opponents and Supporters of the Bill. The Mouse is Chicken.
Disney will pause all political donations in Florida after intense criticism over how the media giant responded to state legislation that would limit discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools, CEO Bob Chapek said in a letter to employees Friday.
Chapek also apologized to his colleagues for not taking a more forceful stand against what activists call the "Don't Say Gay" legislation in Florida. Disney employs tens of thousands of people at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
"It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights. You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down. I am sorry," Chapek said in the letter, which was published on Disney's website.
Chapek said the company would "immediately" increase support for advocacy groups fighting against similar legislation in other states.
"We are hard at work creating a new framework for our political giving that will ensure our advocacy better reflects our values," the executive said.
"I am committed to this work and to you all, and will continue to engage with the LGBTQ+ community so that I can become a better ally," he added. "You will hear more about our progress in the coming weeks."
Disney has faced intense public scrutiny and internal criticism over how it responded to the "Don't Say Gay" legislation, with some faulting Chapek for saying in a memo that the company can make the "biggest impact" by "creating a more inclusive world through the inspiring content we produce."
The DA Didn't Let the Grand Jury Hear From the Victims and The Accused Took the Fifth
Grand jury declines to indict Deshaun Watson after 22 women accuse quarterback of sexual misconduct.
A Texas grand jury on Friday declined to indict Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson after he was accused of sexual harassment and assault by multiple women.
All 22 of the civil plaintiffs are represented by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who said eight of his clients were slated to testify before the grand jury.
"Mr. Watson and his legal team have said publicly time and again that Deshaun Watson is innocent and wants to clear his name," Buzbee said, "yet when he is given the chance to do so, he intends to refuse to answer questions and instead plead the Fifth Amendment. If he had nothing to hide he should answer questions."
Today's Worst Camel in the World
A loose camel attacked and killed two men at a Tennessee farm Thursday, officials said.
As deputies tried to move one of the victims into an ambulance, the camel reappeared, "attacked" a sheriff’s office vehicle and moved toward the deputies, the release stated.
“It was at this time officers had to put the camel down for the safety of everyone on scene,” the sheriff’s office said.
It's Still Racist, No Matter Who Does It
Five Florida middle school students were charged with hate crimes after allegedly attacking a group of children while exclaiming “brown power!” — an incident police are calling a racially motivated crime.
The five juveniles, who were in sixth to eighth grade at Lyons Creek Middle School, were arrested on charges of battery and evidence of prejudice while committing a battery, a third-degree felony. In Florida, evidencing prejudice while committing an offense is considered a hate crime.
The arrest reports list four victims.
According to the arrest reports, the students approached the victims, yelled “It’s Opposite Day!” and “brown power!” and beat them. The arrest reports noted that the comments were made before and during the alleged attack.
The Flu Trucks Klan Wants People With Heart Attacks to Die Because They Can't Reach 911.
The lead organizer of the People’s Convoy on Thursday evening suggested to frustrated truckers that they “flood 911” with calls amid increasing tensions with Beltway commuters. “The point is, as I understand, that it can get difficult; you’re talking about a lot of people. You’re talking about a big convoy,” organizer Brian Brase said. “And you’re talking about areas that simply do not like us.” He continued: “Remember if you got a bad actor, you got somebody acting dumb... #77 with the mile marker and report the vehicle!” The crowd then shouted back at the convoy leader, claiming Maryland State Police weren’t answering their calls. “Didn’t answer,” a trucker yelled. “If they don’t take care of it, then we’ll just flood 911,” Brase responded to a cheer from the crowd. “So they can answer the phone tomorrow or enjoy 911 calls. How about that!”
How about that? Well, I for one think it’s a perfectly swell idea! Wait, did I say “swell”? I meant “dangerously irresponsible” and “illegal.”
Amazon Is Selling This?
TucKKKer = Putin?
Has Texas Instituted a No-Fact Zone? And Who Has Venezuela Invaded?
The House voted overwhelmingly late Wednesday to ban oil imports from Russia, with two Texas Republicans among the very few dissenters.
Reps. Louie Gohmert of Tyler and Chip Roy of Austin offered similar explanations for bucking the bipartisan consensus on closing the U.S. market over the invasion of Ukraine.
“What good does it do to ban Russian oil if you’re going to go buy it from Venezuela or Iran?” Roy argued on the House floor before the 414-17 vote late Wednesday.
But the United States currently imports no oil from Venezuela, according to federal data, and only a thousand barrels from Iran last year.
Were They Saving Souls or Saving Money?
The Salvation Army faces three federal lawsuits accusing it of exploiting marginalized people under the guise of offering therapy by paying as little as $1 a week for full-time work.
The suits, filed this week in Georgia, Illinois, and New York, accuse the philanthropic organization of flouting U.S. wage laws in its Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARC) by paying well under the $7.25 an hour federal minimum wage or overtime. The Illinois and New York complaints also allege Salvation Army violated state wage laws.
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Today's Best Person in the World Nominees
Has Biden Actually Achieved a Little Bi-Partisanship?
From Ukraine to the mail, we're in a golden bipartisan era. Give thanks while it lasts.
This break from the usual strife will no doubt be fleeting. But Democrats, listen up: If the two parties can make deals, there could be hope for you.
Amid tragedy in Ukraine, President Joe Biden has managed to unite an increasingly broad swath of Americans and the world, from economic and information warfare to keeping Ukrainians supplied with what they need to keep fighting, and with no U.S. forces on the ground or in the sky.
There is extensive bipartisan support for the ban on Russian oil imports he announced Tuesday, as the House quickly demonstrated with a 414-17 vote to approve the ban, toughen a sanctions law and require a review of Russia's membership in the World Trade Organization.
In other bipartisan news, the Senate passed the Postal Service Reform Act on Tuesday on a lopsided 79-19 vote. In the works for 15 years, it sailed through the House last month and is headed to Biden's desk.
What does this mean for “we the people”? Guaranteed six-day-a-week mail delivery, for a start, and an online performance dashboard so the public can check local and national delivery times. The bill also takes long recommended steps to make sure that the Postal Service – "one of the most important institutions in American life," in Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's words – doesn't go broke.
...............
The Senate passed a massive $1.5 trillion spending bill Thursday that would prevent a government shutdown and provide $13.6 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine.
The legislation passed 68-31 after receiving House approval on Wednesday. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the measure into law before government funding runs out Friday night.
The bipartisan spending measure would fund the federal government through Sept. 30, with increases to both defense and non-defense programs over 2021 levels.
Do You Cut the Red Wire or the Blue Wire? Just Dump Water on It.
Faced with a live Russian bomb in the northern city of Chernihiv, two Ukrainians used a bottle of water to calmly defuse it.
One man poured water over the tip of the unexploded projectile as the other carefully removed its detonator in footage the State Emergency Service of Ukraine shared online Wednesday.
The bomb came from a downed Russian fighter jet, according to the Ukrainian government report.
Can You Tell Which Picture is Before and Which is After?
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Invasions Have Consequences
Biden Says "Nyet" to Caviar
US President Joe Biden has announced a ban on imports of Russian diamonds, seafood and vodka in the latest response to Russia's war in Ukraine.
The US, European Union and other allies also plan to revoke Russia’s status as an equal trade partner, paving the way for further economic punishment.
Its currency has collapsed, while global firms rush to exit the country.
The US, European Union, and Group of Seven countries plan to strip Russia of its "most favored nation" status, Reuters reported.
Revoking Russia's status would allow the US and its allies to slap tariffs on Russian goods, potentially opening up an avenue to apply more pressure to the country's already strained economy.
Levi's Thinks Russia is a Bad Fit
Even Levi's, the jeans brand that became a symbol of post-Soviet business in Russia, has closed its shops. The all-American jeans firm said about 4% of its total net sales came from Eastern Europe and Russia last year, but "any business considerations are clearly secondary to the human suffering experienced by so many".
Walking through Moscow today, there is an emptiness to places I have passed countless times over the years. The skyscraper on New Arbat Avenue, which until last week housed the independent radio station "Echo of Moscow" is silent. The McDonald's on Pushkin Square is just as empty.
In one of Moscow's large shopping malls, a woman sits on the floor of a perfume store, raking up all the goods available to her -- from mascara to lipstick. It's both an act of desperation and a farewell to the Western civilization that came to Russia 30 years ago. Now people are realizing: the Russian economy is as naked as the malls emptied of global brands.
In recent years, Russian society has become a mall society. People spend their weekends in these consumer hubs; heading there for walks, visiting restaurants, watching films, and of course shopping. Russia is a consumers' paradise -- especially after the economic growth of the early 2000s -- thanks to high prices for Russian oil and the end of the post-Soviet transitional period.
Woke Up It Was a Chelsea Morning and They Wouldn't Take My Credit Card
Chelsea's credit card facilities have been temporarily suspended while banks assess the implications of sanctions imposed on Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.
The club has been given a special licence to operate despite Abramovich having his assets frozen by the UK government.
Banks want to assess the licence criteria to ensure it does not breach the government's sanctions and Chelsea do not know when the suspension will be lifted.
Can You Remember When the Internet Wasn't An Essential Part of Life?
Big tech platforms have joined the global backlash against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, with Facebook (FB), Google (GOOGL), Twitter (TWTR), Spotify (SPOT), Netflix (NFLX) and others placing at least partial restrictions on Russian content — if not exiting (or getting themselves blocked) altogether.
In the past week, however, the severing of Russia from the global internet went one layer deeper. Two of the world's largest internet service providers, Lumen Technologies and Cogent Communications, said they would block Russian customers from their networks over fears that their networks could be used by the Russian government for cyberattacks against the West. But a knock-on effect is that it will be even harder for citizens in the country to use the worldwide web.
In the 1920's, When the German Mark Became Worthless, It Took a Wheelbarrow of Cash to Buy a Loaf of Bread.
Russia’s ‘imminent’ default will have harsh ripple effects. Here’s why.
Moscow’s credit has been reduced to junk status as international financial sanctions cut off much of the nation’s revenue.
lenders doing business with Russia often conduct transactions in dollars or euros specifically because Moscow’s economy is more volatile and emerging. But President Vladimir Putin has said his government could force lenders in certain countries to accept only Russian currency; as of Wednesday afternoon, the exchange rate was 120 rubles to $1. The Kremlin also has barred its citizens from withdrawing more than $10,000 in hard currency from the nation’s banks.
Now, experts say, Russia is running out of dollars and other standard global currencies with which to pay creditors, and covering debts with rubles could only serve to further devalue the currency because it basically worthless in global markets.
Vladimir the Terrible
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Opps! I Shot a Missile in the Air and Where It Landed I Know Not Where.
India says it accidentally fired a missile into Pakistan on Wednesday, blaming the incident on a "technical malfunction" during routine maintenance.
Delhi said it was "deeply regrettable" and expressed relief no one was killed.
Pakistan's military said a "high-speed flying object" had crashed near the eastern city of Mian Channu and its flight path had endangered passenger flights.
Both countries have nuclear weapons.
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The QOP Likes High Risk When They Are Not on the Hook
Pressure is mounting on US President Joe Biden to bolster Ukraine's defences after his administration quashed Poland's offer to send fighter jets with US help.
More than 40 Republican senators have written an open letter in which they say they "strongly disagree" with Biden's stance.
They have now called on him to immediately "facilitate the transfer of aircraft and air defence systems".
The White House says it's "high risk".
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A Glimmer of Oily Hope
A bombshell announcement by a United Arab Emirates diplomat on Wednesday raised hopes that Gulf oil producers might come to the rescue as oil prices climbed to an eight-year high on Russia's war in Ukraine.
Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE ambassador in the United States, told CNN his country favors an oil output hike. It was the first indication from a member of the OPEC+ cartel of oil producers that a supply increase beyond what was agreed by the group could be considered. OPEC+ had refused to budge from its current plan to gradually ramp up output.
I Am Not Sure I Would Call This a "Bombshell"
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Should Gas Prices Be This High?
Normally, oil is a pretty fungible commodity — it’s relatively cheap to put it in a tanker and ship it to whoever wants to buy. In normal times, that means that there’s more or less one single global oil price, so that a disruption to production anywhere affects all oil consumers equally.
In this situation, however, that’s not necessarily true. Only some countries are going to ban Russian oil, so Russia will probably keep selling to the ones who don’t ban it — especially to China and India, which together buy almost a third of total global oil imports. Because Russia has fewer markets to sell to, the countries that do buy Russia’s oil will be able to get it at a discount. Thus they’ll end up buying more oil from Russia and correspondingly less from other exporters like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, or Canada. Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Canada will then sell more oil to the countries boycotting Russian oil, which will mitigate the rise in prices.
Mitigate, but not cancel out. Because oil importers like the U.S. now have fewer sources they can import from, they’ll pay a premium. That will raise prices on the world market. Indeed, oil has already surged to almost $130 a barrel since the start of the war, with yesterday’s announcements causing a particularly big spike
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What If a Virus Kept Killing People and No One Cared?
The U.S. is nearing 1 million recorded COVID-19 deaths without the social reckoning that such a tragedy should provoke. Why?
To grapple with the aftermath of a disaster, there must first be an aftermath. But the coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing, and “feels so big that we can’t put our arms around it anymore,” Peek told me. Thinking about it is like staring into the sun, and after two years, it is no wonder people are looking away. As tragedy becomes routine, excess deaths feel less excessive. Levels of suffering that once felt like thunderclaps now resemble a metronome’s clicks—the background noise against which everyday life plays. The same inexorable inuring happened a century ago: In 1920, the U.S. was hit by a fourth wave of the great flu pandemic that had begun two years earlier, but even as people died in huge numbers, “virtually no city responded,” wrote John M. Barry, a historian of the 1918 flu. “People were weary of influenza, and so were public officials. Newspapers were filled with frightening news about the virus, but no one cared.”
What If a Russia Keeps Killing People and No One Cares?
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China Cares About the Virus
China on Friday ordered a lockdown of the 9 million residents of the northeastern city of Changchun amid a new spike in COVID-19 cases in the area attributed to the highly contagious omicron variant.
Residents are required to remain at home, with one family member permitted to venture out to buy food and other necessities every two days. All residents must undergo three rounds of mass testing, while non-essential businesses have been closed and transport links suspended.
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First time we have been below 50,000 cases since July 22nd.
↓ 49.5% Cases, two-week change
↓ 30.6% Deaths, two-week change
970,294 Total confirmed deaths
New Cases 7-Day Average | Deaths 7-Day Average | |
| Mar 10 | ||
| Mar 9 | 37,146 | 1,179 |
| Mar 8 | 37,879 | 1,161 |
| Mar 7 | 40,433 | 1,208 |
| Mar 6 | 42,204 | 1,259 |
| Mar 5 | 43,665 | 1,281 |
| Mar 4 | 45,555 | 1,319 |
| Mar 3 | 49,888 | 1,413 |
| Mar 2 | 53,016 | 1,558 |
| Mar 1 | 56,253 | 1,674 |
| Feb 28 | 68,480 | 1,832 |
| Feb 27 | 62,556 | 1,686 |
| Feb 26 | 66,053 | 1,719 |
| Feb 25 | 69,203 | 1,751 |
| Feb 24 | 72,111 | 1,720 |
| Feb 23 | 75,208 | 1,674 |
| Feb 22 | 79,539 | 1,602 |
| Feb 21 | 78,306 | 1,872 |
| Feb 20 | 98,012 | 1,872 |
| Feb 19 | 100,129 | 1,890 |
| Feb 18 | 103,462 | 1,920 |
| Feb 17 | 112,653 | 1,998 |
| Feb 16 | 121,664 | 2,020 |
| Feb 15 | 134,468 | 2,100 |
| Feb 14 | 146,921 | 2,208 |
| Feb 13 | 161,197 | 2,196 |
| Feb 12 | 168,881 | 2,197 |
| Feb 11 | 175,395 | 2,241 |
| Feb 10 | 190,401 | 2,305 |
| Feb 9 | 215,418 | 2,313 |
| Feb 8 | 230,602 | 2,303 |
| Feb 7 | 247,319 | 2,404 |
| Feb 6 | 291,471 | 2,294 |
| Feb 5 | 298,890 | 2,331 |
| Feb 4 | 313,117 | 2,404 |
| Feb 16, 2021 | 78,292 |
| At Least One Dose | Fully Vaccinated | % of Vaccinated W/ Boosters | |
| % of Total Population | 76.6% | 65.2% | 44.2% |
| % of Population 5+ | 81.4% | 69.3% | |
| % of Population 12+ | 86.3% | 73.6% | 45.8% |
| % of Population 18+ | 88.1% | 75.2% | 47.6% |
| % of Population 65+ | 95.0% | 88.9% | 66.7% |
California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday March 8)
There was some rain in the Nor Cal. A little more in the ten-day.
| Percent of Average for this Date | Last Week | 2 Weeks ago | 3 Weeks ago | 9 Weeks ago | |
| Northern Sierra Precipitation | 84% (61% of full season average) | 87% (60%) | 93% (60%) | 99% (59%) | 170% |
| San Joaquin Precipitation | 74% (53%) | 76% (51%) | 80% (51%) | 86% (51%) | 170% |
| Tulare Basin Precipitation | 71% (51%) | 70% (48%) | 75% (47%) | 79% (46%) | 151% |
| Snow Water Content - North | 55% (52%) | 59% (53%) | 61% (52%) | 68% (53%) | 134% |
| Snow Water Content - Central | 59% (64%) | 58% (66%) | 71% (59%) | 75% (57%) | 148% |
| Snow Water Content - South | 60% (66%) | 54% (63%) | 67% (54%) | 74% (54%) | 158% |
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Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees
So Disney Will Pause All Donations. They Won't End Donations and They Will Pause Donations to Opponents and Supporters of the Bill. The Mouse is Chicken.
Disney will pause all political donations in Florida after intense criticism over how the media giant responded to state legislation that would limit discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools, CEO Bob Chapek said in a letter to employees Friday.
Chapek also apologized to his colleagues for not taking a more forceful stand against what activists call the "Don't Say Gay" legislation in Florida. Disney employs tens of thousands of people at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
"It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights. You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down. I am sorry," Chapek said in the letter, which was published on Disney's website.
Chapek said the company would "immediately" increase support for advocacy groups fighting against similar legislation in other states.
"We are hard at work creating a new framework for our political giving that will ensure our advocacy better reflects our values," the executive said.
"I am committed to this work and to you all, and will continue to engage with the LGBTQ+ community so that I can become a better ally," he added. "You will hear more about our progress in the coming weeks."
Disney has faced intense public scrutiny and internal criticism over how it responded to the "Don't Say Gay" legislation, with some faulting Chapek for saying in a memo that the company can make the "biggest impact" by "creating a more inclusive world through the inspiring content we produce."
The DA Didn't Let the Grand Jury Hear From the Victims and The Accused Took the Fifth
Grand jury declines to indict Deshaun Watson after 22 women accuse quarterback of sexual misconduct.
A Texas grand jury on Friday declined to indict Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson after he was accused of sexual harassment and assault by multiple women.
All 22 of the civil plaintiffs are represented by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who said eight of his clients were slated to testify before the grand jury.
"Mr. Watson and his legal team have said publicly time and again that Deshaun Watson is innocent and wants to clear his name," Buzbee said, "yet when he is given the chance to do so, he intends to refuse to answer questions and instead plead the Fifth Amendment. If he had nothing to hide he should answer questions."
Today's Worst Camel in the World
A loose camel attacked and killed two men at a Tennessee farm Thursday, officials said.
As deputies tried to move one of the victims into an ambulance, the camel reappeared, "attacked" a sheriff’s office vehicle and moved toward the deputies, the release stated.
“It was at this time officers had to put the camel down for the safety of everyone on scene,” the sheriff’s office said.
It's Still Racist, No Matter Who Does It
Five Florida middle school students were charged with hate crimes after allegedly attacking a group of children while exclaiming “brown power!” — an incident police are calling a racially motivated crime.
The five juveniles, who were in sixth to eighth grade at Lyons Creek Middle School, were arrested on charges of battery and evidence of prejudice while committing a battery, a third-degree felony. In Florida, evidencing prejudice while committing an offense is considered a hate crime.
The arrest reports list four victims.
According to the arrest reports, the students approached the victims, yelled “It’s Opposite Day!” and “brown power!” and beat them. The arrest reports noted that the comments were made before and during the alleged attack.
The Flu Trucks Klan Wants People With Heart Attacks to Die Because They Can't Reach 911.
The lead organizer of the People’s Convoy on Thursday evening suggested to frustrated truckers that they “flood 911” with calls amid increasing tensions with Beltway commuters. “The point is, as I understand, that it can get difficult; you’re talking about a lot of people. You’re talking about a big convoy,” organizer Brian Brase said. “And you’re talking about areas that simply do not like us.” He continued: “Remember if you got a bad actor, you got somebody acting dumb... #77 with the mile marker and report the vehicle!” The crowd then shouted back at the convoy leader, claiming Maryland State Police weren’t answering their calls. “Didn’t answer,” a trucker yelled. “If they don’t take care of it, then we’ll just flood 911,” Brase responded to a cheer from the crowd. “So they can answer the phone tomorrow or enjoy 911 calls. How about that!”
How about that? Well, I for one think it’s a perfectly swell idea! Wait, did I say “swell”? I meant “dangerously irresponsible” and “illegal.”
Amazon Is Selling This?
TucKKKer = Putin?
Has Texas Instituted a No-Fact Zone? And Who Has Venezuela Invaded?
The House voted overwhelmingly late Wednesday to ban oil imports from Russia, with two Texas Republicans among the very few dissenters.
Reps. Louie Gohmert of Tyler and Chip Roy of Austin offered similar explanations for bucking the bipartisan consensus on closing the U.S. market over the invasion of Ukraine.
“What good does it do to ban Russian oil if you’re going to go buy it from Venezuela or Iran?” Roy argued on the House floor before the 414-17 vote late Wednesday.
But the United States currently imports no oil from Venezuela, according to federal data, and only a thousand barrels from Iran last year.
Were They Saving Souls or Saving Money?
The Salvation Army faces three federal lawsuits accusing it of exploiting marginalized people under the guise of offering therapy by paying as little as $1 a week for full-time work.
The suits, filed this week in Georgia, Illinois, and New York, accuse the philanthropic organization of flouting U.S. wage laws in its Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARC) by paying well under the $7.25 an hour federal minimum wage or overtime. The Illinois and New York complaints also allege Salvation Army violated state wage laws.
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Today's Best Person in the World Nominees
Has Biden Actually Achieved a Little Bi-Partisanship?
From Ukraine to the mail, we're in a golden bipartisan era. Give thanks while it lasts.
This break from the usual strife will no doubt be fleeting. But Democrats, listen up: If the two parties can make deals, there could be hope for you.
Amid tragedy in Ukraine, President Joe Biden has managed to unite an increasingly broad swath of Americans and the world, from economic and information warfare to keeping Ukrainians supplied with what they need to keep fighting, and with no U.S. forces on the ground or in the sky.
There is extensive bipartisan support for the ban on Russian oil imports he announced Tuesday, as the House quickly demonstrated with a 414-17 vote to approve the ban, toughen a sanctions law and require a review of Russia's membership in the World Trade Organization.
In other bipartisan news, the Senate passed the Postal Service Reform Act on Tuesday on a lopsided 79-19 vote. In the works for 15 years, it sailed through the House last month and is headed to Biden's desk.
What does this mean for “we the people”? Guaranteed six-day-a-week mail delivery, for a start, and an online performance dashboard so the public can check local and national delivery times. The bill also takes long recommended steps to make sure that the Postal Service – "one of the most important institutions in American life," in Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's words – doesn't go broke.
...............
The Senate passed a massive $1.5 trillion spending bill Thursday that would prevent a government shutdown and provide $13.6 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine.
The legislation passed 68-31 after receiving House approval on Wednesday. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the measure into law before government funding runs out Friday night.
The bipartisan spending measure would fund the federal government through Sept. 30, with increases to both defense and non-defense programs over 2021 levels.
Do You Cut the Red Wire or the Blue Wire? Just Dump Water on It.
Faced with a live Russian bomb in the northern city of Chernihiv, two Ukrainians used a bottle of water to calmly defuse it.
One man poured water over the tip of the unexploded projectile as the other carefully removed its detonator in footage the State Emergency Service of Ukraine shared online Wednesday.
The bomb came from a downed Russian fighter jet, according to the Ukrainian government report.
Can You Tell Which Picture is Before and Which is After?
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Invasions Have Consequences
Biden Says "Nyet" to Caviar
US President Joe Biden has announced a ban on imports of Russian diamonds, seafood and vodka in the latest response to Russia's war in Ukraine.
The US, European Union and other allies also plan to revoke Russia’s status as an equal trade partner, paving the way for further economic punishment.
Its currency has collapsed, while global firms rush to exit the country.
The US, European Union, and Group of Seven countries plan to strip Russia of its "most favored nation" status, Reuters reported.
Revoking Russia's status would allow the US and its allies to slap tariffs on Russian goods, potentially opening up an avenue to apply more pressure to the country's already strained economy.
Levi's Thinks Russia is a Bad Fit
Even Levi's, the jeans brand that became a symbol of post-Soviet business in Russia, has closed its shops. The all-American jeans firm said about 4% of its total net sales came from Eastern Europe and Russia last year, but "any business considerations are clearly secondary to the human suffering experienced by so many".
Walking through Moscow today, there is an emptiness to places I have passed countless times over the years. The skyscraper on New Arbat Avenue, which until last week housed the independent radio station "Echo of Moscow" is silent. The McDonald's on Pushkin Square is just as empty.
In one of Moscow's large shopping malls, a woman sits on the floor of a perfume store, raking up all the goods available to her -- from mascara to lipstick. It's both an act of desperation and a farewell to the Western civilization that came to Russia 30 years ago. Now people are realizing: the Russian economy is as naked as the malls emptied of global brands.
In recent years, Russian society has become a mall society. People spend their weekends in these consumer hubs; heading there for walks, visiting restaurants, watching films, and of course shopping. Russia is a consumers' paradise -- especially after the economic growth of the early 2000s -- thanks to high prices for Russian oil and the end of the post-Soviet transitional period.
Woke Up It Was a Chelsea Morning and They Wouldn't Take My Credit Card
Chelsea's credit card facilities have been temporarily suspended while banks assess the implications of sanctions imposed on Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.
The club has been given a special licence to operate despite Abramovich having his assets frozen by the UK government.
Banks want to assess the licence criteria to ensure it does not breach the government's sanctions and Chelsea do not know when the suspension will be lifted.
Can You Remember When the Internet Wasn't An Essential Part of Life?
Big tech platforms have joined the global backlash against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, with Facebook (FB), Google (GOOGL), Twitter (TWTR), Spotify (SPOT), Netflix (NFLX) and others placing at least partial restrictions on Russian content — if not exiting (or getting themselves blocked) altogether.
In the past week, however, the severing of Russia from the global internet went one layer deeper. Two of the world's largest internet service providers, Lumen Technologies and Cogent Communications, said they would block Russian customers from their networks over fears that their networks could be used by the Russian government for cyberattacks against the West. But a knock-on effect is that it will be even harder for citizens in the country to use the worldwide web.
In the 1920's, When the German Mark Became Worthless, It Took a Wheelbarrow of Cash to Buy a Loaf of Bread.
Russia’s ‘imminent’ default will have harsh ripple effects. Here’s why.
Moscow’s credit has been reduced to junk status as international financial sanctions cut off much of the nation’s revenue.
lenders doing business with Russia often conduct transactions in dollars or euros specifically because Moscow’s economy is more volatile and emerging. But President Vladimir Putin has said his government could force lenders in certain countries to accept only Russian currency; as of Wednesday afternoon, the exchange rate was 120 rubles to $1. The Kremlin also has barred its citizens from withdrawing more than $10,000 in hard currency from the nation’s banks.
Now, experts say, Russia is running out of dollars and other standard global currencies with which to pay creditors, and covering debts with rubles could only serve to further devalue the currency because it basically worthless in global markets.
Vladimir the Terrible
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Opps! I Shot a Missile in the Air and Where It Landed I Know Not Where.
India says it accidentally fired a missile into Pakistan on Wednesday, blaming the incident on a "technical malfunction" during routine maintenance.
Delhi said it was "deeply regrettable" and expressed relief no one was killed.
Pakistan's military said a "high-speed flying object" had crashed near the eastern city of Mian Channu and its flight path had endangered passenger flights.
Both countries have nuclear weapons.
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The QOP Likes High Risk When They Are Not on the Hook
Pressure is mounting on US President Joe Biden to bolster Ukraine's defences after his administration quashed Poland's offer to send fighter jets with US help.
More than 40 Republican senators have written an open letter in which they say they "strongly disagree" with Biden's stance.
They have now called on him to immediately "facilitate the transfer of aircraft and air defence systems".
The White House says it's "high risk".
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A Glimmer of Oily Hope
A bombshell announcement by a United Arab Emirates diplomat on Wednesday raised hopes that Gulf oil producers might come to the rescue as oil prices climbed to an eight-year high on Russia's war in Ukraine.
Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE ambassador in the United States, told CNN his country favors an oil output hike. It was the first indication from a member of the OPEC+ cartel of oil producers that a supply increase beyond what was agreed by the group could be considered. OPEC+ had refused to budge from its current plan to gradually ramp up output.
I Am Not Sure I Would Call This a "Bombshell"
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Should Gas Prices Be This High?
Normally, oil is a pretty fungible commodity — it’s relatively cheap to put it in a tanker and ship it to whoever wants to buy. In normal times, that means that there’s more or less one single global oil price, so that a disruption to production anywhere affects all oil consumers equally.
In this situation, however, that’s not necessarily true. Only some countries are going to ban Russian oil, so Russia will probably keep selling to the ones who don’t ban it — especially to China and India, which together buy almost a third of total global oil imports. Because Russia has fewer markets to sell to, the countries that do buy Russia’s oil will be able to get it at a discount. Thus they’ll end up buying more oil from Russia and correspondingly less from other exporters like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, or Canada. Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Canada will then sell more oil to the countries boycotting Russian oil, which will mitigate the rise in prices.
Mitigate, but not cancel out. Because oil importers like the U.S. now have fewer sources they can import from, they’ll pay a premium. That will raise prices on the world market. Indeed, oil has already surged to almost $130 a barrel since the start of the war, with yesterday’s announcements causing a particularly big spike
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What If a Virus Kept Killing People and No One Cared?
The U.S. is nearing 1 million recorded COVID-19 deaths without the social reckoning that such a tragedy should provoke. Why?
To grapple with the aftermath of a disaster, there must first be an aftermath. But the coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing, and “feels so big that we can’t put our arms around it anymore,” Peek told me. Thinking about it is like staring into the sun, and after two years, it is no wonder people are looking away. As tragedy becomes routine, excess deaths feel less excessive. Levels of suffering that once felt like thunderclaps now resemble a metronome’s clicks—the background noise against which everyday life plays. The same inexorable inuring happened a century ago: In 1920, the U.S. was hit by a fourth wave of the great flu pandemic that had begun two years earlier, but even as people died in huge numbers, “virtually no city responded,” wrote John M. Barry, a historian of the 1918 flu. “People were weary of influenza, and so were public officials. Newspapers were filled with frightening news about the virus, but no one cared.”
What If a Russia Keeps Killing People and No One Cares?
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China Cares About the Virus
China on Friday ordered a lockdown of the 9 million residents of the northeastern city of Changchun amid a new spike in COVID-19 cases in the area attributed to the highly contagious omicron variant.
Residents are required to remain at home, with one family member permitted to venture out to buy food and other necessities every two days. All residents must undergo three rounds of mass testing, while non-essential businesses have been closed and transport links suspended.
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