Source: Yanomami Amazon reserve invaded by 20,000 miners; Bolsonaro fails to act
All posts by nedhamson
One-fifth of reptiles heading towards extinction — Palm Oil Detectives

Almost one-fifth of the world’s reptiles are currently threatened with extinction. A recent study assessed 1500 species for extinction risks. From the 19% found to be in danger, 12% were classified as Critically Endangered, 41% as Endangered and 47% Vulnerable. Three of the species listed as being Critically Endangered are believed to be possibly extinct.[…]
One-fifth of reptiles heading towards extinction — Palm Oil Detectives
If the trees could talk; would we want to hear what they were saying? — The Old Man of Wytham

It used to be so easy: humans were different to all other animals, made in the image of god and given dominion over the world (at least in some cultures). Now we know we are not so different, because virtually everything we thought was unique to humans can be found in other animals to some[…]
If the trees could talk; would we want to hear what they were saying? — The Old Man of Wytham
Snarky Snippets Volume 100+
Some days my head simply spins on its axis (my neck) trying to keep up with everything happening in the nation, the world today. There are days that I can pick a topic, focus, and write a relatively coherent post on a single topic. Other days, however, I simply cannot gain that level of focus that is requisite, so instead I toss out a few snippets, usually snarky ones. Today is such a day. The week is topsy-turvy and my mind is spinning at somewhere around 136 rpm (revolutions per minute). Thus, today I give you another episode of Snarky Snippets …
Will Congress find their conscience, or will millions be living on the streets soon?
The current eviction moratorium, that prohibits landlords from evicting tenants who have fallen behind on their rent, is set to expire tomorrow. This means, in a nutshell, that millions of people could be without…
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More than 40% of healthcare staff at long-term care facilities not fully vaccinated, CDC reports – UPI.com
More than 40% of staff at long-term care facilities across the country are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to figures released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Greece sends police to Covid hotspot islands to step up controls | Coronavirus | The Guardian
Greece has begun deploying police units to holiday island hotspots as the country’s tourism season moves into high gear amid a worrying spread of coronavirus variants.
Authorities moved to beef up police presence on party isles such as Mykonos and Ios as concerns mounted over local entrepreneurs failing to comply with health measures aimed at curbing the pandemic. “The Delta variant has meant that every country is dealing with the fourth wave now and not as expected in November,” the Greek tourism minister Haris Theoharis told the Guardian. “While hotels and family-type venues are implementing protocols diligently, there’s more congestion than we would like to see in bars, especially among the younger crowd … so we are trying to ensure some balance is kept.”
Some 186 law enforcers have been sent to Mykonos alone, up from the 56 stationed there this time last year.
On Thursday, an additional 30 policemen, backed up by security officials and undercover agents, were dispatched to Ios, the 11-mile-long Cycladic isle popular with younger tourists drawn to its bars, discos and rock clubs.
The Greek deputy civil protection minister, Nikos Hardalias, said Mykonos and Ios were “one step” away from authorities imposing further restrictions, and that the situation on the islands of Zakynthos, Tinos, Lefkada, Santorini, Paros and Rhodes was also worrying.
Source: Greece sends police to Covid hotspot islands to step up controls | Coronavirus | The Guardian
Biden administration tells Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to rescind border order | The Texas Tribune
The Biden administration has threatened to legally challenge Gov. Greg Abbott’s order that state troopers pull over drivers transporting migrants who pose a risk of carrying COVID-19, calling it “dangerous and unlawful.”
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland told Abbott in a letter Thursday that the governor’s executive order “violates federal law in numerous respects, and Texas cannot lawfully enforce the Executive Order against any federal official or private parties working with the United States.”
Garland said the Department of Justice “intends to pursue all appropriate legal remedies to ensure that Texas does not interfere with the functions of the federal government” if Abbott does not rescind the order.
Source: Biden administration tells Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to rescind border order | The Texas Tribune
LAUSD to require COVID-19 testing of students and staff – Los Angeles Times
All students and employees of the Los Angeles Unified School District will be required to take weekly coronavirus tests regardless of their vaccinations status, under a new district policy announced Thursday.
The district had previously required such testing only for those who are unvaccinated.
The announcement was made by interim Supt. Megan K. Reilly in a letter sent to parents.
“We are closely monitoring evolving health conditions and adapting our response in preparation for our full return to in-person learning on August 16,” Reilly said in the letter. Baseline testing for students returning to campus begins Aug. 2, she added.
Source: LAUSD to require COVID-19 testing of students and staff – Los Angeles Times
U.S. federal workers must mask up unless vaccinated: Biden
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday ramped up the government’s vaccination campaign against the spread of a contagious variant of the novel coronavirus, requiring millions of federal employees to wear masks on the job and comply with regular testing unless vaccinated.
The U.S. capital, meanwhile, said it will make indoor masks mandatory for all people over the age of 2, regardless of their vaccination status, effective Saturday morning.
Source: U.S. federal workers must mask up unless vaccinated: Biden
Eurosurveillance | An outbreak caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) in a secondary care hospital in Finland, May 2021
In conclusion, this outbreak demonstrated that, despite full vaccination and universal masking of HCW, breakthrough infections by the Delta variant via symptomatic and asymptomatic HCW occurred, causing nosocomical infections. As the Delta variant continues to spread in Europe, we suggest that utilization of FFP2/3 respirators while treating COVID-19 patients should be included in national guidelines.
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