Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

Does Politico Know Who Kamala Harris Is? – Mother Jones

This is Kamala Harris. She is being sworn in as Vice President of the United States of America.Saul Loeb/dpa via Zuma

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Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for Covid on Tuesday, and Politico wants to know why she is receiving top-of-the-line health care to treat it. Yesterday’s “West Wing Playbook” newsletter dedicated many paragraphs to pondering medical ethics and why Harris is taking Paxlovid, a highly effective new retroviral medication for Covid-19. But a good answer is only six words long: BECAUSE SHE IS THE VICE PRESIDENT!

Harris is the next in line to run the most powerful country in the world. She is also infected with a virus that can cause short and longterm illness, even in people who are healthy and vaccinated. So why wouldn’t she and her doctors take all possible precautions? Paxlovid is available with a prescription from a doctor for those at high risk of developing a severe case of Covid-19. Is the vice president an obese, diabetic octogenarian? No, but neither is she a 25-year-old athlete. Most importantly, she needs to be able to run the country at a moment’s notice.

Still, Politico wants to know “Why did Kamala take the Pfizer pill?” even though she is, as far as we know, asymptomatic. The newsletter quotes doctors who question the prescription:

“Why,” asked JONATHAN REINER, professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, “would you give Paxlovid to someone without symptoms?”

Um, perhaps because she is the vice president?

Politico also contrasts Harris’ speedy access to Paxlovid with the difficulty many ordinary Americans have had accessing it:

…medical ethicists argued that the moral rationalization for giving Harris the medication only underscores how unfair the system is.

“It’s what I make of the American health care system—better to be rich and connected,” said ARTHUR CAPLAN, a New York University professor of medical ethics.

Harris’ speedy access to Paxlovid sharply contrasts with the rest of the country’s ability to get it. The sheer logistics of finagling a prescription, and then finding the pills within days of symptom onset, has complicated the drug’s rollout after it was first authorized in December.

Yes, some people still have trouble getting Paxlovid. Yes, health care is better for the rich. Does that mean the vice president should not receive high quality medical care? No—because she is the vice president.

The newsletter did also quote Céline Gounder, a doctor who advised President Joe Biden’s transition team on Covid-19. Grounder, a practicing physician and epidemiologist, pointed out that Harris does indeed qualify for Paxlovid and that sometimes world leaders get good medical care for a reason. “It’s about what’s best for the nation,” she said.

That is the correct answer. Why are we even questioning this?

Source: Does Politico Know Who Kamala Harris Is? – Mother Jones

Account of Sheriff Villanueva lying in a cover-up revealed – Los Angeles Times

The filing by former Assistant Sheriff Robin Limon, once one of Villanueva’s closest advisors, alleges that she personally brought a DVD containing a video of a deputy kneeling on a handcuffed inmate’s neck to Villanueva — and watched it with him and two others five days after the incident happened.

Her account calls into question Villanueva’s claim that he learned of the March 2021 incident eight months after it happened and took swift action.

After The Times last month reported on the cover-up, Limon’s claim said, Villanueva demanded that she retire or she would be demoted four ranks — from assistant sheriff to lieutenant.

“The reasons for the Sheriff’s misconduct were twofold, to retaliate against the Complainant for being a whistleblower on several instances of illegal and other wrongful conduct and to further his cover up of an excessive use of force incident,” her claim said.

Source: Account of Sheriff Villanueva lying in a cover-up revealed – Los Angeles Times

Feds to forgive $238 million in loans for Marinello students – Los Angeles Times

Former students of the shuttered Marinello Schools of Beauty will have their loans forgiven, totaling $238 million for approximately 28,000 students, the federal government announced Thursday.

The news comes six years after Marinello abruptly closed its doors at its beauty schools across the country, including campuses in Los Angeles, Burbank, Moreno Valley and Sacramento. The for-profit college was owned and managed by B&H Education Inc. and headquartered in Beverly Hills.

Source: Feds to forgive $238 million in loans for Marinello students – Los Angeles Times

Trevor Reed’s Release Leads to Questions About Brittney Griner

As basketball star Brittney Griner continues to be detained in Russia, the release of another imprisoned American has led to questions about how the federal government is responding to her case.

According to NBC News, on Wednesday, former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed was released by Russia during a prisoner exchange for convicted Russian drug trafficker Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Conn. While many on the internet were happy for Reed, there were also questions about why Griner was still being detained.

Brittney’s wife, Cherelle Griner, expressed her love and happiness for the Reed family on Instagram.

“As I do everything in my power to get BG home my heart is overflowing with joy for The Reed Family. I do not personally know them, but I do know the pain of having your loved one detained in a foreign country,” Cherelle wrote. “That level of pain is constant and can only be remediated by a safe return home. For the Reed family, that day is today. Welcome Home Trevor, sending love to you and your family on this special day.”

Source: Trevor Reed’s Release Leads to Questions About Brittney Griner

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp Signs Bill Limiting Race Discussions In Classrooms

The Republican party continues the legislative crusade to bend history to its warped view of America. Georgia governor Brian Kemp signed a few education bills into law, including one that targets “divisive concepts” in the classroomas reported by CNN.

House Bill 1084 or the “Protect Students First Act” outlines divisive concepts as being “those that teach “the United States of America is fundamentally racist; an individual, by virtue of his or her race, is inherently or consciously racist or oppressive toward individuals of other races,” and “an individual, solely by virtue of his or her race, bears individual responsibility for actions committed in the past by other individuals of the same race.”

The ACLU of Georgia fired back and said parents want their children to be taught accurate curricula.

Source: Republican Gov. Brian Kemp Signs Bill Limiting Race Discussions In Classrooms

Interview: ‘Destruction in the Amazon threatens everyone’s health’ – Mágica Mistura 車

Marcia Castro, who heads the public health faculty at Harvard, reflects on how to live with viruses that remain and how to prepare for those to come …

Interview: ‘Destruction in the Amazon threatens everyone’s health’

published in Veja Saúde

Source: Interview: ‘Destruction in the Amazon threatens everyone’s health’ – Mágica Mistura 車

Xanthic #atozchallenge #Ukraine #fiction

penned in moon dust

As he walked back to the church with a small bag representing all of our belongings, my husband exhaled. Had he looked up, he would have seen the sickly Xanthic (yellow) hues. No one could look up because of things falling from the sky and who wanted to know that chemicals could be adding to the danger…

Additionallly—He didn’t want to think about the Russian Navy that was once again closing in to the Odessa port. How long? he muttered, a day maybe two?

Exasperated, he set the bag down next to me. He plopped himself down and expressed all the pent- up frustrations of the last several months. He held my hand and I listened as best I could. Occasionally, I squeezed his hand which was as much energy as I could exert.

Olga came over to see if I needed anything and…

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It’s a deadly Assortment #flashfiction #challenge

penned in moon dust

I thought I was having a dream until my senses were overwhelmed with the odor of fish.

Then I heard:

“There are 15 pieces of sushi. You must eat five of them. Your best friend’s life depends on it.”

Lizzy was tied to a chair in the corner.

” I must mention that three of the items will cause instant death and two well it might be possible to make it to hospital. You have four minutes to decide and 1 minute to eat. “

This is not a dream. This is a NIGHTMARE!!!

“Your time starts Now.”

The above picture is the prompt for this week’s Xploration Challenge – moderated by the talented Reena Saxena

Did I mention I love flash fiction with all the fixins…

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