"Hurricane Laura will make landfall as a major hurricane, with winds of around 115 mph and a storm surge up to 11 feet, when it strikes near the Louisiana-Texas border late Wednesday or early Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center."
"Multiple fires are burning in Contra Costa County, Alameda County, Santa Clara County, Stanislaus County and San Joaquin County. Cal Fire is referring to them collectively as the SCU Lightning Complex. 'SCU' stands for Santa Clara Unit."
"Africa is to be declared free from wild polio by the independent body, the Africa Regional Certification Commission… Polio usually affects children under five, sometimes leading to irreversible paralysis. Death can occur when breathing muscles are affected… Twenty-five years ago thousands of children in Africa were paralysed by the virus… The disease is now only found in Afghanistan and Pakistan." Just as a measure, I x-rayed a US polio survivor the other day.
"New Covid-19 cases in the US may be on the decline but some officials across the country's heartland reported worrisome news this week… Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday the state had reached an 'unfortunate milestone' by reporting at least one case of the virus in every county." Whispers, testing is still a problem, and isn't it funny that now all reporting goes through a private company instead of the CDC that the numbers are trending down?
"President Trump announced on Sunday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has allowed for the emergency use of an unproven treatment known as convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients, stating it can reduce the chances of dying in some by 35 percent. But scientists were quick to cast doubt on the claim, with one calling it 'outrageous.'" The press release could have had a little lees Ministry of Truth feel and more science (but they don't have the science yet).
"A man in Hong Kong has become the first confirmed patient to be infected with the coronavirus a second time, according to researchers at the University of Hong Kong… The finding suggests that some patients who recover from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, may have only short-lived immunity from reinfection. The case will likely also be significant for scientists who have been working on treatments using antibodies from recovered coronavirus patients, and those who have been scrambling to develop a safe and effective vaccine, though it’s too soon to draw any firm conclusions." He was infected by two different strains of the virus, which is worrying as viruses continually mutate. But they're trying their best to spin this as a positive.
"In Boise, the first day of Idaho's special legislative session erupted into chaos before it began. Dozens of unmasked protesters, some of them armed, shoved their way past state troopers to pack the gallery overlooking the state's House of Representatives… To enforce social distancing, the gallery area above the House chamber was restricted with limited seating. But after the confrontation with state troopers, which resulted in the shattering of a glass door, Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke relented and allowed protesters to fill every seat." I guess they weren't black. Maybe they politely broke the glass door? Again, America shows there are separate systems for her citizens of different ancestry.
The Pumpkin Spice hunters have returned early this year. The spice must flow.
"Best Buy on Tuesday reported strong second-quarter sales growth, helped by its biggest quarterly increase in online sales ever, as customers bought computers, kitchen appliances and other tech to help them work, cook and attend school at home during the coronavirus pandemic."
"Rescue workers pulled more than 60 people alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in an industrial town near India's financial capital Mumbai, a senior official told Reuters on Tuesday, as rescue efforts continued."
"Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has said he discussed his country's listing by the US as a state sponsor of terror with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on his visit to Khartoum… Sudan wants to be removed from the list so sanctions can be lifted."
"The Kremlin has dismissed accusations that President Vladimir Putin sanctioned the poisoning of critic Alexei Navalny… Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the allegations were untrue and could not be taken seriously." Funny how he has to keep saying that.
"Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong is effectively running one of the most important political bodies in North Korea, officials in Seoul believe, according to South Korea's defense minister… The development, if true, likely further cements her status as the secretive country's second-most powerful figure."
"The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced on Sunday that it was forgoing a new party platform for 2020 in favor of simply rallying around President Donald Trump’s agenda… One day before the party’s convention was slated to begin, the RNC issued a resolution stating that the GOP 'has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda' and would not be adopting a new platform until the next convention in 2024." They also admitted that their platforms are basically bullshit. So, "what we said before was bullshit anyway, we're just gonna go with whatever the fuck the president decides, and we'll come up with new bullshit in 2024." Way to make a play, GOP.
"Political conventions are usually as much about a party’s next nominee as they are about its current flag-bearer. The Republican convention on Monday night featured a glimpse of the coming fight to define the post-Trump world: Will it look and sound more like Donald Trump Jr. or Nikki Haley?" We're out of cake. So my choice is "or death?" It's like the old Mounds versus Almond Joy commercials.
"When Mike Pompeo addresses the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, he’ll be solidifying his place as the most partisan secretary of state in decades — and tarnishing the proudly independent reputation of the agency he leads… The nation’s chief diplomat is on official travel to the Middle East to handle important foreign policy issues, namely how to strengthen a US-brokered deal to normalize relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Instead of spending all his time focused on those matters, though, Pompeo will also address voters back home, using the backdrop of the holy city of Jerusalem (very literally, as he’s expected to deliver a recorded message from a rooftop somewhere in the city) to boost the president’s reelection campaign." It's like a telethon. Also Pompeo signed memos specifically forbidding what he's doing tonight.
"In a claim likely to intensify the controversy surrounding one of the most influential figures in the American Christian conservative movement, a business partner of Jerry Falwell Jr has come forward to say he had a years-long sexual relationship involving Falwell’s wife and the evangelical leader." If Falwell wasn't so judgmental about others' sexual lives, I really wouldn't be posting this. But don't worry for Falwell, 1) he's richer that Croesus, and 2) there is a well defined roadmap back into the evangelical good graces (I used to do work for the Gospel music industry, it's a well known formula).
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