"Colder temperatures are arriving in the Northern Hemisphere, and an insidious rise in new coronavirus cases in the U.S. and Europe is underway… For months, health officials have warned against this possibility, and as these trends begin to materialize, countries are weighing whether to impose stricter measures to contain the virus’ spread." The article says this is a "third wave", it's not. It can be barely categorized as a second wave. What they mean is it'll be the third spike.
"CVS Health said Monday that it wants to immediately hire 15,000 employees to prepare for an expected rise in Covid-19 and flu cases this fall and winter… More than 10,000 of those will be full-time and part-time licensed pharmacy technicians who can help dispense medications and administer Covid-19 tests."
"Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, suggested in a new interview that President Donald Trump is reluctant to cover his face in public amid the coronavirus pandemic because he 'equates wearing a mask with weakness.'"
"Twitter on Sunday removed a tweet from one of President Donald Trump's top Covid-19 advisers falsely claiming masks don't work to prevent the spread of coronavirus."
"Further delays to a decision on Greater Manchester's Covid restrictions will 'put people's lives at risk', the communities secretary has said… Robert Jenrick said he hoped he could reach an agreement with the region's MPs 'in the next day or two'… Local leaders want better financial support before agreeing to a move to the top tier of rules, which would force some businesses to close."
Also in the UK… "A jobs crisis is poised to hit up to a million young people within weeks, creating a new 'Covid generation' that will struggle to find work, according to alarming new analysis of the pandemic’s likely economic effects."
"China's economy is picking up steam as the country continues to dig its way out of the turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic… The world's second largest economy expanded 4.9% in the July-to-September quarter compared to a year ago, according to government statistics released Monday."
"None of the landlords, real estate agents, sellers, appraisers, bankers or home inspectors the families interacted with explained the risk of flooding or wildfires, because no one had to do so. Only about half of the states require that information about flood risk be disclosed to homebuyers, and just one state requires that such information be given to tenants. Only two Western states require disclosure of wildfire risk."
"The more I understood how my information was being collected, shared and sold, the more I wanted to protect my privacy. But it's still hard to know which of my efforts is actually effective and which is a waste of time… So I reached out to experts in digital security and privacy to find out what they do to protect their stuff – and what they recommend most to us regular folks… Here's what they told me." It's easier to protect your security than your privacy.
"This type of digital extortion—give us what we’re asking for and we won’t attack you—has resurfaced repeatedly throughout the last decade. But in recent months, criminals have attempted to capitalize on fear about high-profile nation state attacks, combined with anxieties related to rising ransomware attacks, to try to make some extra money… Though the attacks don’t seem to target certain regions in particular, Radware did find that hackers tended to pose as Lazarus Group when attempting to extort money from financial organizations and as Fancy Bear when threatening technology and manufacturing victims."
"Crowds gathered throughout France on Sunday to pay tribute to Samuel Paty, the 47-year-old history teacher who was beheaded after he reportedly showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a civics lesson."
"Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region took another turn on Sunday, with the two countries accusing each other of violating the latest cease-fire just minutes after it took effect."
"Some are wondering what Democratic candidate Vice President Joe Biden’s public support for AB-5, a union-backed California law, aimed at preventing the misclassification of rideshare drivers by giving them the status and protections of full-time employees, means for the future of their businesses. AB-5 had to be modified repeatedly after taking effect on Jan. 1, 2020, because it was putting so many other types of freelancers out of work. 'They are really worried about it,' says Bothwell. That’s because Biden -- historically a supporter of unions -- wants a federal law similar to AB-5 that could place steep restrictions on who can be a freelancer." Bullshit, what it does it makes it harder for businesses to say someone is an independent contractor when they're obviously an employee (and should be treated as such).
"Videos, photographs and text messages between people charged by the Department of Justice with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer reveal details of their alleged domestic terror plan, their access to weapons and various training exercises."
"Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan who was the subject of a rightwing plot to kidnap and possibly kill her over coronavirus lockdown measures, has accused Donald Trump of 'inspiring and incentivising domestic terrorism'… Whitmer spoke after Lara Trump, a campaign surrogate for her father-in-law, insisted the president was merely “having fun” when he attacked Whitmer and responded to chants of 'Lock her up!' at a rally in Muskegon."
Meanwhile, on Bullshit Mountain… "Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been accused of encouraging assassination attempts on President Trump after displaying '8645' in the background of a national television interview Sunday."
"The 2020 election is taking place against a backdrop of extreme partisan rancor and social unrest, placing unprecedented strain on the police chiefs and sheriffs responsible for maintaining order at the polls… The situation is compounded by the increasing threat of right-wing militia groups and a president who has called for an 'army' of poll watchers to monitor contested election areas." Chief, it's called "loitering." It's a handy statute. So is "demonstrating without a permit." You can ask, "Do you have a reason for being here?" and then ask the person to "move along." Failure to do so is "disobeying the lawful order…". You can exercise your First Amendment rights across the street.
"The Biden campaign and congressional Democrats are strategizing together to wage a post-election response to Trump on two fronts -- anticipating both a legal challenge and a messaging war -- as Trump's attacks on the election have only intensified while he's lagging in the polls two weeks ahead of Election Day, with voting already underway. Outside groups are also mobilizing to try to blunt any efforts to dispute the vote count after November 3."
"Yet two weeks before Election Day, the unfolding reality of 2020 is that it’s harder than ever to be sure. And Democrats are scrambling to account for the hidden variables that could still sink their nominee — or what you might call the known unknowns."
"Questions over whether ballots will count if someone votes early but dies before Election Day are especially pressing this year, amid a coronavirus outbreak that has been especially perilous for older Americans. People 85 years and older represent nearly one in three deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. As an election looms, the odds against older people who contract the virus are on the minds of the elderly and their family members." If they are alive at then time they cast their ballot, it should count, IMHO.
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