"Jupiter's icy moon Europa is considered one of only a few bodies in our solar system that has the potential to host some form of life… Now, scientists say the moon may visibly glow green in the dark as high levels of radiation from Jupiter's powerful magnetic field interact with its moon's icy surface."
"At least three top Trump administration or campaign officials have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending an election night watch party in the White House East Room… Ben Carson, the secretary for housing and urban development, tested positive, a department spokesperson confirmed Monday, as did David Bossie, who was recently tasked with overseeing the campaign’s legal challenges contesting the election's outcome."
"Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar predicted Tuesday that there would be enough Covid-19 vaccine for general public vaccination campaigns by spring 2021." And yet Pfizer has said that it will only be available in a limited amount by then (if they get the emergency authorization they haven't even applied for yet).
And, about that vaccine… "The vaccine’s handling requirements are stringent — it has to be stored at about minus-75 degrees Celsius (minus-103 Fahrenheit), more than 50 degrees Celsius lower than any other vaccine currently on the market in the US… The required conditions are far colder than the temperatures in freezers kept in doctors’ offices, pharmacies and public health clinics."
And "While the news is certainly positive, there are some significant notes of caution. Without full data, it’s unclear if the vaccine is able to prevent severe or fatal cases of COVID-19. The trial also defined cases as those with at least one pre-determined symptom of COVID-19 and a positive test. Thus, the trial data so far doesn’t indicate if the vaccine prevents asymptomatic infection, which can allow the virus to continue to spread undetected. Last, with such limited study, it’s impossible to know so far how long any protection from the vaccine will last. It’s also too early to know if there are rare but serious side effects that will develop later in some participants." (Grokked from John)
"It's likely that another stimulus bill will pass, analysts say, but the unknowns include its size and timing. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has signaled he wants another stimulus package, noting in a November 4 press conference that he would like an aid deal passed before year-end… Even so, any package passed during the so-called "lame duck" session — before the newly elected members of the Senate and the House take their seats in January — is likely to be far smaller than the more than $2 trillion sought by Democrats, according to Wall Street analysts."
"As votes are being tallied across the country to determine the next US president, internal Facebook data shows that the company has seen a significant increase in what it calls 'violence and incitement trends.'"
"Obamacare is back before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, with opponents challenging it for a third time. The first attempts to derail the law failed in the high court by votes of 5-to-4 and 6-to-3. But the makeup of the court is very different now, with three justices appointed by President Trump – among them new Justice Amy Coney Barrett."
"Lawyers working to reunite migrant families separated by the Trump administration before and during its 'zero tolerance' policy at the border now believe the number of separated children for whom they have not been able to find parents is 666, higher than they told a federal judge last month, according to an email obtained by NBC News." If this wasn't NBC I would say we're being punked.
"Drunken brawls, coercion, and lace curtains. Believe it or not, how regular people vote was not something the founding fathers thought much about, or planned for. Americans went from casting votes at drunken parties in the town square to private booths behind a drawn curtain. In this episode (of Throughline), the process of voting; how it was originally designed, who it was intended for, moments in our country's history when we reimagined it altogether, and what we're left with today."
"President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Monday that he has fired Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, and that Christopher Miller, who serves as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will become acting secretary 'effective immediately.'"
"The Trump administration abruptly dumped the leaders of three agencies that oversee the nuclear weapons stockpile, electricity and natural gas regulation, and overseas aid during the past two days, drawing a rebuke from a prominent Republican senator for one of the decisions."
"The White House is instructing federal agencies to fire political appointees of President Donald Trump who are looking for job opportunities after Trump’s election defeat to President-elect Joe Biden… A senior administration official says presidential personnel director John McEntee, the president’s former personal aide, told White House liaisons at departments that they should terminate any political appointees seeking new work while Trump has refused to accept the electoral results." You may remember John McEntee from 2018, "President Donald Trump's longtime personal aide John McEntee was fired because he is currently under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security for serious financial crimes, a source familiar with his firing told CNN."
And now, Captain Obvious… "NASA chief Jim Bridenstine will step down once President-elect Joe Biden takes office, according to a report. Bridenstine thinks NASA will have a better chance of political success with a new chief, AerospaceDaily reported Sunday. The new leader would have "a close relationship with the [next] president of the United States," Bridenstine reportedly said." Yes, this is what happens when a new administration takes office, Bridenstine.
"The Justice Department's top election crimes prosecutor resigned Monday in protest after Attorney General William Barr told federal prosecutors that they should examine allegations of voting irregularities before states move to certify results in the coming weeks… Richard Pilger, director of the elections crimes branch in the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, told colleagues in an email that the attorney general was issuing 'an important new policy abrogating the forty-year-old Non-Interference Policy for ballot fraud investigations in the period prior to elections becoming certified and uncontested.' Pilger also forwarded the memo to colleagues in his resignation letter."
"An adviser for President Donald Trump's campaign, David Bossie, has tested positive for coronavirus only days after he was tapped to oversee the campaign's legal challenges contesting the outcome of the election, two sources confirmed to CNN… Bossie, 55, is the president of the conservative nonprofit Citizens United." I can't confirm this, but the rumor is Mr. Bossie does not hold a law degree.
"With Joe Biden approaching victory, Donald Trump and his political allies flooded the internet with conspiracy theories. This week, On the Media examines the misinformation fueling right-wing demonstrations across the country. Plus, why pollsters seemed to get the election wrong — again. And, how the history of the American right presaged the Republican Party's anti-majoritarian turn." Especially for that last segment.
Also from On the Media… "Mychal Denzel Smith is a writer and fellow at Type Media Center. Brooke spoke to him about his most recent book titled Stakes Is High: After The American Dream which focuses on the perils, for the individual, and the nation of embracing the American myth, better known as the American Dream, the idea that everything is possible for those who work hard. And she asked him what kind of changes the outcome of this election might herald."
"While Democrats are relieved that Joe Biden has defeated Donald Trump from the White House, their underperformance down ballot is fueling anxiety among lawmakers in both chambers — about how to govern under Biden and how to fend off more GOP attacks in 2022."
"Two days after Joe Biden was declared the winner in the presidential election, President Trump and his allies have vowed to keep on fighting, but his campaign team has already let go of some staff and isn’t extending others beyond this week, multiple sources told Yahoo News."
No comments:
Post a Comment