"More Tyson Foods chicken is being recalled for possible listeria contamination… The massive recall, first announced Saturday, grew by nearly 500,000 pounds Thursday, according to an update posted on the recall notice on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service website."
"Being discouraged is part and parcel of a working writer's life. Negative reviews, ditto. Some of us are naturally more thick-skinned about them than others, and most of us develop coping strategies over the years. This is where networking with other writers can be very helpful." (Grokked from Deborah Beal)
"Large satellites used for TV broadcasting could be quickly and easily repurposed as asteroid deflectors if a space rock were to threaten Earth, according to a study by the European aerospace company Airbus."
"Branson's Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N) is due on Sunday to send the company's passenger rocket plane, the VSS Unity, on its first fully crewed test flight to the edge of space, with the British billionaire founder among the six individuals strapping in for the ride."
"Did lead poisoning cause downfall of Roman Empire? The jury is still out." This is one of the problems with our Western Cultural concepts of science, causality, and perception that we look for the "one crazy trick" solutions when, in fact, many factors caused the Roman Empire to fall, including a stagnating culture. But yes, lead was one of those factors.
"A new data analysis identifies clusters of unvaccinated people, most of them in the southern United States, that are vulnerable to surges in Covid-19 cases and could become breeding grounds for even more deadly Covid-19 variants."
"Despite early successes last year in controlling the pandemic, South Korea Friday announced it would raise restrictions in the capital region to the highest level, as a fourth wave of infections is gaining speed."
"The mRNA vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna are possibly linked to rare cases of heart inflammation, according to analysis of 321 cases post-vaccination released Friday by the European Medicines Agency."
"Vaccines based on mRNA, first used for covid-19, may soon protect people from the influenza virus as well. This week, Moderna announced the start of a phase I/II trial testing out its vaccine candidate for the seasonal flu. Ultimately, the company hopes to develop a combination vaccine that can offer protection against the flu, covid-19, and other common respiratory viruses at the same time." Pharmaceutical companies have been pushing for mRNA vaccine development for over a decade. Now they have their chance.
How goes Brexit? "People returning to England from abroad could face peak-time airport queues of up to six hours when travel measures are eased, a union has warned… Fully jabbed UK citizens coming back from amber list countries will no longer need to quarantine from 19 July… The Immigration Service Union said the "sheer number" of passengers arriving and a shortage of Border Force officers would slow down checks."
"Three Ohio electric companies owned by Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. will refund money collected from a guaranteed revenue provision included in a tainted energy bill, according to an order issued on Wednesday by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio… Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison, and Cleveland Electric Illuminating companies will begin crediting customers a total of $27.5 million. Amounts will vary based on customers’ electric use this August." Sounds good, right? Like consumers are getting the better of the deal, right? Well, let's compare that $27.5M from the 3 companies (all First Energy companies, IIRC) to the estimated $60M that just First Energy used to bribe lawmakers and regulators "to get the bill approved and to prevent a statewide referendum on repealing the law." Still sound like a win here?
"Chime, a 'neobank' serving millions, is racking up complaints from users who can’t access their cash. The company says it’s cracking down on an “extraordinary surge” in fraudulent deposits. That’s little consolation to customers caught in the fray."
"Wells Fargo is ending a popular consumer lending product, angering some of its customers, CNBC has learned… The bank is shutting down all existing personal lines of credit in coming weeks and has stopped offering the product, according to customer letters reviewed by CNBC."
"Over the past several months, however, Linehan has noticed a spike in prices for necessities like food and gasoline. He has seen higher costs for grocery staples like bread and milk. There have also been steady hikes in gasoline prices, limiting his ability to travel." Inflation affects those on fixed income the most.
"His executive order on competition contains directives for a dozen government agencies to take 72 measures — some big, some small — to shake up key markets for consumers, workers, farmers and small businesses, White House officials told NPR. They spoke on the condition of anonymity ahead of Biden's announcement."
"Seventeen suspects have been detained so far in the stunning assassination of Haiti's president, and Haitian authorities say two are believed to hold dual U.S.-Haitian citizenship and Colombia's government says at least six are former members of its army… Canada's foreign relation department released a statement that did not refer to Solages by name but said one of the men detained for his alleged role in the killing had been 'briefly employed as a reserve bodyguard' at its embassy by a private contractor." Where have I heard this story before?
"Two dramatic trends that for years have defined the shifting landscape of religion in America — a shrinking white Christian majority, alongside the rise of religiously unaffiliated Americans — have stabilized, according to a new, massive survey of American religious practice."
"In the two weeks since a 12-story condo tower in this coastal community suddenly crumbled, killing at least 64 people, DeSantis has stood somberly with local officials, including Democrats, as they assessed the damage. He nodded in agreement when Biden visited and hailed their joint appearance as a sign that those with opposing political views can work together in a crisis. And he even skipped a rally in Sarasota headlined by former President Donald Trump, whose early endorsement was crucial in helping DeSantis win the governor’s race in 2018." Remember when Chris Christy hugged President Obama in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy? Also, the article is a pretty damning statement on the toxicity of conservative politics.
"Even for a pol known for chaos and controversy, Allen West had a doozy of a first week as a Texas gubernatorial candidate… Top state Republicans called on him to quit his post immediately as state GOP chair Tuesday, citing a conflict of interest with his campaign (he refused). He called the party’s vice chair “a cancer” on Wednesday (she’s a cancer survivor). Then West committed a Texas-sized error by heading Friday to Alaska for a joint Texas-Alaska GOP fundraiser bearing a title that strikes at Lone Star pride: 'THE HEART OF ALASKA IS BIGGER THAN TEXAS.'" Driving to the right.
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