Just a short one before I run out the door for the rest of the week.
"A NASA spacecraft has officially 'touched' the sun, plunging through the unexplored solar atmosphere known as the corona."
"The Omicron coronavirus variant is spreading at a rate not seen with previous variants, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned, adding that the tendency to dismiss it as mild is concerning." I guess that answers the question, is Omicron more infectious than Delta.
"The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, making them what officials believe are the first service members to be removed for disobeying the mandate to get the shots… The Air Force gave its forces until Nov. 2 to get the vaccine, and thousands have either refused or sought an exemption. Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said Monday that these are the first airmen to be administratively discharged for reasons involving the vaccine." I'm not someone to argue about the merits of the different categories of discharge, and there are always extenuating circumstances, but I'm not sure "failure to obey the command of a superior officer" qualifies one for "Honorable Discharge." Also, the AF has over 300,000 enlisted and commissioned officers. One thousand isn't even a full percentage point.
"Americans dialed back their spending in November, new data from the Census Bureau showed Wednesday… US retail sales grew by 0.3% in November, a sharp decline from the previous month and less than economists had predicted… Even so, sales were 16.1% higher than in the same period last year." Release the Doom and Gloom reporters!
"A ransomware attack on one of the largest human resources companies may impact how many employees get paid and track their paid time off… Human resources management company Ultimate Kronos Group (known as Kronos) said it suffered a ransomware attack that may keep its systems offline for weeks." Fucking fabulous. We use Kronos at the hospital. And even when it's working it's a PIA, requires constant maintenance, and then add that to the generally onerous HR of hospitals. Also, we were slated for bonuses next week, which there was already grumbling about how late those were coming in the "season" they were meant to "help" us with.
"Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was convicted in April on state murder charges for killing George Floyd, pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges at a change of plea hearing Wednesday in US District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota."
"Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, one of Congress' most right-wing members, issued a press release yesterday, touting federal investment in a local airport thanks to the American Rescue Plan… The statement included a quote from the local mayor, thanking the congressman for his 'continued support.'… What the press statement neglected to mention is the inconvenient detail: Gosar opposed the American Rescue Plan. Under his preferred approach, the funding he now wants credit for wouldn't have passed, at least not when it did." Conservatives taking credit for somethign they didn't do or actively opposed? I guess that means it's Wednesday.
Oh look, actual voter fraud… "Three residents of The Villages have recently been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into voter fraud, court records show (casting ballots in person and by mail in other states)… All three are registered as Republicans in Florida, voter registration records show." Oh, it's republicans again. Never mind. (Grokked from John Scalzi)
"A day after lawmakers shared an explosive series of text messages sent to Mark Meadows during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, the Democratic-led U.S. House voted to hold the former Trump White House chief of staff in criminal contempt of Congress."
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