"Ada Limón was named Tuesday by the Library of Congress as the nation's 24th poet laureate… She will take over in September from Joy Harjo, who has held the position since 2019. Harjo was only the second poet laureate to be named to a third term; Robert Pinsky also holds that honor."
"Texas is making national headlines for its climate-change-related extreme weather again — this time for a so-called heat dome that’s trapping warm temperatures over the area. More than a year after its infamous deep freeze triggered massive blackouts, the Lone Star State is sweltering through a severe summer heat wave."
"The knowledge that the Greek and Roman sculpture was brightly painted isn't new. In one gallery, there's a watercolor of parts of the Acropolis when it was excavated in 1888 - it's clear that the architectural segments came out of the ground vibrantly colored. And in museums around the globe, hints of color remain on statues from antiquity."
"In order to rebuild, many locals need the economy to recover. Cogswell says the flooding was a crushing blow to their tourism industry, which Red Lodge almost completely relies on… Kristin Groener said the flooding split up the town between those who want to let tourists in to support the local economy and those who fear the presence of tourists may get in the way of rebuilding efforts. Ultimately, tourists have been welcomed back to give businesses a chance at survival."
"Increasingly, however, more people appear to be contracting the virus multiple times in relatively quick succession, as another omicron subvariant sweeps through the U.S… The BA.5 variant is now the most dominant strain of COVID-19 in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while it's hard to get an exact count — given how many people are taking rapid tests at home — there are indications that both reinfections and hospitalizations are increasing."
"A pharmaceutical company based in Paris, HRA Pharma, is seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an over-the-counter birth control pill. The pill includes progestin only, not estrogen, and is known as a mini pill. If approved, it would be the first oral contraceptive available in the U.S. without a prescription."
"Federal health officials reminded U.S. pharmacies on Wednesday that they must comply with federal civil rights laws in the decisions they make about supplying and dispensing medicine. This comes after multiple news reports of pharmacists refusing to fill some prescriptions for medications used for abortion, after the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade." It's about fucking time. These laws about allowing doctors and pharmacists to refuse services based on their conscience are bullshit. If you have a problem doing the job, leave.
"The highly effective mRNA shots against COVID are the most cutting-edge vaccines against the disease. But so far private companies Pfizer and Moderna are the only ones that have succeeded in making them. And both companies have refused to share their patents and their manufacturing know-how. Now Neves and Ano Bom are determined to end the stranglehold."
"Remote work policies, implemented in the early days of the pandemic, have facilitated major steps forward, including increased workforce participation and still strong productivity levels, Cadigan said… But they have also resulted in a disconnect between employees and their teams, fueling phenomena such as the Great Resignation. That, in turn, has led to greater fluidity in the labor market, which, while fine in good times, could be risky ahead of a potential recession." What a load of crap. The main reason to return to the office is executive insecurity. Also, and I'm sure in 5 years there will be huge studies of this, promotion is less likely to happen if you're a remote worker. But to blame the Great Resignation on on working from home is a stretch. Would some people leave if they were forced back to the office. If they can find other remote work, yeah, probably. The major issue of remote work is communications, and the fight against remote work just highlights organizations total failure at communicating effectively.
"'We're seeing a shortage, or housing underproduction, in all corners of the U.S.,' says Mike Kingsella, the CEO of Up for Growth, which on Thursday released a study about the problem. The nonprofit research group is made up of affordable housing and industry groups… 'America's fallen 3.8 million homes short of meeting housing needs," he says. "And that's both rental housing and ownership.'"
"Eastern Ukraine continues to see intense assaults from Russian forces, according to the Ukrainian military, but the British Defense Ministry has questioned whether Russia has made any significant advances in the last 72 hours."
"U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a joint pledge on Thursday to deny Iran nuclear arms, a show of unity by allies long divided over diplomacy with Tehran."
"Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on Wednesday had a blunt message about stalled legislation that would address a critical shortage in semiconductor chips… 'The message is, time's up,' Raimondo said in an interview with CNN a few hours before traveling to Capitol Hill with top defense and intelligence officials to meet with lawmakers. 'It's time to make it happen.'"
"Delta Air Lines flew a flight packed with 1,000 pieces of stranded luggage — and no passengers — from London’s Heathrow Airport to the U.S. this week as this summer’s saga of airline struggles continues… Airbus A330-200 was flown to Detroit to return luggage to their owners Monday after a flight to the Michigan city was canceled the same day. The flight was axed "given airport passenger volume restrictions at Heathrow" and passengers were rebooked, according to the airline."
"Directly across the street from the Kansas Statehouse sits the brick home of Mater Dei Catholic Church… A large purple sign on the front of the church pleads for votes to change the Kansas Constitution that would open the way for an abortion ban… Across the state, other churches and clergy have taken very public positions in perhaps the most contentious issue dividing the state — and the country. They’re actively, even aggressively, backing what supporters call the “Value Them Both” state constitutional amendment."
"Then, today, less than 24 hours after Ohio's attorney general — an anti-abortion Republican — slammed the Indianapolis Star for first reporting the story, law enforcement officials in Franklin County, Ohio, arraigned a 27-year-old man in the rape of the girl. A municipal court judge set a bail of $2 million for Gerson Fuentes of Columbus, Ohio. Detective Jeffrey Huhn had testified that Fuentes confessed to raping the girl at least twice, according to a videotape of the proceedings reviewed by NPR." Our Attorney General couldn't do the basics of researching before saying the story of the 10-year old girl was fabricated. Because they know how damaging this story is. And it's so damning that even with confirmation of its veracity, conservatives are still moving forward to punish those involved on the side of the girl.
"Senators from both parties have reached an agreement to clarify that the vice president only has a ceremonial role in overseeing the certification of the electoral results, according to two Senate sources, the first legislative response to former President Donald Trump's pressure campaign to overturn the 2020 presidential election results."
"Lawmakers will question IRS head Charles Rettig on Thursday regarding a report from the New York Times last week that showed two former top FBI officials, who were critical of former President Donald Trump, had been audited by the agency in 2017 and 2019… Former FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe led investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible coordination with Trump's campaign. Both men were fired from their posts in 2017 and 2018, respectively." Totally not suspicious at all.
"Trump’s inner circle increasingly views Meadows as a likely fall guy for the former president’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Members of Trump’s legal team are actively planning certain strategies around Meadows’ downfall — including possible criminal charges. Trump has himself begun the process of distancing himself from some of his onetime senior aide’s alleged actions around Jan. 6." Most times the rats leave the sinking ship on their own, sometime they're tossed overboard.
"A bill introduced Monday in the U.S. House of Representatives could help the 2030 census and other upcoming national head counts avoid the years of meddling by former President Donald Trump's administration that dogged the country's most recent tally… If it becomes law, the bill would put up additional roadblocks against any attempt by an administration to interfere with the next once-a-decade census, which is used to divvy up political representation and federal funding to communities across the U.S."
"Thursday's proceedings -- the last before Bannon's trial begins Monday -- may give his defense team a glimmer of hope in a case that the Justice Department has tried to keep as straightforward and succinct as possible, so far largely curtailing Bannon's ability to try to shift blame to his attorney or to advisories from Donald Trump's lawyer. While Bannon has tried to complicate the trial with claims of privilege and arguments of needing members of Congress as witnesses, prosecutors say they only need two or three government witnesses and a few days to prove their case."
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