Thursday, February 10, 2022

Wake-UP Call: CDC Not Changing Mask Guidelines


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention isn't changing its masking guidelines yet, despite several states in recent days moving to lift their mask mandates. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a news briefing yesterday, "Our hospitalizations are still high, our death rates are still high. . . . and as we are encouraged by the current trends, we are not there yet." Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden's chief medical adviser, expressed cautious optimism, saying that if cases continue to fall and no new variants arise, the country, quote, "could be heading toward what we would consider more normality." But he warned that the situation is "still unpredictable." Walensky said the CDC is working on new guidance for states as the omicron-driven Covid-19 wave recedes, but said it's too soon to remove masks in indoor public places. Some governors and experts are calling for the federal government to provide science-based metrics for when different restrictions should be lifted.

 
🚚FORD PLANT SHUT DOWN DUE TO CANADIAN TRUCK BRIDGE BLOCKADE: U.S. automaker Ford shut down an engine plant in Windsor, Ontario, in Canada and is running an assembly plant on a reduced schedule in the city of Oakville in the same province due to the truck blockade of a bridge between Canada and Detroit by protesters who want Canada to end its Covid-19 restrictions. Ford said last night that the actions were due to parts shortages. The truck protests began some two weeks ago in the national capital of Ottawa, but some have spread, including to the Ambassador Bridge, where traffic was blocked for a third day yesterday. Traffic was prevented from entering Canada, while U.S.-bound traffic was still moving. The bridge carries 25 percent of all trade between the two countries. Shortages caused by the blockade also forced General Motors to cancel the second shift at its SUV factory near Lansing, Michigan.


➤JAN. 6TH HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS EX-TRUMP TRADE ADVISER PETER NAVARRO: The House committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol subpoenaed former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, who promoted false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. The committee wants information and testimony from Navarro, saying that he was involved in efforts to delay Congress’ certification of the election and ultimately change the election results. Navarro, a former economics professor, yesterday called the committee a "partisan witch hunt" and repeated the claim he's made of executive privilege.


➤SENATORS REACH BIPARTISAN DEAL ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEGISLATION: A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a proposal yesterday to reauthorize the 1990s-era Violence Against Woman Act, after it expired in 2019 because of Republican opposition to renewing it. The legislation extends protections for victims of domestic and sexual violence. Republicans had prevented it from being renewed because of a provision that would ban people who've been convicted of misdemeanor stalking from owning firearms. The provision was removed as part of the deal for renewal. The law was first introduced in 1990 by then-Senator Joe Biden. It was signed into law as part of a crime bill signed four years later by President Bill Clinton. Congress had reauthorized it three times before it lapsed three years ago.

➤REPORT: NATIONAL ARCHIVES ASKED JUSTICE DEPT. TO INVESTIGATE TRUMP'S HANDLING OF DOCUMENTS: The National Archives and Records Administration has asked the Justice Department to investigate whether former President Donald Trump violated federal law in his handling of documents, the Washington Post reported yesterday. News of the referral comes after several reports in recent days about Trump's handling of documents as president, including tearing them up, and after he left the White House, with the National Archives having to get back 15 boxes of documents Trump took to Florida with him. At question is whether Trump violated the Presidential Records Act, which requires that all of administration's presidential records be turned over to the archives when a president leaves office.

➤SEVEN MORE D.C. HIGH SCHOOLS GET BOMB THREATS: One day after Vice President Kamala Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, was hustled out of a Washington, D.C., high school where he was for a Black History Month event because of a bomb threat, seven more D.C. high schools got bomb threats on Wednesday. Both public high schools and charter schools were targeted by the calls, most of which were received between noon and 1 p.m. Students and staff were evacuated while the schools were searched, and in all cases, nothing was found and they were able to return. 

🐶HAVING A DOG IN YOUR DATING PROFILE PHOTO INCREASES YOUR CHANCES OF A ROMANTIC MATCH:  You may want to include your dog in your next dating profile photo. Pet care marketplace Rover recently surveyed more than 1,000 British pet owners who had used dating apps, and found 76 percent said they would be more likely to match with someone who featured a dog in their photos or bio. Fifty-one percent of single pet owners admitted to including their dog in their dating profile in hopes of increasing their chances of drawing in a potential match, and 24 percent had no shame in admitting the dog in their photo wasn’t their own. The dog breeds singles deemed most-likely to positively influence matches were: 1) golden retrievers, 2) Labradors, 3) cockapoos, 3) cocker spaniels, and 4) border collies. Adem Fehmi, Canine Behaviorist at Rover adds, “It’s no surprise that having a picture of a dog in your dating profile can boost your chances of meeting a partner and forming a connection. Showing love for a pet is an attractive quality as it can indicate personality attributes such as kindness.”

🐔SUPER BOWL PARTY HOSTS, TAKE NOTE—CHICKEN WING PRICES ARE UP 26%:  Inflation is concern right now, and that of course extends to your Super Bowl snacks. A Wells Fargo study estimates that the price of Super Bowl parties could be up to 14 percent higher this year versus last year. The study looked at the cost of various popular party items, from chips and dip to chicken wings. The items with the biggest uptick in cost are those that include meat—chicken wings alone are 26 percent more expensive than last year, while steaks are 23 percent more expensive, and hamburgers are 17 percent more expensive. The good news is staples like chips and avocados are only about one percent more expensive than they were last year, and carrots and celery are about the same price that they were in 2021. Meanwhile, soda in 2-liter bottles is running 12 percent higher, while the cost of beer is up four percent, and the cost of wine is up three percent.



🎿BEIJING WINTER OLYMPICS: Highlights:

Nathan Chen of U.S. Wins Figure Skating Gold - American Nathan Chen won the gold medal in men's figure skating, with a near-flawless free skate program after coming in first in the short program with a world record score two days earlier. The 22-year-old landed all five of his quadruple jumps as he became the first U.S. men's Olympic champion since Evan Lysacek in 2010. It was the end of a long quest for Chen, after he finished disappointingly out of the medals in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics four years ago. Yuma Kagiyama won silver and Shoma Uno took bronze, both of them from Japan.


  • U.S. Snowboarder Chloe Kim Wins Second Straight Halfpipe Gold - U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim won gold in the women's halfpipe for the second straight Olympics, getting a big score that no one was able to match in the first of her three runs. Since the highest score is the one that counts, the 21-year-old used her other two runs, including the final one when her victory was assured, to try to land one of her most difficult tricks, a cab 1260, which is three-and-a-half spins, but wasn't able to do it. Coming in second for the silver was Queralt Castellet of Spain and Sena Tomita of Japan won bronze.
  • Star Russian Women's Figure Skater Tests Positive for Banned Drug - Russia's 15-year-old women's figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva, who is heavily favored to win the gold medal next week, tested positive for banned heart medication trimetazidine before the Olympics, according to reports. The drug can help endurance and increase blood flow efficiency. The sample was reportedly obtained before she won the European championship last month. Valieva practiced as usual following the reports, and it was unclear if Russia is appealing or fighting the result. The Russian figure skating federation spokesman said only, "She is not suspended." The medal ceremony for the team competition has been postponed indefinitely, with Russia having won the gold with performances that included Valieva winning both the short program and free skate. If they were to have the medal taken away, the U.S., which won silver, would get the gold. Japan, which won bronze, would get silver, and Canada, which finished fourth, would get the bronze.
  • Austrian Skier Strolz Wins Gold in Combined, Same as His Father 34 Years Ago - Austrian skier Johannes Strolz won the gold medal in the Alpine combined, in which competitors ski two races, a slalom and a downhill, the same event his father, Hubert Strolz, won gold in at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde won silver and Jack Crawford of Canada took bronze.
  • German Team Takes Gold in Doubles Luge for Third Straight Olympics - The German team of Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt won gold in men's doubles luge for the third straight Olympics, the first luge team to ever do so.
  • Denmark Upsets Czech Republic in First Olympic Men's Hockey Game in Nation's History - Denmark upset the Czech Republic 2-1 in the first Olympic men's ice hockey game in the nation's history, after the Danes had never before qualified. The Czechs are considered a top-five team to potentially win gold. The win came on the first day of preliminary-round games.
MEDAL COUNT: (As of 4:00 a.m. ET) - Austria and Norway are in first place with 12 medals each, followed by the Russian Olympic Committee with 11, and Canada with 10. In the gold medal count, Germany and Norway both have five, Austria and Sweden each have four, and the U.S., China and the Netherlands each have three. The U.S. has nine medals overall, three gold, five silver and one bronze. ESPN'S MEDAL TRACKER:

OTHER SPORTS:

🏈GOODELL: NFL 'FELL SHORT' IN INCREASING MINORITY HEAD COACHES: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a pre-Super Bowl news conference Wednesday that the league, quote, "fell short" in increasing the number of minority head coaches this offseason. Goodell said he'd invited outside experts to consult on possible actions and that every option will be on the table, stating, "If I had the answer right now, I would give it to you. I would have implemented it." He faced questions about the issue after former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores sued the NFL, Dolphins and two other teams, alleging racially discriminatory hiring practices for head coaches and general managers. Goodell says the allegations will be investigated. The commissioner also called Flores allegation that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 for every loss during the 2019 season "very disturbing," and said the league is investigating, stating, "If there are violations, they won't be tolerated."

⚾MLB TALKS TO RESUME SATURDAY: MLB and the locked-out players will resume negotiations on Saturday (February 12th) after an 11-day break. The session will come after three days of owners’ meetings that end today and three days of players’ association meetings. MLB had asked last week for a federal mediator to be brought in, but the players' union rejected the proposal. At this point, there's almost no chance that spring training will begin on time on February 16th.

🏒BRUINS' MARCHAND SUSPENDED FOR SIX GAMES: Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand was suspended by the NHL for six games last night for roughing and high sticking against Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry during the teams' game Tuesday. Marchand was already suspended once earlier this season for three games, and this will be the eighth suspension of his career. It's also the longest, with NHL Player Safety saying that Marchand being a repeat offender played into the suspension's length. Marchand leads the Bruins in scoring this season with 21 goals and 49 points.

⚾FORMER MLB PLAYER JEREMY GIAMBI, PART OF MEMORABLE PLAY, DEAD AT 47: Former outfielder and first baseman Jeremy Giambi, who was part of one of MLB's most memorable plays, was found dead at his parents' California home yesterday. He was 47. The county coroner will determine the cause of death. Giambi played in the majors for six seasons with several teams, including three years from 2000 to 2002 with the Oakland A's. For two of those years he played on the A's with his older brother, five-time All-Star Jason Giambi. In 2001, Jeremy Giambi was the player tagged out at home when New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter made his famous flip toss during Game 3 of the American League Division Series after he ran all the way over to the first base line.


🌞SUPER BOWL COULD POTENTIALLY BE HOTTEST EVER: This Sunday's (February 13th) Super Bowl between the L.A. Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals could potentially be the hottest ever, with Southern California, where the game is being played in Inglewood, California, going through a heatwave. Climatologist Bill Patzert told the L.A. Times, "Temperatures could reach the mid- to high 80s at kickoff . . . Anything above 84 degrees would top the previous record." A heat advisory is in effect through Sunday evening.



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