Monday, April 26, 2021

Wake-Up Call: U-S Sending More Aid To India



The White House said yesterday that the U.S. will send more supplies and support to India as it's dealing with a deadly surge in coronavirus cases, with the world's worst daily case numbers for several days, and is running out of many needed supplies, including oxygen. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke to his counterpart in India, and a White House readout of their call said the U.S. has, quote "identified supplies of therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that will immediately be made available for India. The United States also is pursuing options to provide oxygen generation and related supplies on an urgent basis." The U.S. will also be sending "raw material" needed for India to manufacture the Covishield vaccine, and, according to the readout, the U.S. Development Finance Corporation will fund a, quote, "substantial expansion of manufacturing capability for BioE, the vaccine manufacturer in India, enabling BioE to ramp up to produce at least 1 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of 2022." President Biden said in a tweet Sunday, "Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, we are determined to help India in its time of need."

➤AT LEAST 82 KILLED IN FIRE AT IRAQI COVID HOSPITAL: The death count rose to at least 82 Sunday from a large fire the day before at a hospital for coronavirus patients in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. At least 110 people were also injured in the fire at the Ibn al-Khatib Hospital, which was set off by an exploding oxygen cylinder and swept through the intensive care unit that was only treating Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi blamed widespread negligence by health officials and key health officials were suspended, including the health minister and the governor of Baghdad province. Others, including the hospital director, were fired. Iraq is currently dealing with severe second wave of the pandemic.
 

➤REPORT...FULLY VACCINATED AMERICANS WILL BE ABLE TO GO TO EUROPE THIS SUMMER: Americans who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to travel to European Union nations this summer, the president of the European Commission told the New York Times on Sunday (April 25th.) Ursula von der Leyen, however, didn't give a timeline as to when travel to from the U.S. to E.U. nations might resume after it was stopped more than a year ago due to the pandemic.

➤EVACUATION ORDERS FOR 200 ARIZONA HOMES DUE TO 'OUT OF CONTROL' WILDFIRE: Evacuation orders were issued Sunday for the residents of some 200 homes in Arizona that are in potential danger due to a wildfire that officials described as "raging out of control." The wildfire, named the Flag Fire, is about 600 acres in size and is located in the Hualapai Mountains near Pine Lake. The evacuation orders were issued for residents of Pine Lake, which is about two hours north of Phoenix.

➤JUDGE DISMISSES LAWSUIT OVER TRANSGENDER ATHLETES IN CONNECTICUT GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: A federal judge in a ruling released on Sunday dismissed a lawsuit that was seeking to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls high school sports in Connecticut. The lawsuit was filed a year ago by cisgender runners who charged they were being deprived of wins, state titles and athletic opportunities by being forced to compete against two transgender sprinters. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Chatigny threw out the lawsuit on procedural grounds, saying there was no dispute to resolve because the two transgender athletes have graduated and the plaintiffs couldn't identify other female transgender athletes. The Justice Department under the Trump administration and the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights had sided with those who brought the lawsuit, but the Biden administration withdrew that support in February.

🎥NOMADLAND WINS THREE OSCARS INCLUDING BEST PICTURE: Nomadland won Best Picture at the Oscars last night during the 93rd Academy Awards show.


Frances McDormand, who also starred in the film, won Best Actress. Praised and nominated for its cinematography, she asked that people - please watch the movie on a big screen. She also let out a howl at the end of her speech, in respect to Michael Wolf Snyder, the movie’s sound mixer who recently committed suicide. The film celebrated three awards in all, including Chloe Zhao’s win for Best Directing.

The film, Mank won for Best Cinematography.

As for Best Actor, Joaquin Phoenix opened the envelope and announced Anthony Hopkins as the winner for his role in The Father. Hopkins did not attend the event. At 83, he now becomes the oldest-ever acting Oscar winner.


What is sure to be the viral moment of the evening was when Glenn Close stood up to dance to “Da Butt” by E.U., a song from Spike Lee’s film, School Daze.

The show started with Regina King, the One Night in Miami director, strutting down the red carpet and onto the stage to get the show going. She explained how everyone in the audience was vaccinated and tested and that the show would run like a movie… “When the cameras were on, the masks would be off and when the cameras were off, the masks would be on.”

The ceremony was held at Union Station in Los Angeles and The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Some winners accepted from other locations.

👉HIGHLIGHTS
  • Laura Dern announced the winner for Best International Feature Film.
  • Brad Pitt announced Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Maria Bakalova blushed when he complimented her for her nomination.
  • Harrison Ford explained the importance of a movie editor and shared editorial notes from Blade Runner.
  • Reese Witherspoon announced the winner for Best Animated Short.
  • At the end of her acceptance speech, Frances McDormand said, “Give this one to our Wolf” and looked up and howled.
  • Halle Berry presented the Oscars for both - Production Design and Cinematography.
  • Glenn Close stood up from her table and proved she could dance to E.U.’s “Da Butt.”
  • Joaquin Phoenix presented for Actor in a Leading Role. Winner Anthony Hopkins for The Father was unable to attend.
  • Renee Zellweger presented for Actress in a Leading Role.
  • Some audience members accepted via zoom from the British Film Institute in London and other locations.
  • Bryan Cranston appeared from the Dolby Theatre to tell the history of the Humanitarian Award.


👉WINNERS
  • Best Picture: Nomadland – Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey and Chloe Zhao (producers)
  • Best Actress: Frances McDormand for Nomadland
  • Best Actor: Anthony Hopkins – The Father
  • Best Supporting Actress: Yuh-Jung Youn - Minari
  • Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Original Screenplay: Promising Young Woman - Emerald Fennell
  • Adapted Screenplay: The Father - Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller
  • Animated Short Film: If Anything Happens, I Love You – Will McCormack and Michael Govier
  • International Feature Film: Another Round – Denmark- Director, Thomas Vinterberg
  • Documentary Feature: My Octopus Teacher – Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster
  • Documentary Short Subject: Colette – Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard
  • Live Action Short Film: Two Distant Strangers – Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe
  • Animated Feature Film: Soul – Pete Doctor and Dana Murray
  • Directing: Chloe Zhao for Nomadland
  • Original Song: Fight For You – from Judas and the Black Messiah – H.E.R., Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas
  • Makeup And Hairstyling: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Sergio Lopez Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson.
  • Cinematography: Erik Messerschmidt for Mank
  • Film Editing: Mikkele E. G. Nielsen - Sound of Metal
  • Production Design: Mank – Production design, Donald Graham Burt Set decoration, Jan Pascale
  • Sound: Sound Of Metal – Nicolas Becker, Jamie Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortes, and Philip Bladh
  • Original Score: Soul – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste
  • Costume Design: Ann Roth – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Humanitarian Award: Motion Picture Television Fund
  • Jean Hershold Humanitarian Award – Tyler Perry

➤POLL..NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF AMERICAN CAN NO LONGER STAND CROWDS DUE TO PANDEMIC:   Americans aren't too happy about being in crowds these days, and not surprisingly, the pandemic is to blame. A new survey of 2,000 Americans found that just under two-thirds -- 65 percent -- say they can no longer tolerate crowds and will do anything they can to avoid standing in lines, especially at the airport. The OnePoll survey for conversational AI company LivePerson also found that 61 percent say they get annoyed easier now than ever before. Respondents said simple tasks are a struggle now because of face masks and gloves, with 54 percent naming eating and drinking, 49 percent unlocking phones and 48 percent wearing glasses.

➤MILLENNIALS MOVED BACK TO THEIR TEENAGE BEDROOMS DURING THE PANDEMIC:  Many millennials moved back home during the pandemic. A new Pew Research Center analysis reveals that by July 2020, 52 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds, or 26.6 million adults, were now residing with a parent—the highest number since the Great Depression. A 39-year-old woman who left her Manhattan apartment during the pandemic to move back in with her family in Fresh Meadows, Queens, says, “I originally thought I would only stay for a couple of weeks, but with COVID still out of control, I just stayed, ‘Titanic’ posters and everything!” Others say when they moved back home they updated every aspect of their childhood bedrooms, making them more modern and nicely decorated. Geraldine Anello, the founder of Handy Women, says there are some easy ways to update your childhood bedroom: 1) organize your bookshelf and get rid of anything you don’t want, 2) get a proper desk, 3) take down old posters, and 4) invest in a sander so you can sand and stain your furniture to give it fresh life and match your new color scheme.

➤MILLIONS OF AMERICANS NOT GETTING THEIR SECOND COVID SHOT: As Americans have been getting their coronavirus vaccinations, there are millions of them who haven't been going back to get their second Pfizer or Moderna shot, according to the New York Times. Reported reasons include feeling they have enough protection from just the first shot, being concerned about the side effects of the second shot, and scheduling issues. According to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, eight percent of Americans who got their first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine and are eligible for their second dose haven't gotten it.

➤FATHER, THREE SONS FACING FEDERAL CHARGES FOR SELLING BLEACH AS CURE FOR COVID, OTHER AILMENTS: A 62-year-old father and his three sons, ranging in age from 26 to 34, are facing federal charges for selling industrial bleach as a miracle cure for Covid-19 and other ailments. Mark Grenon and his sons Jonathan, Joseph and Jordan were selling what they called Miracle Mineral Solution, but the Food and Drug Administration said that once it's ingested, it becomes chlorine dioxide, a bleach for industrial purposes. They've been selling it for years as a cure for autism, cancer and other illnesses, and when Covid arrived last year, they claimed it cured that too. A federal indictment alleges the family made more than $1 million. The Grenons marketed the product through their church, the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, based in Bradenton, Florida, which they describe as non-religious. Mark Grenon is an archbishop in the church. A New York Times report said it's unclear if anyone's gotten sick from the solution they were selling, but an earlier Spectrum News story said people had been getting sick from it.

➤TOURISTS IN HAWAII RENTING U-HAULS BECAUSE RENTAL CARS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE: Tourists visiting Hawaii are now renting U-Haul trucks because the price of rental cars has soared as the travel industry continues to recover from the depths of the pandemic. Local station and CNN affiliate KHNL-TV found that the cheapest rental car in Maui in March cost $722 a day. A rental car shortage isn't just happening in Hawaii, but across the country. Because of the pandemic, rental car companies parked their cars in unused lots or sold them as used cars -- about one-third of the industry's combined fleets were sold off -- and the cars they held on to were rented at a much reduced rates. When the tourism industry started coming back, prices soared.

➤REGULAR CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS DIPPED DURING COVID, OPENING A DOOR FOR MEASLES OUTBREAKS:  Childhood vaccination rates remained low for months after last year’s lockdowns, especially among teens, and a new study says this raises the risk of measles outbreaks as schools continue to reopen. Researchers analyzed the percentage of kids in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California health system who were completely vaccinated at specific age benchmarks set by the CDC. They found that during the lockdown, the number of vaccines going to under-twos dropped by about 25 percent, but among older children it dropped by more than 80 percent. Lead study author Bradley Ackerson adds, “We saw the [measles] vaccination coverage for 16-month kids declining as time went on. That means that all those kids, from 16-months to kindergarten, those are all the kids that are undervaccinated.” She adds that when international travel resumes, and those kids return to daycares in coming months, measles outbreaks could become a real threat.

⚾BUMGARNER PITCHES SEVEN-INNING NO-HITTER, BUT WON'T BE RECORDED AS OFFICIAL 'NO-HITTER': The Arizona Diamondbacks' Madison Bumgarner pitched a seven-inning no-hitter in the second game of a double-header against the Atlanta Braves yesterday, but the 7-0 win won't be officially recorded by MLB as a "no-hitter." That's because a no-hitter has to be a game of nine or more innings, and MLB switched to seven-inning doubleheaders during the pandemic last year, and have kept it for this season too. Bumgarner struck out seven, and only one Braves batter reached base, on a shortstop throwing error in the second inning. Bumgarner's gem was the second great pitching performance by Arizona yesterday, after Zac Gallen threw a one-hitter in the Diamondbacks' 5-0 win in the opening game.

⚾OAKLAND'S WINNING STREAK ENDS AT 13 GAMES: The Oakland A's winning streak ended at 13 games on Sunday, as they lost to the Baltimore Orioles 8-1. It was the A's third-longest winning streak since moving to Oakland in 1968, and the longest in MLB since the Cleveland Indians won 22 straight in 2017.
 

🏀HALL OF FAME WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL COACH MULKEY LEAVING BAYLOR FOR LSU: Hall of Fame women's college basketball coach Kim Mulkey is leaving Baylor for LSU in her native Louisiana, the school announced on Sunday. The 58-year-old Mulkey won three national championships with Baylor in her 21 years there as head coach. She was the the fastest coach in Division I history to reach 600 wins, and was a member of the 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class.

🏀NETS' STAR DURANT GETS 33 POINTS IN RETURN FROM THREE-GAME INJURY LAYOFF: Brooklyn star Kevin Durant came off the bench to score 33 points in the Nets' 128-119 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday as he returned after missing three games due to an injury. Durant, who didn't come into yesterday's game until the second quarter, had been out after bruising his thigh in a game last Sunday.

🏀MAGIC COACH TO MISS SEVERAL GAMES AFTER POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS: Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford missed yesterday's game against Indiana and will be out for more games after testing positive for the coronavirus. Clifford originally tested positive Thursday night, then tested negative twice on Friday, before testing positive again on Saturday. He was tested again after that positive, and it was revealed Sunday that he had to enter the NBA's Covid protocols. Clifford was vaccinated with both shots of the Moderna vaccine, but he'd just gotten the second one Thursday. Two weeks after the second shot have to pass before someone is considered fully vaccinated. Assistant coach Tyrone Corbin has taken over in Clifford's absence.
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