Friday, July 16, 2021

Wake-Up Call: 90-Dead, Hundreds Missing In Europe Flooding

More than 90 people have been killed in flash floods in parts of western Germany and Belgium after days of heavy rainfall, with hundreds still unaccounted for. Among the dead were at least nine residents of an assisted living facility for people with disabilities in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The flooding swept away cars and collapsed homes as torrents of water swept down streets and swelled streams. Some 900 Germany soldiers have been deployed to help with the rescue and clean-up.

➤INDOOR MASK MANDATE BACK IN L.A. COUNTY AS COVID CASES INCREASE: Los Angeles County officials said yesterday the indoor mask mandates are being reimposed for everyone, vaccinated or not, amid a sharp in increase in Covid-19 cases. Many of the cases are of the highly-contagious delta variant, and most of them are among non-vaccinated people. The county's public health officer, Dr. Muntu Davis, said there's now what he called "substantial community transmission." 


Meanwhile, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory urging Americans to, quote, "help slow the spread of health misinformation during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond," calling it a "serious threat to public health." He advised that before posting or sharing something on social media, quote, "take a moment to verify whether the information is accurate and whether the original source is trustworthy." He noted at a press briefing that "two-thirds of people who are not vaccinated either believe common myths about the Covid-19 vaccine or think some of those myths might be true."

➤BIDEN NOT SENDING TROOPS TO HAITI; COMMUNISM IS 'FAILED SYSTEM': President Biden addressed the situations in both Haiti and Cuba yesterday as he took questions during a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Following last week's assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, Biden said the U.S. would increase security at the American embassy in Haiti, however it's, quote, "not on the agenda" to send U.S. troops to help stabilize the country. Haiti’s interim government has asked the U.S. and the United Nations to send troops to protect key infrastructure. Biden was also asked by a reporter about the rare Cuba protests this week and about communism, and he said, "Communism is a failed system . . . . and I don't see socialism as a very useful substitute." 


Biden has spoken in support of the protesters, and said yesterday that Cuba is, quote, "unfortunately a failed state and repressing their citizens." He said the U.S. is looking into ways to possibly reinstate access to the internet in Cuba, which is being restricted by the government.


➤EXPANDED CHILD TAX CREDITS START GOING OUT: The expanded child tax credit payments that were approved in March as part of the American Rescue Plan to help people financially in response to the pandemic started going out yesterday. The monthly payments are $300 for each child who is age five and younger and $250 for children between five nd 17. To be eligible, a single parent must have an adjusted gross income of less than $75,000 and a married couple an income of less than $150,000. The payments are set to expire after a year, but President Biden wants to extend them through at least 2025 and would like to make them permanent. But many Republican critics consider the payments welfare and say they'll discourage parents from working.

➤CALIFORNIA PASSES NATION'S FIRST STATE-FUNDED GUARANTEED INCOME PLAN: California lawmakers on Thursday voted unanimously to approve the first state-funded guaranteed income plan, after there have been dozens of local such programs across the country in recent years, including some that are privately-funded. There will be $35 million available for the program, under which monthly cash payments will be given to pregnant women and to young adults who recently aged out of the foster care system. There are no restrictions on how they can spend the money, a feature of guaranteed income programs, which are intended to reduce the stresses of poverty. Local governments and organizations in California will apply for funds and run it through their programs, and the Department of Social Services will decide who gets money. Local officials will determine the size of the monthly payments, which generally are between $500 and $1,000. There are critics however, among them Republican Assemblyman Vince Fong, who says guaranteed income programs "undermine incentives to work and increase dependence on government." He abstained from yesterday's vote.


➤STUDY SHOWS THAT SPENDING MORE TIME OUTDOORS HAS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON OUR BRAINS:  If you regularly spend time outdoors you’re doing something nice for your brain and you’re well-being. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf say research shows the human brain benefits from even short stays outside, when it was previously assumed that environments affect us only over longer periods of time. Specifically, researchers positively connected time spent outdoors with the part of the brain involved in the planning and regulation of actions, as well as cognitive control. Lead study author Simone Kühn adds, “Our results show that our brain structure and mood improve when we spend time outdoors. This most likely also affects concentration, working memory, and the psyche as a whole. We are investigating this in an ongoing study.”


➤STUDY...HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO STUDIED REMOTELY DURING THE PANDEMIC FELT MORE ISOLATED THAN THOSE WHO ATTENDED SCHOOL IN-PERSON:  The pandemic is not over, but a new study finds that high school students who learned remotely had more social, emotional, and academic problems than those who learned in school. On a 100-point scale, in-person students scored a 77.2 rating for social well-being, compared to 74.8 for those who learned remotely. Also, emotional well-being levels were 57.4 for in-person students, and 55.7 for remote learners, while academic well-being levels were 78.4 for in-person students, and 77.3 for remote learners. Temple University’s professor Laurence Steinberg, study co-author, said in a statement, “Notably, the thriving gap was larger among students in 10th through 12th grades than it was among ninth graders.” According to a July 9th update from the CDC, students benefit from in-person learning and “safely returning to in-person instruction in the fall 2021 is a priority.”

➤VACCINATED AMERICANS MAY BE ABLE TO GO TO CANADA STARTING IN MID-AUGUST: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday that Americans who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 could start being allowed into Canada for non-essential travel starting in mid-August. He made the comments during a call with the leaders of Canada's provinces, and a readout of the call was released by his office. Trudeau said the border can reopen if Canada's current positive vaccination rate and public health conditions continue. Non-essential travel between the U.S. and Canada has been shut down since not long after the pandemic began.

➤18-YEAR-OLD TO JOIN BEZOS FLIGHT TO SPACE, WILL BECOME YOUNGEST-EVER: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin announced yesterday that an 18-year-old Dutch man will be on the flight to space that Bezos will take in a matter of days on July 20th. Blue Origin said the winner of a $28 million auction for the seat dropped out because of a scheduling conflict, and the seat was given to Oliver Daemen, the son of another bidder, who will be the first paying customer. The company didn't disclose what he paid. Daemen will become the youngest person in space, and also along on the trip will be 82-year-old Wally Funk, who'll be the oldest. The fourth and final person on the trip will be Bezos' brother. The flight will only take 10 minutes.

Daily Mail composite


➤N.Y. GOV. CUOMO TO BE QUESTIONED IN SEXUAL HARASSMENT PROBE: New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo is expected to be interviewed on Saturday as part of the state attorney general's office's investigation of sexual harassment and misconduct allegations against him. Cuomo, who has denied wrongdoing, said at the start of the probe in March that he would, quote, "fully cooperate." Several women have accused Cuomo of unwanted kisses, touching and groping, and inappropriate sexual remarks. The fact that Cuomo is being interviewed signals that the investigation is nearly done.

🏈NFL'S SHERMAN ORDERED RELEASED WITHOUT BAIL: A King County, Washington, judge ordered the NFL's Richard Sherman released from jail without bail yesterday, after his arrest early Wednesday for allegedly trying to break into his in-laws' home, crashing his SUV, and fighting with police as they tried to arrest him, as well as driving under the influence. However, Sherman was ordered not to have contact with his father-in-law and not use alcohol or nonprescription drugs. According to police reports, Sherman, a former cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers who's now a free agent, was belligerent, had been drinking heavily and had spoken about killing himself when he left his home late Tuesday. His wife, Ashley Sherman, called 911 to try to have police stop him. His father-in-law, Raymond Moss, said Sherman tried to bust in the door of his home, and he used pepper spray on Sherman and armed himself with a gun. Ashley Sherman told police her husband had been on anti-depressants and receiving mental health counseling. 


She said in a statement after yesterday's hearing, "I love and support my husband. I am committed to helping Richard get the support and care that he needs."

⚾YANKEES-RED SOX GAME POSTPONED OVER POSITIVE COVID CASES ON N.Y.: Last night's lone scheduled MLB game coming out of the All-Star break between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox was postponed after there were positive Covid-19 tests on the Yankees. ESPN cited sources as saying outfielder Aaron Judge, who played in the All-Star Game Tuesday, was among six Yankees who tested positive. ESPN said third baseman Gio Urshela and catcher Kyle Higashioka were awaiting confirmation with a more accurate tests, and relief pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta had confirmed positives. Because Judge played in the All-Star Game, him being positive could have exposed players on many teams. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said among the six players, most had been vaccinated and were asymptomatic.

🏀BEAL OUT OF OLYMPICS DUE TO COVID: The Washington Wizard's Bradley Beal will miss the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for the coronavirus and being put in the health and safety protocols. USA Basketball said Thursday it will replace him on its roster at a later date. Hours after that, team USA's exhibition game against Australia scheduled for tonight in Las Vegas was canceled over Covid-19 concerns, with USA Basketball citing "an abundance of caution." Beal had started all three exhibition games the U.S. has played over the last week.

🏌OOSTHUIZEN IN LEAD AFTER FIRST ROUND OF BRITISH OPEN: South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen is at the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the British Open yesterday, one shot ahead of Americans Jordan Spieth and Brian Harman tied in second place. Oosthuizen shot a 6-under 64, tying the lowest opening round at Royal St. George's set by Christy O'Connor Jr. in 1981. The British Open has returned this year after being canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Daily Mail 7/16/21



🏈REPORT: BRADY PLAYED ENTIRE 2020 NFL SEASON WITH TORN MCL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady played the entire 2020 season with a torn left MCL, even as he led Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory in his first year with the team, the NFL Network reported yesterday (July 15th). TampaBay.com reported Brady injured his knee during his final season with the New England Patriots, and it apparently got worse during the 2020 season with the Bucs. He had surgery to repair in the MCL in late February, shortly after the Super Bowl win.
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