Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Wake-up Call: CA, NY To Test State Workers For COVID-19

Both the state of California and New York City announced yesterday that all government employees must either get vaccinated against Covid-19 or have weekly Covid testing. Additionally, the Department of Veterans Affairs became the first major federal agency to require health care workers to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, the warnings about the highly-contagious delta variant may be getting through to Americans who have not yet been vaccinated, with the country's vaccination rate starting to go up again. The seven-day rolling average on Sunday was about 583,000 vaccinations a day, up from about 525,000 the week before, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Covid International Travel Restrictions to Continue: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said yesterday that the U.S. is keeping its restrictions on international travel in place for now because of the surging infection rate due to the delta variant. They will remain even as most of continental Europe has relaxed restrictions on Americans who are fully vaccinated, although the U.K. still requires quarantines for most visitors arriving from the U.S.

➤HOUSE'S JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE BEGINNING WORK TODAY WITH POLICE TESTIMONY: The special House committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol will begin their work today with testimony in their first hearing from law enforcement officers who were attacked and beaten by the rioters. Testifying will be two Capitol Police officers and two Metropolitan Police officers. There are just two Republicans on the committee, Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who were appointed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had named five Republicans for the panel, but he pulled them all after Pelosi rejected two of them, Reps. Jim Banks and Jim Jordan. McCarthy called Cheney and Kinzinger "Pelosi Republicans" yesterday, which Cheney called "childish," saying, "We have important work to do."
 

➤BIDEN..U.S. COMBAT MISSION IN IRAQ WILL CONCLUDE BY END OF THE YEAR: President Biden said yesterday (July 26th) with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi sitting next to him in the Oval Office that the U.S. combat mission in Iraq will conclude by the end of the year, although he didn't say whether he plans to reduce the number of troops in the country, which is currently about 2,500. AP also notes that the main U.S. military focus in Iraq has for some time been supporting Iraqi forces. Biden said the U.S. military will continue to assist Iraq in its fight against the Islamic State (ISIS). This news comes after Biden announced early this year that the U.S. would be withdrawing fully from Afghanistan.



➤LAST VICTIM OF FLORIDA CONDO COLLAPSE IDENTIFIED, FINAL DEATH TOLL OF 98: The final victim of the June 24th collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida, has been identified, bringing the final death toll from the tragedy to 98. AP cited Ikey Hedaya, a brother of the final victim, Estelle Hedaya, as confirming that she'd been identified. Rescuers officially concluded recovering remains and removing all the debris from the site a few days ago.

➤TRUMP FRIEND AND INAUGURAL CHAIRMAN BARRACK PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO SECRETLY LOBBYING FOR UAE: Tom Barrack, a longtime friend of former President Donald Trump and the chairman of his 2017 inaugural committee, pled not guilty yesterday to charges that he secretly lobbied the U.S. for the United Arab Emirates, saying he was, quote, "100 percent innocent" as he left the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. The 74-year-old was freed on $250 million bail late last week after being arrested. Prosecutors say Barrack used his friendship with Trump to influence his policy while a candidate and later as president. He is charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements during a June 2019 interview with federal agents.

➤BIDEN SAYS 'LONG COVID' CAN BE CONSIDERED DISABILITY UNDER FEDERAL LAW: President Biden said yesterday (July 26th) that longterm symptoms of Covid-19 -- sometimes called "long Covid" -- can be considered a disability under federal civil rights law, an announcement he made on the 31st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Biden said during a ceremony commemorating the law, "Many Americans seemingly recovered from the virus still face lingering challenges like breathing problems, brain fog, chronic pain and fatigue. These conditions can sometimes rise to the level of a disability." He said they want to make sure that people suffering from this, quote, "have access to the rights and resources that are due under the disability law, which includes accommodations and services."

➤FORMER SENATOR MIKE ENZI, WHO RETIRED IN JANUARY, DEAD AT 77 AFTER BICYCLE ACCIDENT: Former Senator Mike Enzi, a Wyoming Republican who retired in January, died on Monday (July 26th), three days after a bicycle accident that left him with a broken neck and ribs. He was 77. Enzi reportedly fell near his home on Friday night, and there was no indication anyone else was involved in the accident. Enzi served four terms in the Senate, announcing in 2019 that he wouldn't seek a fifth term in 2020.

➤FORMER SENATOR BARBARA BOXER ASSAULTED, ROBBED IN OAKLAND: Former Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer of California was assaulted and robbed yesterday afternoon in Oakland. The 80-year-old's office said, "The assailant pushed her in the back, stole her cell phone and jumped in a waiting car. She is thankful that she was not seriously injured." Boxer told local station KPIX, "He pushed me very hard," but said, "I'm not physically hurt at all, I'm just shook up." The former senator said she believes the suspect, who she estimated to be under age 18, didn't know who she was. Boxer retired from the Senate in 2017 after four terms.


➤GREAT SALT LAKE'S WATER LEVELS AT RECORD LOW: The water levels of the Great Salt Lake, the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River, have fallen to a record low amid the megadrought in the western U.S. The U.S. Geological Survey announced over the weekend that average daily water levels had dropped about an inch below the previous record of 4,191.4 feet, set in 1963. Deputy director Candice Hasenyager of Utah's Division of Water Resources said the record comes months earlier than when the lake usually reaches its lowest level of the year, so water levels could fall further. 

➤MANAGERS SAY THOSE WHO WFH PERMANENTLY ARE EASIER TO REPLACE:  A lot of people whose job allowed them to work from home during the pandemic liked it and there's been lots of talk of it becoming a permanent shift in how we work for people with those kind of jobs to work at least some days from home in more flexible arrangements. But a new report out yesterday suggests working from home may not be all it's been cracked up to be when it comes to people's careers. The report from the Society for Human Resource Management found that nearly 60 percent of workers said that permanently working from home would reduce their networking opportunities, 55 percent said it causes work relationships to suffer, and more than than two-thirds of managers, 67 percent, said they consider remote workers "more easily replaceable" than those who come in to the office. Along those lines, 42 percent of supervisors said they "sometimes forget about remote workers" when they're assigning tasks. At the same time, a separate survey from researchers at the University of Chicago’s Becker Friedman Institute for Economics found that 40 percent of workers said they'd start looking for another job if their employer required them to go back to the office full-time.

➤SPARKED BY COVID-19 PANDEMIC FALLOUT, HOMESCHOOLING SURGES ACROSS U-S: The pandemic changed everything in the Spring of 2020, and now some families are opting to homeschool their children, even as schools plan to resume in-person classes this fall. The reasons vary, some parents who spoke to the Associated Press said it’s because they have children with special educational needs, others want a faith-based curriculum, and others say their local schools are flawed. But they all have one thing in common: they tried homeschooling on what they thought was a temporary basis and found it beneficial to their children. The U.S. Census Bureau reported in March 2021 that by September 2020 the rate of households homeschooling their children rose to 11 percent, up from 5.4 percent who said the same just six months earlier.


➤TWIN METEOR SHOWERS COULD SPARK FIREBALLS TO CLOSE OUT JULY:   There could be quite a show in the night sky this week. Two meteor showers are set to peak Wednesday night into early Thursday morning (July 29th), culminating in one of the few opportunities to see a meteor shower during the warm summer nights. These two showers are the Southern Delta Aquarids and the Alpha Capricornids. In a typical year, the two would combine for around 15 to 20 meteors per hour, but the American Meteor Society (AMS) says the moon will be around 75 percent full Wednesday night, so the moonlight will wash out some of the dimmer meteors. The best time to watch will be before midnight on Wednesday (July 28th.) The AMS also notes that the shower is notable as it typically produces “a number of bright fireballs […] during its activity period.” The experts say if the weather is unfavorable for viewing that night, you may be able to see some shooting stars from these showers through the weekend.
 
NFL K-C CHIEFS KEEPING NICKNAME, BUT GETTING RID OF MASCOT 'WARPAINT':
The NFL's Washington Football Team dropped their 'Redskins' name before last season and will at some point announce a new name, and the MLB's Cleveland Indians just announced last week that they'll be changing their name to the "Guardians," but the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs won't be changing their Native American-themed nickname, as the MLB's Atlanta Braves also aren't planning to do. Chiefs president Mark Donovan said at a news conference Monday, however, that they will be retiring their horse mascot named, "Warpaint." He said, "We have a really good American Indian working group that provides us real guidance and feedback and perspective on this issue." Asked why the horse is going, Donovan said, "A lot of reasons for that, but we just feel like it's the right thing to do." The Chiefs last year banned fans from wearing Native American-style headdresses and face paint in the stadium, but they still allow the tomahawk chop cheer and the pregame tradition of beating a drum.


➤TOKYO OLYMPICS: Highlights:
  • Naomi Osaka Eliminated in Upset - Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka, who lit Olympic Cauldron flame Friday, has been eliminated in an upset, falling in her third-round match to Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-4. Osaka, ranked second in the world, had won her first two matches in straight sets.
  • 17-Year-Old American Jacoby Wins Swimming Gold - Seventeen-year-old U.S. swimmer Lydia Jacoby of Alaska won the 100-meter breaststroke in an upset, beating teammate Lilly King, who won the gold in 2016 in Rio. King came in third this time, after Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa in second place.
  • U.S. Women's Basketball Beat Nigeria in Opener: The U.S. women's basketball team beat Nigeria 81-72 in their opening game. The win was the Americans' 50th straight in the Olympics, dating back to the 1992 Barcelona Games.
  • Russia Wins Team Gold in Men's Gymnastics, U.S. Fifth - The Russian Olympic Committee won the team gold in men's gymnastics, just edging out Japan, which won silver, and China which took bronze, in a tight contest. Russia last won gold the team gold in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The U.S. team came in fifth place, after Great Britain in fourth.
  • U.S. Men Lose First Olympics Backstroke Race Since 1992 - The U.S. men lost their first Olympics swimming backstroke race since 1992 in Barcelona. Russian Evgeny Rylov won the gold in the 100-meter and teammate Kliment Kolesnikov took silver, while defending Olympic champion Ryan Murphy of the U.S. settled for third. They U.S. men had won 12 straight golds in the backstroke events at the past six Olympics.
  • Duffy Wins Women's Triathlon to Give Bermuda First-Ever Gold Medal: Flora Duffy won the women's triathlon, giving Bermuda its first-ever Olympic gold medal. Georgia Taylor-Brown of Great Britain won silver and American Katie Zaferes took the bronze. Duffy's is only the second Olympic medal of any kind for Bermuda, with the other a bronze in boxing by Clarence Hill in 1976.
  • Weightlifter Diaz Wins First-Ever Gold Medal for Philippines - Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz won the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the Philippines. Diaz, competing in the 55-kilogram weight class, also set an Olympic record of 224 kg, lifting 127 kg (280 lbs) in the clean and jerk after managing 97 kilograms (about 214 pounds) in the snatch lift.

MEDAL COUNT: (As of 3:30 a.m. ET) - The U.S. and China are tied in first place with 19 medals, followed by the Russian Olympic Committee with 16 and Japan with 13. In the gold medal count, the U.S. and Japan are tied in first place with eight, followed by China with seven and the Russian Olympic Committee with five. ESPN'S MEDAL TRACKER: https://es.pn/3hZWIw0

🏈REPORT...PACKERS OFFERING RODGERS CONCESSIONS TO GET HIM TO RETURN: The Green Bay Packers are offering Aaron Rodgers concessions to try to get the reigning NFL MVP quarterback to come back for at least one more season, ESPN reported Monday (July 26th). Rodgers and the Packers were able to reach "mutually agreed-up terms" over this past weekend, according to the report, which are close to convincing Rodgers to return and not skip training camp, as he'd planned. ESPN said that if the deal is finalized, the biggest concession Rodgers will get is the freedom to decide where he wants to play in 2022.

🏈OKLAHOMA, TEXAS TAKE FIRST STEP TOWARD LEAVING BIG 12 FOR SEC: Oklahoma and Texas took the first official step yesterday toward leaving the Big 12 and moving to the Southeastern Conference, notifying the Big 12 they wouldn't be renewing an agreement related to media rights that binds it members through 2025. The schools didn't mention the SEC, however they've both been in discussions with the conference about joining, although those talks haven't been publicly acknowledged. Oklahoma and Texas are the only schools to win college football national championships in the Big 12′s 27-year history.

🏈COLTS HEAD COACH REICH TO MISS START OF CAMP AFTER POSITIVE COVID TEST: Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich is expected to miss the start of training camp this week after testing positive for Covid-19 late last week, general manager Chris Ballard revealed yesterday (July 26th). Reich said in a statement, "I'm fortunate to be fully vaccinated, and I'm asymptomatic. I'm feeling well, and I'm looking forward to returning as soon as I’m medically cleared." The NFL rules allow vaccinated people to return after two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

🏀PELICANS, GRIZZLIES FINALIZING MULTIPLAYER TRADE INVOLVING CENTERS: The New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies are finalizing a multi-player trade, according to media reports Monday. The Pelicans would send center Steven Adams, guard Eric Bledsoe, and two future first-round picks, including the 10th overall pick in Thursday's NBA draft, to the Memphis Grizzlies, in return for center Jonas Valanciunas and the 17th overall pick.
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