WaPo: ““People left the labor market in droves during the pandemic and they’re not coming back,” said economist Marianne Wanamaker, a University of Tennessee professor, noting that the country’s labor force participation rate has been stagnant at 61 percent. “We are way behind the predicted employment recovery.” One muggy day on Main Street in Memphis,…
MS Public Health Officials Ask Anti-Vaxxers to Stop Taking Livestock Medication as Alternative COVID Treatment
WaPo: “The plea from Mississippi’s top doctor to a state grappling with the nation’s second-lowest vaccination rate seemed simple: Do not take ivermectin — a drug intended for treating worms in livestock — to prevent or treat the coronavirus. Despite no scientific evidence that ivermectin is effective at preventing or treating covid-19, State Health Officer…
“A Texas GOP official’s covid-19 death went viral. Then came calls for vaccination — and bitter divides.”
WaPo: “When H. Scott Apley died at 45 of covid-19, he became a face of vaccine refusal by the political right. A GoFundMe drive for his wife and baby son drew scorn as the Dickinson City Council member’s social media posts circulated. “I wish I lived in the area!” the Houston-area member of the Texas Republican Party’s governing…
NC Man Bomb Threat Capitol Standoff, Says Illegal Immigrants Getting Free Healthcare, That Biden Should Resign and Then Trump Will Be President Again
Vox: “But Ibanez’s comment may have been intended to obscure an uncomfortable truth for America’s most-watched cable news network. In videos streamed to Facebook before and during the bomb threat while he sat in a truck, Roseberry made clear he’s immersed in right-wing conspiracy theories and grievances that receive heavy play on Fox. “Once this dickhead Biden’s out…
“Texas GOP Voting Bill on Fast Track After Standstill Ends”
AP: “The sudden end of Texas Democrats’ 38-day walkout has put Republicans back on a fast track to pass a sweeping voting bill and is causing rifts among some Democrats who said Friday they felt “betrayed” by colleagues who returned to the state Capitol. Texas is the last big GOP-controlled state that has not passed…
TX Doctors Broach Topic of Prioritizing Vaccinated Over Un-Vaccinated When Treatment Resources Scarce
Dallas Morning News: “Updated at 8:15 p.m. Aug. 19, 2021: After this story was posted, Dr. Mark Casanova gave interviews to local media and revised his story. He described the memo to the task force as a “homework assignment.” In a reversal, he told NBC-5 that vaccinations should not be among the factors hospitals should consider…
“Fighting Between Political Parties In Texas Could Make Redistricting A ‘Blood Bath'”
NPR: “Texas grew more than any other state in the last decade. Now adding two members of Congress, some political watchers say that redistricting could be a “blood bath” due to conflict between the parties. [Click Link for Radio Report]”
“Almost all eligible Georgians are registered to vote, data show”
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Georgia now has one of the highest voter registration rates in the nation, with 95% of citizens over 18 years old signed up to vote, according to federal election data released this week. The number of Georgia voters has jumped since 2016, when the state started automatically registering voters when they obtain driver’s licenses. There…
Georgia Moves Forward in Effort to Take Control of Fulton County/Atlanta area Elections, Increasing Fears of Suppression of Democracy
AP: “The Georgia State Board of Elections plans to appoint a review panel this week as part of a process that could lead to a takeover of elections in the state’s most populous county under a provision in the state’s sweeping new election law. Republican lawmakers cited the new law when they asked the state board last month…
“Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has sought to ban mask mandates in schools, tests positive for the coronavirus”
WaPo: “Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has tested positive for the coronavirus, his office said Tuesday. Abbott is among the Republican governors who have resisted public health mandates aimed at stemming the tide of the virus’s delta variant, which has caused a new spike in cases as the country attempts to reopen schools, restaurants and other businesses….