“You took a chance. And you went for it...You’ll never have to look back and say ‘what if?’” — Ruby to Josh in "Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong"
______
If you're getting the impression that the sheer of volume of news is increasing, you are correct. This week, I am finding roughly four to five dozen key stories per day -- a big increase over the usual level.
Three massive topics are driving this surge -- Covid, Climate and Afghanistan.
The situation in Central Asia represents the worst military disaster for the U.S. since losing the Vietnam War.
Just as in Vietnam, there is the same chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, with the frantic exodus of U.S. allies from the scene, and little comprehension of what the consequences will be among the American population.
One key difference now is there is no domestic anti-war movement. For those of my vintage who would judge the current generation of students harshly on this score, remember they never had to face a draft.
We did. That's the main difference.
Now we have a "professional" army staffed by those who volunteer. That does not mean, however, that they won't come home to us every bit as traumatized as our Vietnam Vets did.
War is hell.
***
The main message from every data point on Covid's delta variant is consistent: There is no reason to panic.
The vaccines work. So-called "breakthrough" cases are rare, and unlikely to be serious.
Children will get mild cases of Covid from delta simply because it is more infectious and they are largely unvaccinated.
The main reason any of this matters is because there are still so many unvaccinated people that the virus has plenty of space to continue to mutate into even more infectious, dangerous variants.
Even so, our vaccine makers will probably be able to stay ahead of that curve.
***
On climate change there is no silver lining. If you need to find a reason to get deeply depressed, read the latest reports on global warming, sea level rise, ocean current patterns, flooding, wildfires, heat domes, glacier melts, and species die-offs.
When my older grandchildren talk to me about the future and what their careers might be, I always encourage them to take on climate change directly if they are so-inclined. Study the sciences; learn all that you can.
And do not give up hope, just double down on your determination to try and make a difference. The world needs you.
***
On the most personal of levels, this is no time for any of us to check out. I'm filled with cautious optimism and an intuition that there is hope in our futures, collectively and personally.
In that regard, I am making a 20-year plan that includes my own future contributions to help counter the above problems while enjoying each moment of the rest of my life as it arrives.
So what is my organizing principle?
To quote Bob Dylan, it's just a four letter word.
***
I want to note with sadness the passing of longtime NPR host Neal Conan at 71, from brain cancer. He always was that friendly voice you loved sharing your radio time with. On one occasion, he invited me to join him live on the air. We were both covering the 1996 Republican convention in San Diego -- him for NPR, me for The Netizen.
He was gracious, funny, articulate and kind. R.I. P. Neal Conan.
***
NOTE: I met up with a lovely friend of mine on Wednesday afternoon in a local coffee shop and she urged me to explain to those of you who only know me through Facebook that everything I post here is actually also available at my personal blog at Google <https://hotweir.blogspot.com>.
THE HEADLINES:
* Delta Won't be the Last Variant: How will the coronavirus evolve? (New Yorker)
* Everyone age 12 and older is eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost. Remember, if you or a loved one are unvaccinated, you're at higher risk of getting seriously ill from the virus. (Medicare)
* CDC urges COVID vaccines during pregnancy as delta surges (AP)
* We Studied One Million Students. This Is What We Learned About Masking. -- Returning to school this fall, children should be vaccinated if eligible, wear masks or prepare to risk getting Covid. (NYT)
* WHO director predicts 100 million more cases globally (WP)
* Children accounted for 15% of reported COVID-19 cases in the week ending Aug. 5, according to an analysis by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Though severe illness from COVID-19 remains uncommon in children, the long-term effects aren't well understood. [HuffPost]
* The CDC Said The Delta Variant Is As Contagious As Chickenpox. That's Not AccurateA leaked document compared it to the highly contagious children's disease. Data does not support this claim. Nonetheless, the delta variant is one of the world's most contagious respiratory diseases. (NPR)
* Poll finds big challenges in drive to vaccinate teens against the coronavirus (WP)
* D.C. Mayor Directs City Workers to Get Vaccinated or Face Testing (NYT)
* ‘Act now’ on global vaccines to stop more-dangerous variants, experts warn Biden (WP)
* Being Unvaccinated For COVID Will Cost Students At A Small College An Extra $750 (NPR)
* Europe Reopened to Americans. Why, It Asks, Hasn’t the U.S. Reciprocated? (NYT)
* Oregon set to become third state to impose statewide indoor mask mandate (WP)
* U.S. Hospitals run low on nurses as they get swamped with COVID (AP)
* Scientists warn that time is running out to pass climate legislation (WP)
* Heat Wave Could Strengthen Canadian Wildfires --Wildfires have burned more than a million acres in British Columbia since April. Another heat wave is expected to hit the province this week. (Storyful)
* As Wildfires Ravage Greece, Countries Send Aid (NYT)
* Pacific Northwest braces for another multiday heat wave (AP)
* Two major heat waves roasting Lower 48 states; 175 million Americans under alerts (WP)
* The month-old Dixie Fire has destroyed more than 1,000 buildings, including nearly 550 homes. Clear skies over parts of it have allowed aircraft to rejoin nearly 6,000 firefighters in the battle against it. [AP]
* Siberia’s wildfires are bigger than all the world’s other blazes combined. (WP)
* Montana blaze threatens towns (AP)
* U.S. officials warn collapse of Afghan capital could come sooner than expected (WP)
* Taliban could take Afghan capital in 90 days amid rapid gains - U.S. intelligence (Reuters)
* As U.S. Leaves Afghanistan, History Suggests It May Struggle to Stay Out (NYT)
* As Taliban closes in, students at a girls-only high school in Kabul face an uncertain future (WP)
* Indonesian army says has stopped 'virginity tests' on female cadets (Reuters)
* Inflation Stays High as U.S. Economic Rebound Continues (WSJ)
* Bottom about to fall out of pandemic recovery for some (SF Chronicle)
* Economy-linked stocks boost Dow to new highs as inflation growth slows (Reuters)
* Andrew Cuomo flexed his political muscle in office. It became his undoing. (WP)
* Fresh off sweeping electoral victories a decade ago, Republican politicians used census data to draw voting districts that gave them a greater political advantage in more states than either party had in the past 50 years, according to an Associated Press analysis. [AP]
* Senate Passes $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill, Handing Biden a Bipartisan Win -- The approval came after months of negotiations and despite deficit concerns, reflecting an appetite in both parties for the long-awaited spending package. (NYT)
* U.S. Government Wants a Greater Role in How Americans Access Internet -- The Biden administration wants to recast broadband connection as a basic necessity, more akin to electricity and water, in the infrastructure bill making its way through Congress. (WSJ)
* We need to solve the graduate-student loan fiasco with reform, not implement temporary solutions (WP)
* End of the Line For Uber? (Hacker News)
* Newsom has outraised GOP recall challengers combined by nearly a 3-1 margin. (SF Chronicle)
* U.S. tries again to extradite Wikileaks' Assange from Britain (Reuters)
* Biden Finds a Bipartisan Victory, but Democratic Unity May Prove More Elusive (NYT)
* Two years after pledging $2.5 billion to combat the Bay Area’s affordable housing and homelessness crisis, a large encampment is growing on the site Apple earmarked for its North San Jose campus in the Silicon Valley. (SJ Mercury News)
* Dominion Voting Systems filed separate $1.6 billion lawsuits against One America News Network, Newsmax Media Inc. and former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, saying the networks cultivated “an alternate reality where up is down, pigs have wings, and Dominion engaged in a colossal fraud to steal the presidency from Donald Trump by rigging the vote,” all in a “quest for profits and viewers.” [HuffPost]
* Decline in Immigration Threatens Growth of Regions on the Rise -- Immigrants helped make places like Northwest Arkansas economic dynamos. But their dwindling numbers, a big factor in slower population growth, could have long-term repercussions. (NYT)
* A new site that undresses fully clothed women in photos has become an open secret in misogynist corners of the web. It went offline briefly after HuffPost reached out to its original web host provider, but the site was back up later with a new host. The website’s stunning success lays bare the increasingly dangerous reality of being a woman on the internet as malicious deepfake technology continues to advance. [HuffPost]
* Piecing Together the History of Stasi Spying -- Researchers undertake the massive task of recreating millions of torn-up records that the East German secret police hoped to destroy. (NYT)
* Dear Earthlings: Please stop obsessing about UFOs (WP Mag)
* NASA has a new challenge to reaching the moon by 2024: Its $1 billion spacesuit program (WP)
* Study: 90% Of All Meowing Comes From Owners Trying To Get Cats To Meow Back (The Onion)"Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word"
I left my mind behind
Down in the gypsy café
With a friend of a friend of mine
Who sat with a baby heavy on her knee
Yet spoke of life most free from slavery
With eyes that showed no trace of misery
A phrase in connection first with she occurred
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