Belarus closes journalist organization, continuing crackdown

Source: Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarus has ordered the closure of the country’s largest independent journalists’ organization, the latest move by authorities to suppress critical reporting in a yearlong crackdown on dissent.

Friday’s order by the country’s supreme court to liquidate the Belarusian Association of Journalists follows the jailing of some 30 journalists, raids on newspaper offices, blocking the websites of major independent media and closing the PEN Center writers’ organization that was headed by Nobel literature laureate Svetlana Alexieveich.

Belarus also cancelled accreditation for foreign news organizations after massive protests began in August 2020 following presidential elections that official but disputed results say gave authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office. Lukashenko has led the former Soviet republic since 1994.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-europe-journalists-belarus-dd463a1d5d5b52217147dbed957ab95e

Alabama hospital crisis intensifies; 66 now waiting for ICU beds

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Alabama hospitals were treating 2,886 COVID-19 inpatients Friday, up by seven from the previous day, according to data from the Alabama Hospital Association. That number also accounted for an increase in pediatric COVID cases, up by two to 47.

The state’s ICU bed crisis has also intensified. On Thursday there were 1,562 staffed ICU beds. That number dropped to 1,549 on Friday. Meanwhile, the number of people needing an ICU bed climbed from 1,602 on Thursday to 1,615. That means the state’s ICU bed deficit has increased from 40 to 66.

Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said on Friday, citing the state’s surging COVID case and hospitalizations, the state is “really in a crisis situation” and choked up when explaining “I don’t know how much longer we’re going to be able to do this,” in reference to battling the pandemi

https://www.wsfa.com/2021/08/27/alabama-hospital-crisis-intensifies-66-now-waiting-icu-beds/

Alex Jones UNLOADS On 'Dumbass' Trump

Leaked footage shows grim conditions in Iran's Evin prison

Source: Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The guard in a control room at Iran's notorious Evin prison springs to attention as one by one, monitors in front of him suddenly blink off and display something very different from the surveillance footage he had been watching.

“Cyberattack,” the monitors flash. Other guards gather around, holding up their mobile phones and filming, or making urgent calls. ”General protest until the freedom of political prisoners" reads another line on the screens.

An online account, purportedly by an entity describing itself as a group of hackers, shared footage of the incident, as well as parts of other surveillance video it seized, with The Associated Press. The alleged hackers said the release of the footage was an effort to show the grim conditions at the prison, known for holding political prisoners and those with ties abroad who are often used as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/leaked-footage-shows-grim-conditions-115753858.html

China reports no new local Covid-19 cases for first time since July, as Delta outbreak wanes

Source: CNN

Hong Kong (CNN)
China reported no new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases on Monday for the first time since July, according to its National Health Commission (NHC), as authorities double down on the country's stringent zero-Covid approach.

China has been grappling with the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant since July 20, when a cluster of Covid-19 infections were detected among airport cleaning staff in the eastern city of Nanjing.
Since then, it has spiraled into the worst outbreak China has seen since 2020, spreading to more than half of the country's 31 provinces and infecting more than 1,200 people. The surging cases driven by Delta were seen as the biggest challenge yet to China's uncompromising zero tolerance virus policy.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/23/china/china-zero-case-delta-intl-hnk/index.html

WHO head calls for two-month vaccine booster moratorium

Source: Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization on Monday called for a two-month moratorium on administering booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines as a means of reducing global vaccine inequality and preventing the emergence of new coronavirus variants.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Hungary's capital, Budapest, that he was “really disappointed” with the scope of vaccine donations worldwide as many countries struggle to provide first and second doses to more than small fractions of their populations while wealthier nations maintain growing vaccine stockpiles.

Tedros called on countries offering third vaccine doses "to share what can be used for boosters with other countries so (they) can increase their first and second vaccination coverage

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/head-calls-two-month-vaccine-115704789.html

On Covid and climate we can achieve change - but we're running out of time (Robert Reich)

On Saturday morning I met a friend for breakfast at a local diner. We weren’t sure whether to sit outside because of the surging Delta variant of Covid, or inside because stinging smoke from wildfires consuming northern and western California had spread into the Bay Area.

Our small dilemma is a microcosm of what many Americans are going through or will be soon. The combination of multiplying Covid variants and mounting environmental damage is making the air dangerous to breathe, inside or out.

What to do? Clean air is the quintessential public good. It’s supposed to be free, abundant and safe. Few Americans alive today have ever before worried about microscopic particles containing deadly infections or deadly bits of carbon.

And yet largely because we’ve taken it for granted, and therefore as a society didn’t pay enough attention to public health or to the disintegrating environment, the air we breathe is no longer safe. We now need to rely on masks, air filters and other devices to protect our lungs. And it’s far from clear how long this will go on or if and how it will ever end.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/aug/22/covid-19-climate-crisis-wildfires-air-smoke-carbon-robert-reich

Irresponsible GOP Wannabe Republican Governor Wants to Cut Taxes by 25%

Let's admit it. California is a mess and we have this insane recall right now in which some ways in prevent Gavin Newsom from enacting bolder statewide COVID-19 mandates. Now, some guy wants to cut taxes by 25%.

Tax cuts? That is complete loony tunes idea. The state has huge debt and pension obligations and cannot afford to give one cent in tax cuts. Now, I am not for more tax increases, but any talk of huge tax cuts is absolute

And where is a detailed plan on about complete privatization of services or shifting the program to state and local governments. And where is alternative pension plan which can get past the collective bargaining agreement.

John Cox is worried about Larry Elder stealing his thunder and therefore, giving you a promise that he can never keep

https://fox5sandiego.com/news/politics/california-governor-recall/gubernatorial-candidate-john-cox-touts-25-tax-cut-plan-in-san-diego-visit/

Some New Yorkers Worried After Supreme Court Ruling Blocks Part Of State's Eviction Moratorium

Florida judge hears challenge of governor's mask-mandate ban

Source: Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis' ban on mandatory school mask policies faces a challenge in a Tallahassee courtroom on Friday afternoon.

Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper is scheduled to hear a lawsuit brought by parents from several large school districts who are asking that limits be lifted on mandatory masking as children across Florida are returning to school.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/health-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-99078a3511ff7bf6a84d4f547608fe30