Monthly Archives: May 2021

Mythic Quest

#YumYum

Season 2 Episode 3

Editors Rating 3 stars ***

Photo: Apple TV+

In the first scene of #YumYum, co-creative directors Ian and Poppy are getting along well. But by the end of the episode, battle lines have been drawn, potentially to last the whole season. It seems, based on this episode, that season two could become more serialized than season one.

The StageGate meeting with Montreal is next week, and Ian and Poppy have little to present for the new expansion. After disagreeing on what direction to go in, theyve elected to each independently develop their own ideas. Since theyve separated, they havent been fighting at all but thats a temporary solution to a problem that isnt going away. David, triggered by the reminder of the end of his parents marriage as well as his own deems this stage the calm before the divorce.

Brad has a simple solution to their creative stasis: capitalize on the battle-royale fad popularized by games like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone. But neither Ian nor Poppy like the idea, so they decide to work out of separate offices to buckle down with their respective teams. This doesnt go well for either of them, of course, because as we know, Ian and Poppy are better together than apart.

In this case, Ian needs someone to push back more on his ideas, a request that meek Phil from the art team cant grant. (It has to happen organically, like it does with Poppy, Ian insists.) He brings in Rachel as a substitute, hoping shell be her normal, indignant, annoying self and spark his creativity.

Poppy, on the other hand, needs the opposite. Ian had this way of stroking my ego and bolstering my confidence to the point where I felt like I could overcome anything, she admits early in the episode, unhappy with her new programming teams brutal honesty. Thats when Dana wanders in, hoping Poppy will help her learn to code. She calls her maybe the most talented programmer of our generation, inspiring Poppy to bring her in to stroke her ego, just as Ian brought in Rachel to crush his. Neither strategy works, and with nothing to show for all her sleepless hours at the office, Poppy is forced to resort to Brads earlier battle-royale suggestion. Ian finds this out right as hes approaching Poppy to reconcile, and the episode ends with the two erupting into an argument, their carefully calibrated ceasefire reaching its inevitable end.

The parallels to divorce in the temporary dissolution of Ian and Poppys partnership can be funny, but theyre also predictable, and basically a repeat of the joke just two episodes ago with David and Jo in the premiere. Its hard to know how seriously to take the final scene when the tone of Ian and Poppys fight feels more comedic than dramatic; this feels more like the ending to an episode-long joke than a true shit just got real moment. I couldve done without some of the more forced divorce parallels in this scene, like Poppy pointing out that we were on a break.

Perhaps jumping back into the dating game to distract him from his divorce anxiety at work, David gets on the dating apps this episode, to little success. After suggesting David present himself like a loot box from a game a package with a tempting exterior that hides the garbage inside Brad comes up with an idea to improve his online dating skills. He pulls up a Japanese dating simulation called Divorcee Dance Party to soft-launch David, tweaking everything about his conversational style that doesnt work. That means no food pictures or drink orders hashtagged #YumYum, and no wedding photos on his dating profiles. After ten exchanges with a sim woman without her rejecting him, theyll know Davids ready to date.

David does get there, eventually only to realize he was interacting with real people the whole time when Brad drops a curtain to reveal Sue, Carol, and Paul. (Were still a little light on the ladies at MQ, so Brad explains.) Sue offers an explanation for rejecting him: David, I just cannot imagine being the vessel to your seed. Does that make sense? Carol, who thought she was testing a new HR tool for sexual harassment training when she propositioned David, is even more cutting: David, I dont want to hurt your feelings, but I could not dislike you more or be less physically attracted to you.

Needless to say, David is dispirited. But in a sweet scene, Brad assures him that he was wrong to call him a loot box. They should be thinking of him more like a burlap sack: not flashy or fun at all, but the people who buy it really need it. Brad even went to the trouble of changing Davids profiles, and set him up on a date. Its a nice ending to a subplot that thrives by showing Brad at his best: helping people in the honest, unsparing way that only he can. Maybe hes capable of being the hero after all.

In the episodes final subplot, Jo secures C.W. an extension on the long-delayed final book in his trilogy by threatening his publisher with involving C.W. in the promotion of the film adaptation something the publisher definitely doesnt want, given his propensity for politically incorrect stories. Its a slight subplot, and not exactly the meaty material I was hoping F. Murray Abraham would get; this season, hes still more of a dirty old man stereotype than a real character. But its a smart touch for Jo to take Brads wisdom (In a negotiation, what you think is your greatest strength can actually be your greatest weakness) and flip it (C.W., youre my greatest strength!).

Im also a little skeptical of Jos examples of authors whose personal views hurt their movie adaptations. The Enders Game movie was a box-office bomb, but its unclear if that was related to the boycott; after all, Orson Scott Cards opposition to same-sex marriage has been well-known since the 90s. And is it really accurate to say that J.K. Rowling got canceled with a couple keystrokes?

David lures Jo into giving him attention by using a fishing metaphor for online dating. Jo involuntarily explodes, Oh my God, David, youre not dating, youre trawling for a death partner.

When Rachel apologizes again for screwing up Grouchy Goat, Dana insists this is just a temporary roadblock. I mean, we dont want to be sitting on this couch forever, right? she exclaims. We both got big dreams. Totally, Rachel replies, but based on her expression, shes not so sure. Will the gulf in Rachel and Danas respective ambitions pose trouble for the new couple?

When David makes the mistake of making a message way too long, the sim shows the woman approaching a hunk instead. Why would they animate that? David asks.

Its Always Sunny Parallel of the Week: Brad likens the team to seagulls who should be gorging themselves on the whale carcass that is battle-royale mode. When Poppy denies being a seagull, Brad replies, Not yet youre not. Not yet Im not? Poppy says. What is that supposed to mean? What, Im just going to turn into a bird? Later, Poppy caves and goes ahead with battle royale, becoming the bird. This all calls to mind, of course, the Gang constantly referring to Dee Reynolds as a bird.

Keep up with all the drama of your favorite shows!

Read the original:
Mythic Quest Recap: Calm Before the Divorce - Vulture

A view of an iceberg near South George island, November 18, 2020. Photo: UK Ministry of Defence/Handout via Reuters

As we grapple with Indias COVID-19 epidemic, we cant afford to lose sight of the larger crisis that lies in wait: climate change. Several voices worldwide, ranging from celebrities to academics, claim that the global collaboration observed to address the COVID crisis could help us prepare better to face the impending climate crisis. Although the collaboration achieved so far is undoubtedly a ray of hope to cope with a climate-affected future, we were reminded of a question by one of our students, can climate change be fundamentally addressed as long as the top 5% of the worlds population (or even a smaller fraction) can bail themselves out from the worst impacts of the climate crisis?

Drawing a direct parallel, when India is reporting the worlds highest daily cases of infection, and people here are fighting their battle to breathe, many wealthy Indians fled from the country in private jets paying ten times the regular fare, just in time before several foreign countries imposed a ban on arrivals from India.

This raises the obvious question of whether 5% of the worlds population could always be saved, be it from COVID or climate change? And more importantly, are we evaluating the situation correctly if we expect the same level of cooperation and concerted effort, as observed towards managing COVID, to combat climate change? The fact of the matter is that the uncharted pathways of COVID are much more fearsome to the top 5% of the worlds population than the threat of climate crisis. And howsoever politically incorrect this may sound, this sections active involvement in this capitalist neoliberal world does play a critical role in inducing cooperation on a global scale.

So comparing COVID and climate crisis is like comparing apples and oranges. Both share a first-order similarity: both are fruits, or both these crises are rather unprecedented global ones; there is hardly any further major similarity. The reason we are falsely equating the two is that both are bound to adversely hit every human irrespective of their human strata, at least in principle. However, there are some crucial differences.

Biological parameters of COVID-19 demand a massive global collaboration to end the crisis. COVID-19 is caused by a highly contagious RNA virus (SARS-CoV-2), which owing to its genetic makeup, can mutate quite easily. This ability to mutate is what makes it difficult to find a potent vaccine that can offer long-term protection against the virus. Thus, the key to fighting such a virus is to vaccinate as many people as concurrently as possible so that the virus does not get the scope to mutate and eventually get eradicated in the best manner possible. Although vaccines developed so far are found to be efficacious against all the new mutants (Brazil and the UK) discovered, it may not be true for all the mutants of the virus that are expected to emerge out of India.

Apart from this biological factor, it is always going to be difficult for anyone to remain unscathed from COVID-19. Being a respiratory virus, it is highly contagious, and the pathways through which it impacts are difficult to track and contain. In spite of this, the wealthy and the influential sections of the world are looking for a COVID haven. However, to think or plan for a COVID haven or a bio-bubble is a next-to-impossible task. Even when the BCCI tried its best to implement bio bubbles for the smooth operation of one of the worlds most lucrative sporting leagues, it failed.

On the other hand, a climate haven in principle can be planned as there are places that are least likely to be impacted by the climate crisis. This will surely include colonies on other planets or in space. Although experts opine otherwise and argue against the idea of a climate haven, the rich and the influential (the top 5%) of the world are already considering climate vulnerabilities while making real-estate investments. Moreover, the temporal spread of the impacts of climate change (generally over 50-100 year timescale) will always allow sufficient time to find a climate haven which is not possible during an imminent pandemic. The possibility of a climate haven deters the super-rich from contributing to a common goal, i.e., combating climate change. The impossibility of a COVID haven exposes this population to shared risks and makes them part of the battle the masses, and even middle classes are fighting.

A recent New York Times article says that despite the best-coordinated efforts and necessary support from the privileged layer of the global society, we witnessed a great deal of ineffectiveness concerning COVID vaccine distribution; the distribution also disproportionately impacted the poorer countries. It is a no-brainer that socio-economically marginalized populations are usually the most vulnerable section in any major crisis, be it a pandemic or climate change. People in power do acknowledge the need to safeguard everyone from COVID, find it hard to act ethically and rationally during such a humanitarian crisis. Letting go of private security or comforts for the public good has never been an easy task. Clearly, it is not the social collaboration but this dismal response to COVID that would be a precursor to how the world is going to respond to the impending climate crisis.

It shows that, if anything, the response to the climate crisis is going to be even less coordinated, and the resulting circumstances are going to be far worse as the richer sections and countries can always have the option to bail out. As they say, any pandemic or global crisis can only expose the fault lines present in the society and is going to magnify the existing vulnerabilities to a different order. The grim reality we are witnessing in terms of addressing the climate crisis can only be considered to be the tip of the iceberg, and the iceberg will fully emerge only when we are faced with the climate crisis.

Soumyajit Bhar is a PhD scholar at ATREE, Bengaluru. Kalpita Bhar is an assistant professor of philosophy at Krea University, Andhra Pradesh.

More here:
Of COVID-19 and Climate Change, One Is the Tip and the Other Is the Iceberg - The Wire Science

Pic: Edex Live

Husband: I have a question. Why did the chicken cross the road?Wife: Because the chicken behind it didnt know how to socially distance properly.Is it okay to say how to socially distance properly? Yes, it is perfectly correct. The phrase to socially distance is an example of a cleft infinitive or split infinitive. A cleft infinitive is a grammatical construction in which a word or phrase is placed between the particle to and the infinitive that comprises a to-infinitive. In the example above, the modifier socially is placed between the particle to and the verb distance. Old-fashioned grammarians say that it is wrong to split infinitives but modern grammar experts agree that cleft infinitives are acceptable. Henry Alford in his 1864 book The Queens English states that split infinitives should be avoided. Modern style guides do not speak out against cleft infinitives but advise writers to avoid awkward construction that might confuse the reader. Split infinitives are very common in spoken and informal English. Here are examples:I think everyone is free today. This evening is the best time to finally go to the beach.Jane called me a few minutes ago. She only wants to quickly talk to you.It is common to use cleft infinitive phrases in informal conversational English. Examples:to warmly welcometo suddenly noticeLets move on to another aspect of grammar called singular they. In Modern English, the plural pronoun their can be used as a gender-neutral singular pronoun instead of he/she and they can be used to represent a singular antecedent that is gender-neutral and indefinite (for example, someone, no one, anyone or a person). Gender-neutral pronouns do not specify whether the subject of the sentence is male or female. Here is a list of such pronouns: they, them, themself, their, theirs.Look at these examples:Any candidate who wants to meet the Director should submit their (instead of his/her)applicationI think someone is waiting outside. They want to meet me. Ill talk to them for a few minutes.Lets move on to gender-neutral occupation words. Actor or actress? Look at the sentences below:Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut has tested positive for COVID-19. The actor shared her health update on social media along with a long note.Thalaivi actress Kangana Ranaut tests positive for COVID-19The term actress is outdated. Feminists and those who believe in equality say that it is not politically correct to use the word actress. If there is a distinction to be made, the terms male actor and female actor can be used. Ask any female actor whether she likes to be described as an actress. No will be her reply as she thinks it is an offensive term. Here are other politically incorrect terms: authoress, comedienne, manageress. Avoid using such terms and be politically correct.

Read this article:
English Blues: Here are a few grammar rules that we can now violate, find out how - EdexLive

A U.S. Border Patrol agent looks out over Tijuana, Mexico from the U.S.-Mexico border wall in San Diego, Calif., February 2, 2021.(Mike Blake/Reuters)

A number of Border Patrol agents are reportedly considering early retirement due to frustration with President Joe Bidens handling of the massive immigration influx at the southern border.

The administration has implemented new policy directives, including a prohibition on terminology such asillegal alien, alien, and assimilation when referring to migrants, aggravating many on-site officers, Reuters reported.

Reuters conducted interviews with a dozen current and former agents indicating growing dissatisfaction among border personnel with the Biden administrations relaxation of the immigrant restrictions President Donald Trump had enacted.

Since February after Biden assumed office, border crossings have skyrocketed, overwhelming migrant facilities already strapped for resources and space.

We have so many people coming across, and then, were out there killing ourselves to catch them, rescue them, or whatever it is, and then, theyre being released, said Rosemarie Pepperdine, an agent who voiced her intention to retire. Why even bother?

Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representingthree-quarters of the roughly 20,000 border patrol agents, criticized Bidens leadership on the migrant situation.

I can confidently say that President Biden owns this crisis, Judd commented. It is his fault.

Some agents have reportedly started calling Biden Let Em Go Joe, according to a border patrol agent who anonymously spoke with Reuters.Gil Maza, a former agent who retired in March, sells an redesigned unofficial coin for the U.S. Border Patrol that reads U.S. Welcome Patrol. Maza told Reuters he had sold 78 coins in a matter of days to past and present agents.

It sheds a little humor on the situation, Maza said of his creation. And its something that helps us, I guess, mentally and emotionally cope with the situation because especially right now, the situation is pretty dire out there.

Border Patrol chief Rodney Scott authored a memo April 16 detailing his grievances with the ban on immigration phrasing deemed politically incorrect by the administration.

Over the years many outside forces on both extremes of the political spectrum have intentionally, or unintentionally, politicized our agency and our mission, Scott said in the memo addressed to acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller.

Send a tip to the news team at NR.

View post:
Border Patrol Agents May Retire Early Due to Frustration with Border Crisis - National Review

Instilled in each woman is the belief that she is intransitive, that she cannot affect change or motion in her life, any more than she can resist the social code. To take responsibility for my actions to say I did this thing, rather than It happened to me is to breach cultures dictates.

After three days, I lost all feeling that something had happened to my body. I realized it would be possible to deny that this had ever happened to me, if I chose to do so. I could revise my personal history, and there would be no challenge to my new, painless version. As I lost the physical memory, I sought to lose the emotional memory as well. I had learned already it is better not to dwell on these things.

By Lynn Grygier, Apr. 6, 1989 | Read full article

Father Bud Kaicher (second from left): "The unborn have intrinsic worth." Julie Pinney: "She would never even attempt to understand our reasons for being on the opposite side of the street."

The next time I looked across the street, the anti-abortion people had shouldered their signs and were marching around in a brave little circle. They were hopelessly outnumbered, but the ten of them walked gamely around and around, clutching their signs and staring straight ahead. The fat man led off with a sign that said Children Are a Heritage from the Lord. It seemed to be the sentiment of choice.

By Julie Pinney and Father Bud Kaicher, Nov. 16, 1989 | Read full article

Fleming had to know her child didnt have to die; that the politically incorrect, male-dominated medical system could have saved her child.

Two weeks after the story was published, I received two phone calls that finished it, at least for me. One was from a staunch Catholic with ties to the local prolife movement. Call her Patricia. She met Fleming almost nine years ago when her husband tried to force her to have an abortion. Her husbands family had money and lots of lawyers. Patricia only had Fleming, who went to court with her and fought for Patricias right to have her child.

By Colin Flaherty, Dec. 20, 1990 | Read full article

We absolutely didnt have a clue about what we were doing, but each one of us were self-motivated. It was like if you want it done, you do it yourself. Thats kind of the way we thought, except none of us wanted to plant the bomb. No one wanted to do that. Wed ask, Whos going to do it? and everyone would say, No, I dont want to do it; you do it Ill blow myself up.

Aug. 11, 1988 | Read full article

At first Kelly said that she felt fine. But Linda couldnt help noticing how nervously Kelly would laugh as she told about the day she went in for the abortion, and that her left eye seemed to have developed a tic.

We went to her parents home that afternoon. They were still unaware of the pregnancy. As we sat Kelly felt slight cramps and noticed a bit of blood trickle down her legs.

Unexpectedly, Kellys mother said we should have a baby and then sell it for $10,000. Then she said, No. Im only joking. Actually, she went on, she had been thinking of breeding her miniature terriers and selling the pups for $350 apiece.

By David Steinman, Nov. 18, 1982 | Read full article

After Jack and Johnny woke up, we loaded everybody into the van and made the short drive to the clinic. A Santa Ana wind had blown the air clean, and the hills around San Marcos seemed etched against the December sky. At the foot of the sandstone steps, we kneeled or stood around a framed print of the Virgins image. The breeze kept blowing the picture over. A few other families joined us.

By Anne Albright, Dec. 23, 1999 | Read full article

150 West Washington. County Coroner David Stark says fetuses are discovered in sewage grates at least once a year.

In February of 1982, however, 16,433 dead fetuses were discovered stored in twenty-foot steel boxes inside a metal shipping container repossessed from a Woodland Hills pathologist. Investigators later determined that among the fetuses were 193 that were older than twenty weeks. Antiabortion activists sought permission to bury the late-term remains but were thwarted by an injunction obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the Feminist Womens Health Center.

By Bob McPhail, July 14, 1988 | Read full article

Read more from the original source:
Utterly alone with abortion, Father Bud Kaicher's court statement, behind Debby Fleming's suicide - San Diego Reader

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There aren't too many ways to arrive at the pub when it's on a tiny island in the middle of a croc-infested river more than 10 kilometres from the nearest main road. You could come by boat, which is what most people do. But who wants to be like most people? Today, I feel like a rock star, as I arrive in a helicopter! It may seem extravagant ... and OK, it is! But up here in Darwin, a bar crawl can be a bit more difficult than in your typical inner-city suburb. Some of the most interesting pubs in this part of the Northern Territory are out of town, far from each other, and relatively inaccessible - so Airborne Solutions came up with the idea for a helicopter pub tour covering hundreds of kilometres (and quite a few schooners) in a day. Touching down at our first pub at Goat Island, the grass and the trees whip about in the wash of the rotor. The only thing not moving is the crocodile submerged at the edge of the river, its beady eyes just above the water surface, watching us as we walk to the deck. I'm so concerned about the croc that I don't appreciate the real danger in the warning near the entrance: 'You are now entering a politically incorrect area'. The sign was put up by pub owner Kai Hansen, about Kai Hansen, for the amusement of Kai Hansen. Kai bought Goat Island because "there are no traffic lights here". As he tells the story, he was living in a rural town near Darwin when the roundabout was replaced with lights. It was the final straw, so he started a bar, which ended a marriage ("She said, 'you drink too much already!'"). He now lives here with his dog and welcomes visitors pretty much every day - usually locals on boating and fishing trips along the Adelaide River. The pub is officially called Casey's Bar, named for the "friendly" crocodile who used to hang around. But Casey hasn't been seen for a while and the theory is that the new crocodile, Fred, ate her. Kai, on the other hand, is harmless - but his politically incorrect humour is an acquired taste and probably easier to digest if you're not a young woman (who is likely to become the focus of it). You might have more luck with the buffalo burgers he serves. Back in the air, on the way to the next pub, I spot several herds of feral buffalo and wonder if they'll find their way to Goat Island, one way or the other. There's lots to see from up here and I admire the Top End landscapes as we zoom over them. Our pilot, Sukhpal Singh, points out different landmarks and I'm careful not to lean too far out to look at them - after all, I'm in the front seat and there's no door. Sukhpal has already warned me that the wind will be strong, so to hang on tight if I put my hand out while I'm holding a camera or a stubbie of beer. Yes, he warned us about holding beer out the open door of the helicopter. This is how you do pub crawls in the territory! We touch down at the Darwin River Tavern in time for lunch, which is fortunate because this pub is renowned for its food. People often drive here from the centre of Darwin for the generous meals, even though it's about 60 kilometres away. The main bar feels like the Outback, with a red stone floor, hand-crafted wooden tables, and even a pet freshwater crocodile in the atrium. "You're in the Badlands now!" one local patron jokes with me while we're ordering jugs of beer. This is how I imagined rural Darwin pubs to look, even if I expected more thongs and less teeth (sorry - just a joke!). It's why I'm surprised by our next stop at Crab Claw Island Resort, which is a misnomer only in that it's not actually an island. Leaving behind the ochre soil with sparse eucalyptus and tall termite mounds, Sukhpal flies us over the clear blue water and lands on a bright yellow beach dotted with palm trees and bungalow accommodation. Indeed, this is a resort, not a last resort, and I once again feel like a celebrity arriving on the sand by chopper. With drinks and food on the deck overlooking the water as the glowing sun sinks lower in the sky, I have to remind myself that I'm 40 kilometres from Darwin, not in Thailand or a Pacific island. (The biggest clue is the emu wandering around eating bok choy - I really thought this day couldn't get stranger.) But after an hour, we need to head back to base, with a final swoop around the city centre for good measure. When it comes to epic experiences up here in Darwin, a helicopter pub tour soars above the rest, and you can take whatever you want from it. The total flight time of at least two hours means it's an incredible scenic trip; The variety of pubs visited gives you a taste of the quirky characters of the Top End; and a day of (moderate) drinking is a fun way to relax on a tropical holiday. As we all look for unique experiences around Australia, this one's got to be near the top.

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The helicopter pub crawl offers stunning views of the landscapes around Darwin. Picture: Michael Turtle

There aren't too many ways to arrive at the pub when it's on a tiny island in the middle of a croc-infested river more than 10 kilometres from the nearest main road. You could come by boat, which is what most people do. But who wants to be like most people? Today, I feel like a rock star, as I arrive in a helicopter!

It may seem extravagant ... and OK, it is! But up here in Darwin, a bar crawl can be a bit more difficult than in your typical inner-city suburb. Some of the most interesting pubs in this part of the Northern Territory are out of town, far from each other, and relatively inaccessible - so Airborne Solutions came up with the idea for a helicopter pub tour covering hundreds of kilometres (and quite a few schooners) in a day.

Touching down at our first pub at Goat Island, the grass and the trees whip about in the wash of the rotor. The only thing not moving is the crocodile submerged at the edge of the river, its beady eyes just above the water surface, watching us as we walk to the deck. I'm so concerned about the croc that I don't appreciate the real danger in the warning near the entrance: 'You are now entering a politically incorrect area'. The sign was put up by pub owner Kai Hansen, about Kai Hansen, for the amusement of Kai Hansen.

The helicopter lands right on the beach at the Crab Claw Island Resort. Picture: Michael Turtle

Kai bought Goat Island because "there are no traffic lights here". As he tells the story, he was living in a rural town near Darwin when the roundabout was replaced with lights. It was the final straw, so he started a bar, which ended a marriage ("She said, 'you drink too much already!'").

He now lives here with his dog and welcomes visitors pretty much every day - usually locals on boating and fishing trips along the Adelaide River.

The pub is officially called Casey's Bar, named for the "friendly" crocodile who used to hang around. But Casey hasn't been seen for a while and the theory is that the new crocodile, Fred, ate her. Kai, on the other hand, is harmless - but his politically incorrect humour is an acquired taste and probably easier to digest if you're not a young woman (who is likely to become the focus of it). You might have more luck with the buffalo burgers he serves.

Kai Hansen brings out buffalo burgers at his bar on Goat Island. Picture: Michael Turtle

Back in the air, on the way to the next pub, I spot several herds of feral buffalo and wonder if they'll find their way to Goat Island, one way or the other. There's lots to see from up here and I admire the Top End landscapes as we zoom over them. Our pilot, Sukhpal Singh, points out different landmarks and I'm careful not to lean too far out to look at them - after all, I'm in the front seat and there's no door.

Sukhpal has already warned me that the wind will be strong, so to hang on tight if I put my hand out while I'm holding a camera or a stubbie of beer. Yes, he warned us about holding beer out the open door of the helicopter. This is how you do pub crawls in the territory!

We touch down at the Darwin River Tavern in time for lunch, which is fortunate because this pub is renowned for its food. People often drive here from the centre of Darwin for the generous meals, even though it's about 60 kilometres away. The main bar feels like the Outback, with a red stone floor, hand-crafted wooden tables, and even a pet freshwater crocodile in the atrium. "You're in the Badlands now!" one local patron jokes with me while we're ordering jugs of beer.

The main bar at the Darwin River Tavern, which has fantastic pub meals. Picture: Michael Turtle

This is how I imagined rural Darwin pubs to look, even if I expected more thongs and less teeth (sorry - just a joke!). It's why I'm surprised by our next stop at Crab Claw Island Resort, which is a misnomer only in that it's not actually an island. Leaving behind the ochre soil with sparse eucalyptus and tall termite mounds, Sukhpal flies us over the clear blue water and lands on a bright yellow beach dotted with palm trees and bungalow accommodation. Indeed, this is a resort, not a last resort, and I once again feel like a celebrity arriving on the sand by chopper. With drinks and food on the deck overlooking the water as the glowing sun sinks lower in the sky, I have to remind myself that I'm 40 kilometres from Darwin, not in Thailand or a Pacific island. (The biggest clue is the emu wandering around eating bok choy - I really thought this day couldn't get stranger.) But after an hour, we need to head back to base, with a final swoop around the city centre for good measure.

When it comes to epic experiences up here in Darwin, a helicopter pub tour soars above the rest, and you can take whatever you want from it. The total flight time of at least two hours means it's an incredible scenic trip; The variety of pubs visited gives you a taste of the quirky characters of the Top End; and a day of (moderate) drinking is a fun way to relax on a tropical holiday. As we all look for unique experiences around Australia, this one's got to be near the top.

More:
A pub crawl that soars above the rest - The Canberra Times

Provided by Daily Mail MailOnline logo

President Joe Biden - who comes across as Mr. Congeniality - reportedly has a 'short fuse' with his advisers and is prone to 'flares of impatience' because of his obsession with getting every detail before making a decision.

'He has a kind of mantra: 'You can never give me too much detail,'' National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told The New York Times, which talked to two dozen current and former aides for its report published on Friday.

His advisers, aides and speechwriters have to be ready for every conceivable question Biden might ask and answer it beyond 'vague talking points' while cutting through the jargon.

If he doesn't like the answer, he will cut them off and say, in English, according to The Times.

While Biden isn't reportedly prone to fits of rage like former President Donald Trump was, his 'sense of urgency' can be tough on his experts.

Those familiar with Biden's decision-making style said he's quick to cut off conversations, or even occasionally hang up, when he thinks someone is wasting his time.

'You become so hyper prepared,' Dylan Loewe, a former speechwriter for Biden, said. 'I've got to answer every conceivable question he can come up with.'

Those who aren't familiar with his style or are just learning it, like Xavier Becerra, head of the White House's Health and Human Services, will get an earful.

On March 30, Biden was reportedly angered by his administration's response to the plight of migrant children and berated Becerra, according to a report.

Nearly 19,000 unaccompanied minors were stopped at the border in March, according to the Associated Press. In Aprilthe number of minors arriving without parents decreased by nine per cent.

Becerra frustrated his boss by failing to have answers to his questions about the agency's ability to take care of migrant children, according to two people familiar with the exchange, who spoke toThe New York Times. No further details of what the two men said to one another were shared.

Biden was described as a stickler for detail, who was unimpressed by 'blandishing fast-talk'.

Earlier in March, the paper reported, the president was angered when his top immigration advisers were asked by Biden whether they had been to the border in recent days - and all replied they had not.

Four days later, the advisers, including Alejandro Mayorkas, in charge of Homeland Security and Susan Rice, director of Biden's Domestic Policy Council, arrived at the border to assess the situation.

The report comes amid growing anger among Border Patrol agents at the White House.

There are currently more than 20,000 migrants in HHS custody, up from just under 12,000 at the end of March.

The Associated Press reported that migrants are being housed at more than 200 sites in multiple states.

Twenty Republican governors this week wrote to Biden earlier this week, blaming his administration for the crisis, and expressed concern about HHS efforts to house an unknown number of children in their states.

Reuters conducted interviews with a dozen current and former agents, who spoke of their growing dissatisfaction over the relaxation of the immigrant restrictions President Donald Trump had enacted.

Since February after Biden assumed office, border crossings have skyrocketed, overwhelming migrant facilities already strapped for resources and space.

A record 179,000 people crossed the southern border illegally in April, up three per cent on the 172,000 who made the crossing in March.

'We have so many people coming across, and then, we're out there killing ourselves to catch them, rescue them, or whatever it is, and then, they're being released,' said Rosemarie Pepperdine, an agent who said she planned to retire.

'Why even bother?'

Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing three-quarters of the roughly 20,000 border patrol agents, criticized Biden's leadership on the migrant situation.

'I can confidently say that President Biden owns this crisis,' Judd commented.

'It is his fault.'

Border Patrol chief Rodney Scott wrote a memo April 16 detailing his grievances with the ban on immigration phrasing deemed politically incorrect by the administration.

The administration has implemented new policy directives, including a prohibition on terminology such as 'illegal alien,' 'alien,' and 'assimilation' when referring to migrants, aggravating many on-site officers.

'Over the years many outside forces on both extremes of the political spectrum have intentionally, or unintentionally, politicized our agency and our mission,' Scott said in the memo addressed to acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller.

Some agents have reportedly started calling Biden 'Let 'Em Go Joe,' according to a border patrol agent who anonymously spoke with Reuters.

Gil Maza, a former agent who retired in March, sells a redesigned unofficial coin for the U.S. Border Patrol that reads 'U.S. Welcome Patrol.'

Maza told Reuters he had sold 78 coins in a matter of days to past and present agents.

'It sheds a little humor on the situation,' Maza said of his creation.

'And it's something that helps us, I guess, mentally and emotionally cope with the situation because especially right now, the situation is pretty dire out there.'

US border agents encountered fewer minor migrants along the United States border with Mexico in April although overall apprehensions reached a 15-year high last month, according to a report released Tuesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Data showed that the border patrol agency encountered 178,622 undocumented immigrants seeking to enter the United States in April, surpassing March's total by 5,274.

Interdictions at the 1,954 mile border in April were more than 10 times that of April 2020, when 17,106 individuals were stopped by border patrol agents.

Meanwhile, border agents encountered 17,171 unaccompanied children, down 9 percent from 18,890 in March when a record number of unaccompanied migrant children entered U.S. custody along the southern border.

However, encounters at the border drastically increased during Trump's final nine months in office and continued to worsen under the administration of his successor.

Originally posted here:
Biden has a 'short fuse' and is 'obsessed with getting every detail' - MSN UK

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.

KHN:Latinos Are The Most Eager To Get Vaccinated, Survey Shows But Face ObstaclesHispanics who have yet to receive a covid shot are about twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites or Blacks to say theyd like to get vaccinated as soon as possible, according to a survey released Thursday. The findings hint at fixable, though difficult, vaccine access problems for the population. One-third of unvaccinated Hispanics say they want the shots, compared with 17% of Blacks and 16% of whites, according to the survey released Thursday by KFF. (KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF.) (Almendrala, 5/13)

KHN:KHNs What The Health?: Drug Price Effort Hits A SnagThe high cost of prescription drugs is a top health issue for the public and politicians, but concerns raised by a group of moderate Democrats threaten to derail a bill being pushed by House Democratic leaders. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has authorized the use of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine for everyone age 12 and up, and Pfizer is applying for full licensure of that vaccine. It is currently being distributed under emergency authorization. Full approval could open the door to vaccine requirements in some workplaces, schools or other gathering spots, which will likely touch off more controversy. (5/14)

KHN:Listen: Pandemics, Patents And ProfitsPresident Joe Biden has thrown his support to an international effort to waive drugmakers patent rights on the covid vaccines, but the pharmaceutical industry vows to fight back. Julie Rovner, KHNs chief Washington correspondent, joins The Atlantics Social Distance podcast, hosted by Dr. James Hamblin and Maeve Higgins, to talk about the current patent controversy and how the drug industry has protected itself over the years with vibrant campaigns about the needs for high profits to support drug development. (5/14)

The Wall Street Journal:Fully Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Face Masks And End Physical Distancing In Most Settings, CDC SaysFully vaccinated people dont need to wear a mask or physically distance during outdoor or indoor activities, large or small, federal health officials said, the broadest easing of pandemic recommendations so far. The fully vaccinated should continue to wear a mask while traveling by plane, bus or train, and the guidance doesnt apply to certain places such as hospitals, nursing homes and prisons, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. (Abbott, 5/13)

The New York Times:Vaccinated Americans May Go Without Masks In Most Places, Federal Officials SayThe new recommendations caught state officials and businesses by surprise and raised a host of difficult questions about how the guidelines would be carried out. But the advice came as welcome news to many Americans who were weary of restrictions and traumatized by the past year. We have all longed for this moment, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a White House news conference on Thursday. If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. (Rabin, Mandavilli and Weiland, 5/13)

Politico:CDC: Vaccinated People Can Now Remove Masks In Most Group SettingsThe announcement by the CDC Thursday marked a massive shift in the Biden administrations thinking about Covid-19. Six weeks ago, senior health officials warned of rising Covid-19 infection rates and pleaded with all Americans to continue to adhere to the strictest of public health measures. [CDC Director Rochelle] Walensky went as far as saying she was scared about the rising case counts. (Banco and Lim, 5/13)

The Washington Post:Better Days Are Ahead: Maskless Biden Marks Milestone In Virus BattlePresident Biden on Thursday afternoon strolled out of the White House with a triumphant demeanor notably without wearing a mask and declared the country on the precipice of defeating a pandemic that has killed more than 580,000 Americans, damaged the economy and been the single-most dominant issue of his young presidency. The occasion was the surprise announcement by federal health officials that Americans who are fully vaccinated can go without masks or physical distancing in most cases marking a crucial milestone in the nations battle against the pandemic. (Viser and Linskey, 5/13)

NBC News:Heres The Science That Convinced The CDC To Lift Mask MandatesIn announcing the agency's updated guidelines, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said there are "numerous reports in the literature" to demonstrate the safety and real-world effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines. (Chow, 5/13)

The New York Times:Hundreds Of Epidemiologists Expected Mask-Wearing In Public For At Least A YearWhen federal health officials said on Thursday that fully vaccinated Americans no longer needed to wear masks in most places, it came as a surprise to many people in public health. It also was a stark contrast with the views of a large majority of epidemiologists surveyed in the last two weeks by The New York Times. In the informal survey, 80 percent said they thought Americans would need to wear masks in public indoor places for at least another year. Just 5 percent said people would no longer need to wear masks indoors by this summer. (Miller, Quealy and Sanger-Katz, 5/13)

CNN:Wait, Does This Mean The Pandemic Is Over For Vaccinated People?Though he wouldn't go so far as to say the pandemic is over, for those who are fully vaccinated, the guideline change means a return to something very close to normalcy, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN after the announcement."Being able to go around without a mask, indoors as well as outdoors, is really a big step in that direction," Fauci said. "I wouldn't want to declare victory prematurely, but I'm saying this is clearly a step in the direction that we want to go." (Waldrop, 5/13)

The New York Times:What Does the New Mask Guidance Really Mean?Does this mean masks are no longer recommended anywhere? Not quite. The federal guidance is expansive: Fully vaccinated people those who have received their final Covid-19 vaccination at least two weeks ago no longer need to wear masks outdoors or in most indoor settings. But there are limits. (Smith, Mervosh and Bosmna, 5/13)

The Washington Post:Masks Required On Airlines, Trains And Buses In New CDC GuidanceFully vaccinated people traveling in buses, trains and airplanes must continue to wear a mask, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday, even as it said they could go without one in most other indoor settings. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the agency is continuing to review its travel policies, but she did not explain the reasoning during a briefing Thursday on the new recommendations. (Duncan, 5/13)

CNN:America's Unmasking Brings Liberation But Also Trepidation As Huge Questions LoomAmericans stripped off their masks Thursday as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the sudden announcement that vaccinated people no longer need to wear them indoors or outdoors. It was a great moment of liberation after a year of intense stress and fear, but also one of trepidation for many as the policy created a whole new set of complex questions for parents, employers, business owners and the millions of Americans who are still hesitant to get shots. (Reston and Collinson, 5/14)

The Washington Post:Is It Now Reasonable To Discuss The End Of The Pandemic? Yes, But With Caveats.For more than a year, everyone has wondered when this dreadful pandemic will end. The answer has always been not for a long time. That answer, however, has been overtaken by events at least in the United States. The end of the pandemic may not be near, exactly, but its no longer rash, impolitic or scientifically dubious to broach the topic. (Achenbach, 5/13)

The New York Times:C.D.C. Guidance Prompts Caution In Some StatesAs federal health officials on Thursday cleared the way for Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus to drop mask wearing in most situations, some states lifted mask mandates, while others took a more cautious approach. ... Most of the state officials who responded to the shift were Democrats. Half of the countrys governors most of them Republicans had already lifted mask mandates in some form. (Tumin, Rabin, Mandavilli and Weiland, 5/14)

AP:Gov.: Mask Requirement Lifted For Fully Vaccinated In OregonOregon Gov. Kate Brown has announced that the state will immediately follow guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which ease indoor mask-wearing and social distancing for fully vaccinated people. Brown said in a video statement Thursday that the new CDC guidance means Oregonians who are fully-vaccinated no longer need to wear masks or social distance in most public spaces. (5/14)

Philadelphia Inquirer:Pa. Says Fully Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Masks After Surprise CDC Announcement; N.J. Holds Off On New GuidancePennsylvania health officials immediately updated their guidance to align with the CDCs, while New Jersey officials said they were reviewing the new advice. Todays guidance from the CDC affects only people who are fully vaccinated, said Pennsylvania acting Health Secretary Alison Beam. This is another incentive to get the vaccine that is now easily and conveniently available. Once 70% of Pennsylvanians over 18 are fully vaccinated, we can completely lift the masking order. (McCullough, Silverman and Whelan, 5/13)

The Boston Globe:Mass., Boston To Maintain Mask Requirements For Now In Wake Of New CDC GuidanceThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that those fully vaccinated for COVID-19 can stop wearing masks in most indoor and outdoor settings, though Massachusetts and some other states said they would keep their local restrictions in place for now. President Biden and federal officials lauded the announcement as a major turning point in the countrys fight against the virus, even as some medical experts questioned its timing and cautioned that masks will remain a part of daily life for some time to come. (Platoff, Fox and Mui, 5/13)

AP:California Counties Await Mask, Social Distancing GuidanceIt wasnt clear heading into Friday when and whether California would adopt new health guidelines after the federal government said fully vaccinated people can quit wearing face coverings and social distancing in most situations outside or inside. Counties across California are waiting for word from the state on potential new guidance following Thursdays announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings, such as buses, planes, hospitals and prisons, and says residents should follow local rules. Californias Department of Public Health did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (Weber and Har, 5/14)

CNN:Stores Like CVS, Walgreens And Macy's Review Mask Policies After New CDC GuidanceCVS, Walgreens and Macy's said they are reviewing their requirements for facial coverings following new CDC guidance easing mask wearing for people vaccinated against Covid-19. The CDC said Thursday that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under certain circumstances such as in healthcare settings, on public transportation, or in areas where governments require masks. The CDC also said people will still need to follow workplace and local businesses' mask guidance. (Meyersohn and Wiener-Bronner, 5/13)

NPR:Shopping Without A Mask Depends On Where You Live, Despite New CDC Guidelines"Now is the moment" to relax the guidance for vaccinated Americans, said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Thursday. She credited a drop in infections, effective vaccines and availability of the shots to nearly everyone who wants one. But local and state leaders in some places are still telling people to adhere to existing face-covering and social distancing guidelines, and businesses generally need to stick with the restrictions. It's no surprise then that the sweeping reversal is causing some confusion about how people should behave out in the world specifically in grocery stores. (Romo, 5/13)

Bloomberg:CDCs U-Turn Puts Business In Damned If You Do (Or Dont) BindCompanies are rushing to assess their mask policies after a sudden announcement by U.S. officials put newly relaxed federal guidelines in conflict with the rules at many businesses. Home Depot Inc. and TJX Cos. said they dont immediately plan to change their policies advising face coverings be worn inside their stores, while Macys Inc., Levi Strauss & Co. and Gap Inc. said theyre reviewing the new guidance. The National Restaurant Association is also looking at the recommendations and is evaluating its Covid-19 operating guidance and best practices for restaurants, while some banks are indicating theyll continue to require face coverings -- at least for now. (Clough, Boyle and Court, 5/13)

The Hill:Masks Shed At White House; McConnell: 'Free At Last'On Capitol Hill, Republicans rejoiced at the updated guidance. Free at last, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters as he walked out of the chamber without a mask. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) removed their masks and yelled "freedom" in celebration of the news. (Samuels, 5/13)

The Hill:Jill Biden, Jennifer Garner Go Mask-Free On Vaccine-Promoting West Virginia TripJill Biden added a shot of star power in her push to encourage vaccines among young teens, teaming up Thursday with actress Jennifer Garner for a trip to a West Virginia school's vaccination clinic. "Things are getting better every day," said Biden in what are believed to be her first mask-less public remarks at an in-person event since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. (Kurtz, 5/13)

Politico:Eye-Popping Lawsuit Portrays GOP Lawmakers Office As A Covid-19 Petri DishWell, I dont care about you guys getting it. Thats what Rep. Doug Lamborn (RColo.) allegedly told a staffer in October 2020, right after discovering that his Capitol Hill office was turning into a hotbed of Covid-19 infections. Its one of the many eye-popping accusations in a new lawsuit filed Thursday afternoon in the District Court for the District of Columbia by Brandon Pope, a former Lamborn staffer who says he vocally pushed back on what he called the congressmans reckless and dangerous approach to the pandemic and was fired for it. (Bade, 5/13)

CBS News:Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Says He'll Pardon Residents Charged With Breaking COVID-19 ProtocolsFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday that he'll pardon anyone in the state who has been charged for violating COVID-19 safety measures like masking and social distancing. DeSantis made the announcement onFox Newswhile discussing the case of two gym owners who faced criminal penalties for refusing to enforce social distancing and mask mandates in their establishment.(Powell, 5/13)

The Hill:Fauci Says School Should Be Open 'Full Blast' Five Days A Week In The FallAnthony Fauci, President Bidens chief medical adviser, said Thursday that schools in the fall should be open full blast five days a week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19resume life without masks or other restrictions. When asked by host Jake Tapper on CNNs The Lead with Jake Tapper ifhe agreed with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and the president of the American Federation of Teachers that schools in the fall should be 100 percent open and in-person five days a week, Fauci said he did. (Schnell, 5/13)

CBS News:Fauci Says "We Should Be Encouraging" Kids To Get Vaccinated, But Requiring It Is "Debatable"Dr. Anthony Fauci is urging parents to get their kids vaccinated against COVID-19 but stopped short of saying they should be a requirement for goingback to school. "Whenever you're talking about requiring something, that's always a charged issue. So I'm not so sure we should be requiring children at all," President Biden's chief medical adviser said on "CBS This Morning" Thursday. "We should be encouraging them." (Elkind, 5/13)

The New York Times:I Just Got My Vaccine: U.S. Rollout Expands to Children Ages 12 to 15Eduardo Torres, 53, was up early in Chicago on Thursday when he heard the news on the television: younger adolescents, including his 14-year-old daughter, Raquel, were now eligible for the coronavirus vaccine. It was a moment his family had been waiting for. I told my wife, Ive got to take her to get vaccinated, immediately, said Mr. Torres, who pulled his daughter out of school and hurried her to a vaccination site near Wrigley Field, where Raquel became among the first children in her age group in the country to get vaccinated. (Mervosh, 5/13)

The Washington Post:Johnson & Johnson Coronavirus Vaccine Allocation For States Dwindles To ZeroThe Biden administration will stop shipping doses of Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine to states next week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as a contamination incident two months ago at a Baltimore subcontractor continues to disrupt domestic production. No new shipments for the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine were included Thursday in the CDCs weekly update on expected vaccine shipments. Shipments of the first and second doses of the two-shot Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines will continue next week uninterrupted, according to the CDC shipment schedules. (Rowland and Stanley-Becker, 5/13)

Detroit Free Press:Michigan House, Senate GOP Take Steps To Ban Vaccine PassportsMichigan Republican lawmakers took additional steps Thursday to ban the government from mandating COVID-19 vaccinations, despite having noindicationthat any state or local agency is pursuing such a requirement.The House Oversight Committee approved an overhauled version of a measure prohibiting a governmental entity from producing or distributingavaccine passport. The measure also disallows a governmental entity from fining someone for not getting a COVID-19 vaccine.(Boucher, 5/13)

Fox News:Pennsylvania Attorney General Investigating Massive Coronavirus Contact Tracing Data BreachThe Pennsylvania attorney general said Wednesday his office launched investigations into a data breach stemming from coronavirus contact tracing efforts that potentially exposed the personal information of over 72,000 people. "Any allegations of sensitive personal information being mismanaged or leaked is a serious matter. My office has opened investigations into this data breach on multiple fronts and as such we will have no further comment at this time," Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a written statement shared with Fox News. (Rivas, 5/13)

NPR:Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research ShowsResearchers have found just 12 people are responsible for the bulk of the misleading claims and outright lies about COVID-19 vaccines that proliferate on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. "The 'Disinformation Dozen' produce 65% of the shares of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms," said Imran Ahmed, chief executive officer of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which identified the accounts. (Bond, 5/13)

CBS News:The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID Vaccine Is A Top Target Of Conspiracy TheoriesThe Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine became a target of conspiracy theories and disinformation campaigns as soon as it was announced, reaching millions of people on sites like Twitter, Reddit and 4chan, according to a recent analysis from a cyber defense firm. COVID-19 conspiracy narratives, like the false belief that the vaccine was delayed for political reasons, flourished on social networks in the fall and early winter, according to the New York tech security firm Blackbird. The firm created an algorithm to analyze posts in real-time by hunting for signals of what CEO Wasim Khaled calls "synthetic amplification," which indicate activity by botnets and anti-vaccination influencers. (Patterson, 5/13)

Stat:Uncertain Protection From Covid Vaccines Leaves Cancer Patients In LimboAfter 14 long months of near-isolation, Michele Nadeem-Baker was ready for her Covid-19 vaccination. Diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2012, she knew her cancer made her more vulnerable to severe illness should she become infected with Covid-19. She would leave her home in Charlestown, Mass., only to walk her chocolate lab, Gabby, with her husband, dreaming of a day when she would no longer need to keep her distance from other family and friends. Shes fully vaccinated now, but Nadeem-Baker feels left behind by the vaccine euphoria sweeping the country as it resumes something like normal life. (Cooney, 5/14)

The Wall Street Journal:Newly Reported U.S. Infections Edge UpNewly reported coronavirus cases in the U.S. edged up, as federal health officials revised their recommendations for fully vaccinated people. The U.S. reported more than 38,000 new cases for Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University that was published early Friday. The data may update later. Thursdays figure was slightly higher than the 35,878 new cases reported on Wednesday but marked the sixth consecutive day that the daily total was below 40,000. (Hall, 5/14)

Fox News:Erectile Dysfunction Linked To Prior Coronavirus Infection In Small StudyResearchers say penile tissue samples collected from two men who had recovered from coronavirus months prior suggest that the impact of the illness may contribute to erectile dysfunction. The study, which only involved four men, was conducted by University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers who said its the latest evidence suggesting a link between the two."Our research shows that COVID-19 can cause widespread endothelial dysfunction in organ systems beyond the lungs and kidneys," Ranjith Ramasamy, M.D., associated professor and director of the Miller Schools Reproductive Urology Program, said in a news release posted on EurekAlert.org. "In our pilot study, we found that men who previously did not complain of erectile dysfunction developed pretty severe erectile dysfunction on after the onset of COVID-19 infection." (Hein, 5/13)

CIDRAP:Most Long-Haul COVID-19 Patients Younger, Healthier, Mayo Clinic SaysThe inaugural cohort of Mayo Clinic's COVID-19 Activity Rehabilitation Program (CARP) for postCOVID-19 syndrome (PCS) were mostly women, younger, had few pre-existing comorbidities, and experienced milder forms of COVID-19, but only a third were able to return to full-time work. The descriptive study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, involved 100 CARP participants from June to December 2020 and found the most common ailments to be fatigue (80%), neurologic complaints like headaches (59%), and respiratory complaints like breathlessness (59%). Other symptoms included cognitive impairment, sleep disturbance, and mental health symptoms. A little over a third of patients (34%) said they had difficulties performing basic daily activities, and only one in three who had been employed had fully returned to unrestricted work by the time they were evaluated. (5/13)

The Washington Post:Scientists Call For Proper Investigation Into Virus OriginsAmericans received welcome news on Thursday that the federal government was significantly relaxing its recommendations on mask use for vaccinated individuals, signaling the end of the pandemic is in sight. But a group of 18 scientists from leading international research institutions is now calling for a proper investigation into the origins of the pandemic and the possibility of a laboratory incident triggering the global health crisis. In a letter published in the latest edition of the journal Science, the researchers say the findings of a joint investigation by the World Health Organization and China released in March are not sufficiently conclusive. That study, based on data collected by Chinese researchers, found that it was extremely unlikely that the virus leaked from a lab. But the 18 scientists say that the possibility must be taken seriously. (Ang and Hassan, 5/14)

Reuters:COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory Cannot Be Ruled Out, Leading Scientists SayThe origin of the novel coronavirus is still unclear and the theory that it was caused by a laboratory leak needs to be taken seriously until there is a rigorous data-led investigation that proves it wrong, a group of leading scientists said. COVID-19, which emerged in China in late 2019, has killed 3.34 million people, cost the world trillions of dollars in lost income and upended normal life for billions of people. (Faulconbridge, 5/14)

The Washington Post:Biden Announces $7.4 Billion To Hire More Public Health Workers Amid PandemicThe White House announced Thursday that it is investing $7.4 billion to hire more public health workers to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and future health crises. The money will come from the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, which Congress passed in March. The funds could give a much-needed boost to Americas crumbling public health infrastructure. After decades of chronic underfunding, U.S. public health departments last year showed how ill-equipped they are to carry out basic functions, let alone serve as the last line of defense against the most acute threat to the nations health in generations. (Wan, 5/13)

Modern Healthcare:CMS Guides States On Securing Funding For Home- And Community-Based ServicesCMS on Thursday issued guidance to states on how they can get additional federal funding to increase access to home and community-based services for Medicaid beneficiaries. Congress temporarily increased states' federal matching funds for such benefits by 10% in March's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, also known as the American Rescue Plan. The funds should help Medicaid beneficiaries maintain access to long-term services and support in their home and other nearby care settings. (Brady, 5/13)

Modern Healthcare:Bill Would Revamp Medicare Advantage Prior AuthorizationCongress is eying changes to Medicare Advantage that would crack down on prior authorization tactics insurers use to rein in healthcare costs but can affect how providers care for patients. Rep. Susan DelBene (D-Wash.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.) and Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) reintroduced a bill Thursday that aims to quicken the prior authorization process and require more transparency about how often plans deny providers' requests. Healthcare lobbyists believe the proposal could see movement this year. (Hellmann and Tepper, 5/13)

Modern Healthcare:Cedar Pays $425 Million To Buy Insurance Fintech PlatformHealthcare fintech provider Cedar paid $425 million to acquire insurance fintech OODA Health on Thursday, in another example of single-point technology startups coming together to expand their reach. The New York City-based Cedar provides a direct-to-consumer platform that providers can use to translate to consumers how much they will be billed after a visit, and create custom payment plans based on individuals' credit history. OODA Health, meanwhile, offers the same service to insurer members. The combined company will use insights gained from both providers' and payers' perspective to build additional products to help insured patients the financial responsibility related to their benefits, navigate "administrative resolution" processes, automate prior authorization and more going forward, Cedar CEO Florian Otto said. (Tepper, 5/13)

Modern Healthcare:Piedmont Healthcare Grabs Market Share In Back-To-Back Hospital DealsHCA Healthcare and University Health didn't see a way to meaningfully expand their market share in the competitive Atlanta market, leading to a string of recent hospital deals that are poised to benefit Piedmont Healthcare, merger and acquisition experts said. Piedmont will add seven hospitals to its current 11-hospital footprint via back-to-back transactions, courtesy of HCA and University Health. HCA sold its last Atlanta-area hospital to AdventHealth Thursday. (Kacik, 5/14)

Stat:Charles River Loses A Battle Over Harvesting Horseshoe Crabs For TestingIn a setback to Charles River Laboratories (CRL), a federal judge temporarily blocked its contractors from commercially harvesting horseshoe crabs whose blood is used for reagents from a national wildlife refuge because the federal government did not properly authorize the work. The preliminary injunction was issued in a lawsuit filed by an environmental group that claimed the harvesting harms the crabs and threatens migratory birds that depend on crab eggs. (Silverman, 5/13)

NBC News:Ohio, Georgia Join Growing List Of GOP-Led States Opting Out Of Federal Unemployment BenefitsThe Republican governors of Ohio and Georgia announced on Thursday their respective states will opt out of receiving federal enhanced unemployment benefits, joining a growing list of GOP-led states dropping the pandemic-related benefit. (Clark, 5/13)

Bloomberg:McDonalds, Amazon Accelerate Push Toward Higher Minimum WageAs the U.S. economy rebounds from the ravages of Covid-19, the countrys biggest corporations find themselves in need of workers, putting upward pressure on pay. Retail giants, fast-food chains, and ride-hailing companies are offering higher wages and cash payments. Referral and signing bonuses, rarely needed before to fill entry-level, low-wage jobs, are now commonplace. These incentives represent a slow but steady march toward a goal that lawmakers and labor activists have pursued for years, with limited success: a higher minimum wage, approaching $15 an hour. (Sasso, 5/14)

CNN:NY Yankees Covid-19: How Vaccinated Members Tested Positive For CoronavirusEight members of the New York Yankees have tested positive for coronavirus this week despite being inoculated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the baseball team said Thursday. The eight infected Yankees include coaches, staff members and a player. Seven do not have symptoms, said Jason Zillo, the team's vice president of communications. The Yankees said the eight infected members received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two weeks ago. (Yan, De La Fuente and Close, 5/14)

The Hill:Accused Murderer Robert Durst Diagnosed With Bladder Cancer, Lawyers Ask For Indefinite Postponement Of TrialRobert Durst, the subject of the HBO crime documentary The Jinx who is on trial for murder, has been diagnosed with bladder cancer that is not being treated, CNN reported on Thursday, citing Dursts attorneys. Dursts legal team is now asking that his trial, which is set to resume on Monday, be postponed indefinitely due to a myriad of life-threatening health issues, CNN reported. (Schnell, 5/13)

NBC News:Two Boys, 11 And 17, Arrested In Connection With Violent Robbery Of Elderly Asian ManTwo boys, including an 11-year-old caught driving a stolen car, were arrested Wednesday after a violent robbery of an elderly Asian man in Northern California, officials said. The 80-year-old victim was strolling near the 14200 block of Acapulco Road in San Leandro, about 12 miles south of downtown Oakland, Saturday afternoon when two people in hoodies jumped him and swiped his Fitbit in an attack captured on a home security camera. (Li, 5/13)

Deadline:Real Time With Bill Maher Cancels This Weeks Show After HBO Host Tests Positive For Covid-19HBO has scrapped this weeks episode of Real Time with Bill Maher after the comedian tested positive for Covid-19. Maher, who is vaccinated and asymptomatic, tested positive during the premium cable networks weekly PCR testing ahead of the show. ... After the story broke, Maher posted on social media that he was upset about ending his streak, going back to 1993, to have never missed an episode of Politically Incorrect or Real Time. (White and Pedersen, 5/13)

CNN:How Processed Food Drives Diet-Related DiseasesAs a nutritionist, I have been privy to lot of debate in the nutrition world about which foods keep us healthy and which foods actually cause disease. Different foods offer different nutrient benefits for overall health. And even packaged foods can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet. "The food industry works diligently to deliver a consumer marketplace full of healthy, accessible, nutrient-dense food and beverage choices," said Krystal Register, registered dietition and director of health and well-being at FMI -- The Food Industry Association, in a statement to CNN. But I know the unhealthy eating habits I see are often related to eating too many ultraprocessed foods rich in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. (Drayer, 5/13)

The New York Times:How Exercise May Help Us FlourishOur exercise habits may influence our sense of purpose in life and our sense of purpose may affect how much we exercise, according to an interesting new study of the reciprocal effects of feeling your life has meaning and being often in motion. The study, which involved more than 18,000 middle-aged and older men and women, found that those with the most stalwart sense of purpose at the start were the most likely to become active over time, and vice versa. The findings underscore how braided the relationship between physical activity and psychological well-being can be, and how the effects often run both ways. (Reynolds, 5/12)

The Wall Street Journal:New York City Begins Burial Plans For Bodies In Covid-19 MortuaryNew York City officials say they will soon begin interment plans for hundreds of bodies of people who died during the Covid-19 pandemic and have been stored for monthsand in some cases a yearin freezer units in a temporary mortuary. Earlier this week, a team of 10 forensic investigators in the citys Office of Chief Medical Examiner began a final push to contact next of kin for the deceased, the officials said. (Berger, 5/13)

AP:Connecticut Nursing Home Workers Postpone Planned StrikesUnionized nursing home workers agreed to postpone strikes planned for Friday at 26 facilities across Connecticut after Gov. Ned Lamonts administration reached an agreement with union leaders and nursing homes operators that includes $267 million in state funds to help pay for historic wage increases. The workers including nurses, nurses aides, housekeeping staff and laundry workers have threatened to walk out over what they call poverty-level wages and dangerously low staffing levels. (Haigh, 5/14)

Houston Chronicle:Texas Legislature Passes 'Heartbeat' Anti-Abortion BillState lawmakers on Thursday gave final approval to sweeping new legislation that would ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy and allow anyone to sue providers and others who violate the guidelines. The bill, a priority in the Republican-controlled Legislature, now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for an expected signature as early as Friday. It would take effect in early September. (Blackman and Goldenstein, 5/13)

NPR:Missouri Will Not Expand Medicaid Despite Voters' Wishes, Governor SaysThe battle over Medicaid expansion in Missouri reached a new boiling point Thursday as Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, announced that the state will not implement expansion, in defiance of a ballot measure passed by voters last year. The decision stems from Republican state lawmakers' refusal to appropriate funds for the expansion to the state's Medicaid program, called MO HealthNet, in the state budget bill passed last week. (Sullivan, 5/13)

Stateline:As Feds Push Menthol Cigarette Ban States Weigh Broader MeasuresAt least eight states are considering legislation this year that would ban sales of all flavored tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, vaping products and smokeless tobacco such as snuff or chew. But critics say the proposed bans on menthol cigarettes could prompt police to target Black adults, who disproportionately use menthol tobacco products. The state measures also have hit turbulence after the federal Food and Drug Administration announced in April that the agency would move within a year to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. While backers of the state legislation say the federal move boosts the momentum for bans, opponents from the tobacco industry now argue that since the FDA is set to take action, states dont have to. (Povich, 5/13)

CNN:Philadelphia Health Commissioner Resigns After Mayor Learns He Cremated And Disposed Of 1985 MOVE Bombing Victims' RemainsPhiladelphia's city health commissioner is resigning after news he cremated and disposed of some of the remains of the 1985 MOVE bombing victims, the mayor announced Thursday. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said Dr. Thomas Farley resigned effective Wednesday. He made the announcement on the 36th anniversary of the bombing, which the city carried out against members of the Black liberation group MOVE. (Snyder, 5/14)

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First Edition: May 14, 2021 - Kaiser Health News