#masks mandate

[chronicallycouchbound]

Almost twice as many people died from COVID-19 in 2021 than all unintentional accidents. COVID-19 is the third leading cause of death. COVID rates are on the rise.

The least you can do is wear a mask.

[sunderingstars]

thinking about sparkle’s performance line. thinking about how she says “this performance” and sampo says “my performance.” thinking about how she says “elation” and he says “joy.” even, perhaps, thinking about sampo’s familiarity with elation yet his simultaneous deconstruction of it, viewing his performance as his life yet ultimately steering that performance towards genuine love, care, and respect. thinking about elation not as hedonism but as dignity. anyways

[ectonurites]

Wake up babe a new Tim Drake costume just dropped (for real this time)

ah. um . yeah.

[sunshades]

that new meme that's going around....

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Erin Reed at Erin In The Morning:

On Wednesday, former Republican President Donald Trump turned his aim towards transgender people near the end of a speech in Racine, Wisconsin, which was mostly focused on immigration and crime. In the speech, he announced that his administration would shut down federal funding for schools that support transgender people, describing these schools as “pushing transgender insanity,” on day one. He also announced his intent to target transgender people in sports. These statements suggest that the candidate may increasingly prioritize targeting transgender people as a key election issue should he win.

Though the first hour of the speech went by without a mention of LGBTQ+ people, Trump turned his attention towards schools abruptly after speaking about crime, where he announced his day one priorities: “We're going to be proud of our Capital, we're going to take care of our Capital. On day one, I will sign a new executive order to cut Federal funding of any school pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content onto the lives of our children, and I will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask."

He then turned towards the topic of transgender athletes, claiming that a cisgender woman was injured by a volleyball hit by a transgender woman, which he claimed “came out at her at a speed that which she’s never seen before.” He also took aim at transgender swimmers and weightlifters. This is not the first time that Donald Trump has spoken about transgender issues. Recently, his campaign slammed President Biden’s proclamation of Transgender Day of Visibility as “blasphemous” for falling on the same day as Easter. Notably, Trans Day of Visibility has been on March 31st for several years, whereas Easter is a moving holiday. Shortly after, he endorsed Pastor Mark Burns in South Carolina, who has called for executions over transgender people.

Recently, in a rally in Michigan, he stated that his day-one priorities included reversing Title IX protections for trans youth. Likewise, last year he released a video stating he intends to target programs promoting gender-affirming care “at any age” and to treat gender-affirming care as child abuse.

At a propaganda rally in Racine, WI Wednesday, Donald Trump pushed his insane "parental rights" in schools agenda by suggesting that federal funding of schools be cut if they don't toe Trump's anti-student inclusion line of banning support for trans people in schools.

Speaking of who is cramming down "political content" in schools? It's right-wing indoctrination factories such as PragerU.

See Also:

The Signorile Report: Trump's feeble pitch to LGBTQ voters: Think about your wallet--and stay closeted

[probablyasocialecologist]

At the start, masks helped flatten the curve to protect our hospital systems, and since, masks have helped make public spaces and essential services more open and accessible to everyone. Many studies show that masks work, and they work best when everyone wears a high-quality one to protect each other. Masks are magnificent.

Yet, three years into the pandemic, we still see conflicting stories in the news about masks on a daily basis. The latest culprit powering the confounding headlines is a new scientific review published in Cochrane. The paper analyzes many different studies that assess how physical measures – including masks – fare against respiratory viruses.

The analysis is flawed because it compares apples to oranges. The paper mixes together studies that were conducted in different environments with different transmission risks. It also combines studies where masks were worn part of the time with studies where masks are worn all the time. And it blends studies that looked at Covid-19 with studies that looked at influenza.

If apples work and oranges don’t, but your analysis mixes them together, you may come to the false conclusion that apples don’t work. Out of the 78 papers analyzed in the review, only two actually studied masking during the Covid-19 pandemic. And both of those found that masks did protect wearers from Covid-19. But these studies are drowned out by the greater number of studies on influenza included, where the benefit of masking is harder to detect because it’s a far less contagious virus than Covid-19.

[...]

The mischaracterization of the Cochrane review by its authors and like-minded supporters is deliberate. Those with vested interests are sowing doubt about the science of Covid-19 protections by using the same disinformation playbook that tobacco companies, the fossil fuel industry and the anti-vax movement have used in the past.

The overselling of the Cochrane study is a classic example of cherry-picking, where biased groups highlight a subset of data that support their position, while ignoring the larger pool of evidence that disagrees with them. Many direct studies in labs show that high-quality masks significantly reduce the number of viral particles mask-wearers inhale and emit, but these are intentionally omitted in the arguments of anti-maskers.

These disinformation tactics are successfully quashing public health policies. Policymakers are susceptible to bad faith arguments about masks because they are beholden to short-term corporate interests. Masks are a visible symbol that the pandemic is ongoing, and politicians fear that these reminders stop people from consuming. It’s easy to lie to those who want to believe.

[commonsensecommentary]

Forcing us to wear the face diapers never had a thing to do with science. It was always about spreading fear, exerting control, and justifying election fraud. We were played for suckers by the Deep State Marxists, and we’re now suffering the consequences.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Some health-care workers in British Columbia have started receiving notification that they will once again be expected to wear masks in medical settings, but the language is ambiguous about what exactly will be required and for whom.

CTV News has obtained a memo from Brian Sagar, executive director of communicable disease prevention and control for B.C., notifying workers that “in preparation for the viral respiratory illness (season) this fall and winter” they will be reinstating enhanced infection prevention and control measures in hospitals, family doctors’ offices, and clinics effective Oct. 3. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[daisiesonafield-blog]

Abstract:

Full article here

[diablo1776]

[quaalussy]

getting ready for my first zoom visit for the research study on ppl who have recovered from BPD lol

[remcocoa]

apparently they’re all traveling together in buses to the airport bc the team buses have already gone ahead? and multiple guys already out with covid this morning……

[spitblaze]

did you know that having issues and criticisms with members of the democratic party isnt voter suppression or an attempt to convince people not to vote. did you know that you can expect and ask and demand the politicians of your favored do better without also saying 'i think voting is stupid and pointless'. did you know that expressing dissatisfaction with a democratic administration isnt saying 'therefore i prefer conservatives'. did you know you can be dissatisfied with something without condeming it as a whole did you know you can praise the actions of politicians without telling people that their complaints are completely invalid did you fucking know that

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Payton Armstrong at MMFA:

Sheriffs associated with the anti-democratic “constitutional sheriff” movement — which falsely asserts that sheriffs represent the highest law of the land — have used their positions to investigate baseless election conspiracy theories across the country, including in key swing states. Many of these so-called constitutional sheriffs have also used right-wing media appearances to spread the movement’s talking points, claiming that the country’s 3,000 sheriffs “have awesome power” to enforce their views. They've also spread misinformation about voter fraud, fearmongered about migrants coming across the border, and vowed not to enforce federal or state gun control laws or COVID-19 mandates. Media Matters found that a dozen sheriffs connected to the constitutional sheriff movement’s leading groups have been featured in right-wing media in recent years, including 6 sheriffs who have appeared on Fox News at least 103 times combined since January 1, 2020. Many of the sheriffs have also repeatedly appeared on One America News and other far-right outlets.

So-called “constitutional sheriffs” are part of a growing movement falsely claiming they have ultimate authority to decide whether a law is constitutional

The constitutional sheriff movement falsely asserts that sheriffs represent the highest law of the land, answering only to the U.S. Constitution and superseding any state or federal authority, including the president. The Southern Poverty Law Centers says that sheriffs who adhere to this ideology “are under the false impression that their role as sheriffs allows them to circumvent the structure of checks and balances put in place by the Constitution.” SPLC also argues that the movement is “actively damaging the nation’s rule of law and attempting to shape the U.S. into a country where fringe law enforcement officers determine what human, civil and property rights they will enforce.” According to States United Democracy Center, “many aspects of sheriffs’ roles are controlled by state constitutions and/or statutory law, including their duties, compensation, terms of elections, and procedures for removal.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 6/25/24, 6/6/22; States United Democracy Center, 10/4/22]

Two leading groups promoting the constitutional sheriff movement’s ideology are the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) and Protect American Now (PAN). CSPOA and PAN — which were formed by former Graham County, Arizona, Sheriff Richard Mack and current Pinal County, Arizona, Sheriff Mark Lamb, respectively — teach sheriffs that they have the authority to exert more control over the voting process and the border, and they encourage sheriffs to refuse to enforce gun control laws or COVID-19 mandates they deem unconstitutional. [Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 6/25/24; The Washington Post, 11/2/21]

CSPOA and PAN have increasingly turned their focus toward promoting election denial, such as urging sheriffs to investigate supposed voter fraud. During the 2022 midterms, CSPOA encouraged sheriffs to closely monitor for voter fraud, and ahead of the 2024 election, the group is reportedly urging sheriffs to insert themselves into more aspects of the voting process. CSPOA and PAN have worked with other extremist groups to monitor drop boxes, including the QAnon-linked election denial organization True the Vote. [Talking Points Memo, 4/18/24, 8/8/24; The New York Times, 7/25/22; The Guardian, 8/17/22]

There is reportedly growing acceptance of the constitutional sheriff movement’s ideology among sheriffs across the country. Since 2018, at least 69 sheriffs out of 3,000 nationwide have either been identified as members of CSPOA or publicly supported it, according to the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. But CSPOA’s ideology may be more pervasive: A Marshall Project survey of over 500 of the country’s sheriffs found that more than 48% of respondents agreed that their authority within their own counties supersedes that of the state or federal government. Additionally, CSPOA has “continued to recruit sheriffs into their group and its related ideology through events targeting law enforcement, an online television show and membership in their association.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 6/25/24; The Associated Press, 8/21/23; Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, 10/20/22; The Marshall Project, 10/18/22] 

Media Matters For America takes a look at how “constitutional sheriffs” use right-wing media outlet appearances to promote and grow the extreme movement that puts the county sheriff as the highest authority in their county, ahead of state and federal law.

[liminalweirdo]

"The authors found that COVID-19 rates were similar among districts before the mask requirement was rescinded, then diverged quickly, with higher case rates in districts immediately following the removal of the mask requirement. Approximately 12,000 cases, or 30% of all cases during the study period, were attributable to rescinding the mask requirement. The resulting illnesses led to substantial loss of in-person school days— an estimated minimum of 17,500 days of school absence in students and 6,500 days of staff absence—arguing for masks as a critical component of optimizing learning."

tl;dr: covid stops kids from learning in school more than masking does.

[inter-volve]

Source

January 3rd 2024