Florida OKs school vouchers in districts requiring COVID-19 masks – FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Florida OKs school vouchers in districts requiring COVID-19 masks – FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Board of Education meeting to discuss vouchers for students who are anti-mask

Matthew McClellan reports

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s Board of Education approved an emergency rule Friday that will allow private school vouchers if parents feel their children are being harassed by a school district’s COVID-19 safety policies, including mask requirements.

The parents could request the vouchers under provisions that are usually used to protect children who are being bullied.

“‘COVID-19 harassment’ means any threatening, discriminatory, insulting, or dehumanizing verbal, written or physical conduct an individual student suffers in relation to, or as a result of, school district protocols for COVID-19, including masking requirements, the separation or isolation of students, or COVID-19 testing requirements, that have the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s educational performance,” the rule reads.

The meeting was scheduled a week after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered the department to come up with ways of having school districts that mandate mask-wearing provide other alternatives for parents, saying they had the legal right to make decisions about their children’s health and education.

DeSantis said in his order that the rules could include withholding money from school districts or other actions allowed under Florida law. At a news conference Friday he reiterated his general opposition to restrictions, such as lockdowns, business closures and mask mandates.

DeSantis blasts Biden after criticism over handling of pandemic in Florida

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fired back at President Biden, one day after the president criticized the Republican governor for his handling of the pandemic as the Sunshine State sees a record spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

“In terms of imposing any restrictions. That’s not happening in Florida. It’s harmful, it’s destructive. It does not work,” he said, saying Los Angeles County had a winter surge despite all its restrictions. “We really believe that individuals know how to best assess their risks. We trust them to be able to make those decisions. We just want to make sure everybody has information.”

Two Florida school districts have decided to follow recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and require masks when they restart classes next week because of dramatic rises in coronavirus infections. Florida now leads the country in COVID-19 related hospitalizations.

MORE: Fried seeks funds for schools after DeSantis threatens to withhold money over mask mandates

Kids and COVID-19

Doctors say as COVID-19 cases increase, more children are being hospitalized than at any other time during the pandemic.

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 rose from 12,516 on Thursday to 12,864, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hospital data shows 2,680 of those patients required intensive care, using about 42% of the ICU beds in the state, compared to less than 20% they were using two weeks ago.

RELATED: Florida pediatric COVID cases continue to rise ahead of first day of school

The CDC said the number of new cases being reported by the state have raised Florida’s 7-day average to an all-time high of 18,120.

School boards in Duval County, home to Jacksonville, and Alachua County, home to Gainesville, decided this week to require mask-wearing indoors, citing the rise in hospitalizations.

The Duval County School Board is allowing parents to submit paperwork if they want their children not to wear masks. The Alachua County board said it had voted to require masks for the first two weeks of school, a decision that will be reevaluated in two weeks. Students in both districts go back to school next Tuesday.

RELATED: Some Florida school districts look to move forward with masks, despite governor’s order

In South Florida, districts are still undecided on their mask directives.

The Broward County School Board, which covers Fort Lauderdale and suburbs, had voted to require masks after hours of contentious debate that included a screaming match from angry anti-mask parents who set fire to masks and held picket signs outside. The board reversed course Monday over fear of losing funding, but on Wednesday said on Twitter that they are “waiting for guidance” in light of the governor’s orders.

The Miami-Dade school district hasn’t said whether masks will continue to be optional, as they were, or required.

Separately late Thursday, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that weekly COVID-19 testing will be required for all 29,000 non-school county employees unless they show proof of vaccination amid a surge of infections from the delta variant of the coronavirus. The policy takes effect Aug. 16.

“We’ve endured too much and seen too many families hurting. We have the power to avoid what is truly preventable,” the mayor said in a tweet on Thursday urging people to get the vaccine,” Cava said.

Parents worry about kids’ recovery from COVID slide

Administrators at the Doctors of Academics Tutoring in Tampa said they’ve seen a growth in enrollment this year of kids whose parents want to make sure they don’t experience the so-called COVID slide.

The county also hired Jared Moskowitz, who oversaw Florida’s pandemic response as director of the state’s Division of Emergency Management until he stepped down in the spring, to be a special advisor on the county’s COVID response, she said.

Moskowitz, a Democrat from South Florida who worked with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis until deciding to leave the office in April, retweeted the mayor’s announcement of his hiring. His Twitter handle — MASKowitz — shows his difference with DeSantis, who has refused to order a mask mandate in Florida.

Source Article from https://www.fox13news.com/news/florida-education-board-considers-re-routing-state-funds-from-bullied-students-to-students-who-oppose-masks

7 views no comments
The Dixie Fire Explodes To Become The 3rd-Largest Wildfire In California’s History – NPR
The Dixie Fire Explodes To Become The 3rd-Largest Wildfire In California’s History – NPR

Flames from the Dixie Fire consume a home on Highway 89 south of Greenville, Calif., on Thursday.

Noah Berger/AP


hide caption

toggle caption

Noah Berger/AP

Flames from the Dixie Fire consume a home on Highway 89 south of Greenville, Calif., on Thursday.

Noah Berger/AP

GREENVILLE, Calif. — A wildfire raging in Northern California exploded in size overnight, becoming the third-largest wildfire in state history amid high temperatures and strong winds. Better weather conditions were expected to aid the firefight on Friday.

The Dixie Fire grew by 110 square miles (285 square kilometers) between Thursday night and Friday morning, making the blaze the largest wildfire currently raging in the nation.

“This is going to be a long firefight,” said Capt. Mitch Matlow, spokesperson of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The fire was 35% contained Friday morning but was largely expanding within the perimeter firefighters previously established. It now spans an area of 676 square miles (1,751 square kilometers).

On Wednesday, the fire tore through the little California mountain town of Greenville, which resident Eva Gorman said was a place of community and strong character, where neighbors volunteered to move furniture, colorful baskets of flowers brightened Main Street, and writers, musicians, mechanics and chicken farmers mingled.

Now, it’s ashes.

“Our whole downtown area is gone”

As hot, bone-dry, gusty weather hit California, the fire raged through the Gold Rush-era Sierra Nevada community of about 1,000, incinerating much of the downtown that included wooden buildings more than a century old.

The winds were expected to calm and change direction heading into the weekend but that good news came too late for Gorman.

A church marquee stands among buildings destroyed by the Dixie Fire in the Sierra Nevada town of Greenville on Thursday.

Noah Berger/AP


hide caption

toggle caption

Noah Berger/AP

A church marquee stands among buildings destroyed by the Dixie Fire in the Sierra Nevada town of Greenville on Thursday.

Noah Berger/AP

“It’s just completely devastating. We’ve lost our home, my business, our whole downtown area is gone,” said Gorman, who heeded evacuation warnings and left town with her husband a week and-a-half ago as the Dixie Fire approached.

She managed to grab some photos off the wall, her favorite jewelry and important documents but couldn’t help but think of the family treasures left behind.

“My grandmother’s dining room chairs, my great-aunt’s bed from Italy. There is a photo I keep visualizing in my mind of my son when he was 2. He’s 37 now,” she said. “At first you think, ‘It’s OK, I have the negatives.’ And then you realize, ‘Oh. No. I don’t.'”

Officials had not yet assessed the number of destroyed buildings, but Plumas County Sheriff Todd Johns estimated on Thursday that “well over” 100 homes had burned in and near the town.

“My heart is crushed by what has occurred there,” said Johns, a lifelong Greenville resident.

100 homes and buildings charred in yet another wildfire

About a two-hour drive south, officials said some 100 homes and other buildings burned in the fast-moving River Fire that broke out Wednesday near Colfax, a town of about 2,000. There was no containment and about 6,000 people were ordered to evacuate in Placer and Nevada counties, state fire officials said.

The three-week-old Dixie Fire was one of 100 active, large fires burning in 14 states, most in the West where historic drought has left lands parched and ripe for ignition.

The Dixie Fire had consumed about 432,813 acres, according to an estimate released Friday morning. That’s 676 square miles (1,751 square kilometers) — moving the blaze from the state’s sixth-largest wildfire ever to its third-largest overnight.

The fire’s cause was under investigation, but Pacific Gas & Electric has said it may have been sparked when a tree fell on one of the utility’s power lines. No injuries or deaths have been reported.

The blaze exploded on Wednesday and Thursday through timber, grass and brush so dry that one fire official described it as “basically near combustion.” Dozens of homes had already burned before the flames made new runs.

No deaths or injuries were reported but the fire continued to threaten more than 10,000 homes.

On Thursday, the weather and towering smoke clouds produced by the fire’s intense, erratic winds kept firefighters struggling to put firefighters at shifting hot spots.

“It’s wreaking havoc. The winds are kind of changing direction on us every few hours,” said Capt. Sergio Arellano, a fire spokesman.

“We’re seeing truly frightening fire behavior,” said Chris Carlton, supervisor for Plumas National Forest. “We really are in uncharted territory.”

Heat waves and historic drought tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight in the American West. Scientists say climate change has made the region much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

The blaze hit Greenville from two angles and firefighters already were in the town trying to save it but first they had to risk their lives to save people who had refused to evacuate by loading people into cars to get them out, fire officials said.

“We have firefighters that are getting guns pulled out on them, because people don’t want to evacuate,” said Jake Cagle, an incident management operations section chief.

The flames also reached the town of Chester, northwest of Greenville, but crews managed to protect homes and businesses there, with only minor damage to one or two structures, officials said.

The fire was not far from the town of Paradise, which was largely destroyed in a 2018 wildfire sparked by PG&E equipment that killed 85 people, making it the nation’s deadliest in at least a century.

California’s blazes are not the only wildfires scorching vast areas in the world. Thousands of people fled wildfires burning out of control in Greece and Turkey on Friday, including a major blaze just north of the Greek capital of Athens that left one person dead, as a protracted heat wave turned forests into tinderboxes and flames threatened populated areas, electricity installations and historic sites.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2021/08/06/1025495042/dixie-fire-california-wildfire-greenville

11 views no comments
Arizona lawmaker arrested, accused of sexual conduct with a minor in 2019 – NBC News
Arizona lawmaker arrested, accused of sexual conduct with a minor in 2019 – NBC News
12 views no comments
As members of Congress go home, their security concerns come with them – CNN
As members of Congress go home, their security concerns come with them – CNN

For the 535 members of Congress, the haunting memories of the violence and chaos from January 6 don’t go away as they leave Washington, DC.

The ongoing threat remains top of mind for many lawmakers ahead of the August recess when Republicans and Democrats will return to their home districts – far removed from the immediate protection of Capitol Police.

There have been discussions about security for lawmakers and staff during the August recess amid warnings about potential threats fueled by a variety of conspiracy theories and incidents when members were traveling to their home states in recent months, according to a congressional source briefed on the matter. Discussions in the weeks leading up to recess have been mostly informal, the source said, noting they have not received any specific guidance or updates from the Sergeant at Arms, but there have been talks about the number of uniformed police officers lawmakers want at the events, including town halls in August, what area of their district they want that increased presence to be located and what time of day, the source said.

This source pointed specifically to an incident last month where Rep. Katie Porter’s town hall in California was disrupted by a group of political critics – as particularly troubling considering the lingering safety concerns for lawmakers while in DC and back in their home districts.

“The Porter incident was nuts,” the source said, noting it was particularly concerning that it happened at 2 p.m. during a public event.

“There hasn’t been, you know, meaningful security measures I would say that are based adequately on the assessment of individual member such scenarios and threats,” said Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. “I mean it’s absolutely a broken system.”

Ocasio-Cortez is among a particular group of members of Congress with an extremely high profile. She has been vocal about the lack of funding and resources for proper security for members when they return home. According to the progressive lawmaker, some have even been forced to raise funds from their supporters to invest in security improvements to their homes, offices and travel detail.

“It is just simply the case that right now, members of Congress, if they want and if they need security. They have to literally fundraise for their own safety,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

Congress did recently pass a broad security supplemental package designed to fill gaping holes left behind in the wake of the January 6 insurrection. The House-passed package had allocated more than $10 million specifically for district security. The final version of the bill only included funding for Capitol Police to enter into agreements with local law enforcement for protective details.

The lack of funding and a broad policy to deal with district security has left members to deal with the issue on their own and for Capitol Police to assess the threat on a per member basis with the goal of working with local police to keep members safe. It comes at a time where the toxic energy surrounding the Capitol Insurrection is still boiling across the country, fueled in part by former President Donald Trump continuing to peddle lies about the election results. The FBI and Homeland Security have issued warnings, noting false narratives about voter fraud and the 2020 election will almost certainly contribute to additional violence by domestic extremists this year.

“I’d be a fool not to be concerned about that,” newly tapped USCP Chief Tom Manger told CNN in an interview late last month when asked if he is concerned about the Big Lie. “The safety and security of the Capitol, the Congress, the legislative process. Those are priorities and I’m concerned about all those things.”

Fears over the ‘Big Lie’ spurring possible violence

Law enforcement agencies in DC and around the country have been consistently briefed on potential threats during the August timeframe. Lawmakers have also been briefed and CNN has previously reported that officials have made clear they are concerned about how a variety of conspiracies could lead to more violence this month. As an example, a recent FBI threat assessment specifically pointed out that QAnon followers are becoming more emboldened to take real-world action and increasingly believe that they must become personally involved in bringing about the conspiracy’s premonitions rather than simply serving as “digital soldiers.”

More broadly, providing security for members traveling outside of Washington, DC has been a consistent concern since January 6. Those fears have only been compounded by warnings from the US Capitol Police that threats against lawmakers are up more than 100% compared to last year and law enforcement expects that number to increase going forward. Capitol Police plan to expand their footprint nationwide to better assess threats from the ground. In July the department announced plans to open regional field offices in California and Florida.

As members spread to their home districts, much of the immediate security need will fall upon local law enforcement departments. Major Cities Chiefs Association – a professional organization for executives of police departments – told CNN elected officials must work closely with local law enforcement rather than rely exclusively on private security for protection.

“Elected officials need to take their security needs seriously and stay close to their police chiefs and report any threats or incidents involving his/her family or staff as soon as possible,” said Laura Cooper, executive director for Major Cities Chiefs Association. “Police chiefs strongly discourage the use of private security personnel for dignitary protection units as private security officers lack the authority needed to effectively fulfill the dignitary protection function,” Cooper said.

Republicans also have concerns over threats

The threats are not reserved for just Democrats. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a Republican from New Jersey who recently switched parties and became a vocal Trump supporter, said he was targeted in a local newspaper by a columnist who threatened his wife and suggested she be assaulted in a similar fashion to what accusers of Trump had said the former president had done to them. It was enough for Van Drew to reach out to the FBI as well as Ocean City and State Police. He said Capitol Police worked with Ocean City to determine how serious the threat was.

“When I travel now, I have somebody right with me and a lot of people think that you really do need protection these days because I never know what’s going to happen,” Van Drew said. “So I never worry about it, but it’s something that you think about a little bit.”

Rep. Adam Kinzinger a Republican of Illinois and a member of the January 6 Select Committee has found himself the target of Trump supporters unhappy with the way he’s bucked his party and Trump in particular. Kinzinger brushed off concerns that his new highly visible role on that committee could make him and even bigger target.

“I haven’t really feared for my safety at all but, I mean obviously I’m aware of it,” Kinzinger said. “I think you know it is important if there’s threats out there that, you know, they make sure they take care of us. Look my local police are always really great.”

But he conceded the current system is clunky and not necessarily nimble enough to meet the specific needs of each member.

“You know, in many cases, yes we can pay protection from the campaign funds,” Kinzinger said, while also pointing out even that process has its flaws and that the entire district security plan needs an overhaul.

“It’s a problem,” he added. “It needs to get fixed, it’s very archaic.”

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/06/politics/congress-recess-district-security/index.html

12 views no comments
Cuomo Aide Who Says He Groped Her Files Criminal Complaint in Albany – The New York Times
Cuomo Aide Who Says He Groped Her Files Criminal Complaint in Albany – The New York Times

The Albany County prosecutor, David Soares, is one of five prosecutors who have so far indicated that their offices are looking into the governor’s conduct after the report from the attorney general, Letitia James, found that he had sexually harassed 11 women.

The criminal complaint was reported by The New York Post.

The executive assistant told investigators that the governor had acted inappropriately toward her since 2019, kissing and hugging her in ways that she found uncomfortable. His advances toward her culminated last November in the episode at the mansion, in which he reached under her blouse and grabbed her breast, she told investigators.

The governor denied to investigators that he had touched her inappropriately.

The woman’s lawyer could not immediately be reached. A spokesman for the governor said on Friday that the office had referred the assistant’s case to its office of employee relations months ago, and again pointed toward the governor’s denial of her claim. A spokeswoman for the Albany district attorney declined to comment on the complaint, saying only that the investigation was “an ongoing matter that is under review.”

The woman told investigators that she had been summoned to the mansion, that the governor had pulled her in for a close hug and that, after she pulled away, he again advanced, slid his hand up her blouse and cupped her breast.

She initially did not report what had happened, she said, adding that she was “terrified” that she would lose her job.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/06/nyregion/andrew-cuomo-criminal-complaint.html

11 views no comments
Taliban fighters overrun the capital of Afghanistan’s Nimruz province – The Washington Post
Taliban fighters overrun the capital of Afghanistan’s Nimruz province – The Washington Post

Noorzad, the member of parliament, said the Taliban had been threatening the Nimruz capital for days, warning of an attack. “I pleaded for air support and deployment of the commandos (elite Afghan soldiers) to Zaranj to boost the morale of the security forces and people. Unfortunately, nobody listened to me,” he said.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/06/afghanistan-taliban-nimruz/

9 views no comments
Congressional candidate to file lawsuit against DeSantis over school mask mandates ban – WPLG Local 10
Congressional candidate to file lawsuit against DeSantis over school mask mandates ban – WPLG Local 10

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Rev. Elvin Dowling, a father of three school-aged children, who is hoping to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings to represent Florida’s 20th Congressional District, is filing a lawsuit Friday morning against Gov. Ron DeSantis and the State of Florida over the governor’s executive order banning mask mandates in Florida’s public schools.

Citing Article 9, Section 1 of the Florida Constitution which states, “Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education and for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of higher learning and other public education programs that the needs of the people may require,” Dowling is arguing that his children will be placed in harm’s way if DeSantis’ edict is followed and says the governor’s threats to defund public schools that still require masks be worn by students and staff members would subject his kids to “unfair and inferior conditions.”

“As a concerned parent for not just my three kids, but for all of Florida’s public school children, I am alarmed by the increasing rates of COVID-19 infections in our state, while our feckless Governor twiddles his fingers, runs his mouth, and thumbs his nose at science,” Dowling said in a statement Friday. “Requiring masks at school will protect our children. Currying favor with narrow political interests will not.”

Dowling is being represented by civil rights attorney and former Florida State Representative, the Rabbi Barry Silver.

He previously filed a federal lawsuit against the governor in April, arguing that DeSantis violated the 1st, 14th and 15th amendment rights of nearly 800,000 Palm Beach and Broward County residents by failing to call an election to fill the congressional seat vacated by Hastings, who died on April 6.

Source Article from https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/08/06/congressional-candidate-files-lawsuit-against-desantis-over-school-mask-mandates-ban/

35 views no comments
After a blown deadline and Democratic blowback, an urgent scramble for a new eviction ban – CNN
After a blown deadline and Democratic blowback, an urgent scramble for a new eviction ban – CNN
          ‘);$vidEndSlate.removeClass(‘video__end-slate–inactive’).addClass(‘video__end-slate–active’);}};CNN.autoPlayVideoExist = (CNN.autoPlayVideoExist === true) ? true : false;var configObj = {thumb: ‘none’,video: ‘politics/2021/07/31/cori-bush-eviction-moratorium-capitol-steps-malveaux-sot-nr-vpx.cnn’,width: ‘100%’,height: ‘100%’,section: ‘domestic’,profile: ‘expansion’,network: ‘cnn’,markupId: ‘body-text_35’,theoplayer: {allowNativeFullscreen: true},adsection: ‘const-article-inpage’,frameWidth: ‘100%’,frameHeight: ‘100%’,posterImageOverride: {“mini”:{“width”:220,”type”:”jpg”,”uri”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210731185753-cori-bush-eviction-moratorium-capitol-steps-malveaux-sot-nr-vpx-00005210-small-169.jpg”,”height”:124},”xsmall”:{“width”:307,”type”:”jpg”,”uri”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210731185753-cori-bush-eviction-moratorium-capitol-steps-malveaux-sot-nr-vpx-00005210-medium-plus-169.jpg”,”height”:173},”small”:{“width”:460,”type”:”jpg”,”uri”:”http://www.noticiasdodia.onlinenewsbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/210731185753-cori-bush-eviction-moratorium-capitol-steps-malveaux-sot-nr-vpx-00005210-large-169.jpg”,”height”:259},”medium”:{“width”:780,”type”:”jpg”,”uri”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210731185753-cori-bush-eviction-moratorium-capitol-steps-malveaux-sot-nr-vpx-00005210-exlarge-169.jpg”,”height”:438},”large”:{“width”:1100,”type”:”jpg”,”uri”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210731185753-cori-bush-eviction-moratorium-capitol-steps-malveaux-sot-nr-vpx-00005210-super-169.jpg”,”height”:619},”full16x9″:{“width”:1600,”type”:”jpg”,”uri”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210731185753-cori-bush-eviction-moratorium-capitol-steps-malveaux-sot-nr-vpx-00005210-full-169.jpg”,”height”:900},”mini1x1″:{“width”:120,”type”:”jpg”,”uri”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210731185753-cori-bush-eviction-moratorium-capitol-steps-malveaux-sot-nr-vpx-00005210-small-11.jpg”,”height”:120}}},autoStartVideo = false,isVideoReplayClicked = false,callbackObj,containerEl,currentVideoCollection = [],currentVideoCollectionId = ”,isLivePlayer = false,mediaMetadataCallbacks,mobilePinnedView = null,moveToNextTimeout,mutePlayerEnabled = false,nextVideoId = ”,nextVideoUrl = ”,turnOnFlashMessaging = false,videoPinner,videoEndSlateImpl;if (CNN.autoPlayVideoExist === false) {autoStartVideo = false;autoStartVideo = typeof CNN.isLoggedInVideoCheck === ‘function’ ? CNN.isLoggedInVideoCheck(autoStartVideo) : autoStartVideo;if (autoStartVideo === true) {if (turnOnFlashMessaging === true) {autoStartVideo = false;containerEl = jQuery(document.getElementById(configObj.markupId));CNN.VideoPlayer.showFlashSlate(containerEl);} else {CNN.autoPlayVideoExist = true;}}}configObj.autostart = CNN.Features.enableAutoplayBlock ? false : autoStartVideo;CNN.VideoPlayer.setPlayerProperties(configObj.markupId, autoStartVideo, isLivePlayer, isVideoReplayClicked, mutePlayerEnabled);CNN.VideoPlayer.setFirstVideoInCollection(currentVideoCollection, configObj.markupId);videoEndSlateImpl = new CNN.VideoEndSlate(‘body-text_35’);function findNextVideo(currentVideoId) {var i,vidObj;if (currentVideoId && jQuery.isArray(currentVideoCollection) && currentVideoCollection.length > 0) {for (i = 0; i 0) {videoEndSlateImpl.showEndSlateForContainer();if (mobilePinnedView) {mobilePinnedView.disable();}}}}callbackObj = {onPlayerReady: function (containerId) {var playerInstance,containerClassId = ‘#’ + containerId;CNN.VideoPlayer.handleInitialExpandableVideoState(containerId);CNN.VideoPlayer.handleAdOnCVPVisibilityChange(containerId, CNN.pageVis.isDocumentVisible());if (CNN.Features.enableMobileWebFloatingPlayer &&Modernizr &&(Modernizr.phone || Modernizr.mobile || Modernizr.tablet) &&CNN.VideoPlayer.getLibraryName(containerId) === ‘fave’ &&jQuery(containerClassId).parents(‘.js-pg-rail-tall__head’).length > 0 &&CNN.contentModel.pageType === ‘article’) {playerInstance = FAVE.player.getInstance(containerId);mobilePinnedView = new CNN.MobilePinnedView({element: jQuery(containerClassId),enabled: false,transition: CNN.MobileWebFloatingPlayer.transition,onPin: function () {playerInstance.hideUI();},onUnpin: function () {playerInstance.showUI();},onPlayerClick: function () {if (mobilePinnedView) {playerInstance.enterFullscreen();playerInstance.showUI();}},onDismiss: function() {CNN.Videx.mobile.pinnedPlayer.disable();playerInstance.pause();}});/* Storing pinned view on CNN.Videx.mobile.pinnedPlayer So that all players can see the single pinned player */CNN.Videx = CNN.Videx || {};CNN.Videx.mobile = CNN.Videx.mobile || {};CNN.Videx.mobile.pinnedPlayer = mobilePinnedView;}if (Modernizr && !Modernizr.phone && !Modernizr.mobile && !Modernizr.tablet) {if (jQuery(containerClassId).parents(‘.js-pg-rail-tall__head’).length) {videoPinner = new CNN.VideoPinner(containerClassId);videoPinner.init();} else {CNN.VideoPlayer.hideThumbnail(containerId);}}},onContentEntryLoad: function(containerId, playerId, contentid, isQueue) {CNN.VideoPlayer.showSpinner(containerId);},onContentPause: function (containerId, playerId, videoId, paused) {if (mobilePinnedView) {CNN.VideoPlayer.handleMobilePinnedPlayerStates(containerId, paused);}},onContentMetadata: function (containerId, playerId, metadata, contentId, duration, width, height) {var endSlateLen = jQuery(document.getElementById(containerId)).parent().find(‘.js-video__end-slate’).eq(0).length;CNN.VideoSourceUtils.updateSource(containerId, metadata);if (endSlateLen > 0) {videoEndSlateImpl.fetchAndShowRecommendedVideos(metadata);}},onAdPlay: function (containerId, cvpId, token, mode, id, duration, blockId, adType) {/* Dismissing the pinnedPlayer if another video players plays an Ad */CNN.VideoPlayer.dismissMobilePinnedPlayer(containerId);clearTimeout(moveToNextTimeout);CNN.VideoPlayer.hideSpinner(containerId);if (Modernizr && !Modernizr.phone && !Modernizr.mobile && !Modernizr.tablet) {if (typeof videoPinner !== ‘undefined’ && videoPinner !== null) {videoPinner.setIsPlaying(true);videoPinner.animateDown();}}},onAdPause: function (containerId, playerId, token, mode, id, duration, blockId, adType, instance, isAdPause) {if (mobilePinnedView) {CNN.VideoPlayer.handleMobilePinnedPlayerStates(containerId, isAdPause);}},onTrackingFullscreen: function (containerId, PlayerId, dataObj) {CNN.VideoPlayer.handleFullscreenChange(containerId, dataObj);if (mobilePinnedView &&typeof dataObj === ‘object’ &&FAVE.Utils.os === ‘iOS’ && !dataObj.fullscreen) {jQuery(document).scrollTop(mobilePinnedView.getScrollPosition());playerInstance.hideUI();}},onContentPlay: function (containerId, cvpId, event) {var playerInstance,prevVideoId;if (CNN.companion && typeof CNN.companion.updateCompanionLayout === ‘function’) {CNN.companion.updateCompanionLayout(‘restoreEpicAds’);}clearTimeout(moveToNextTimeout);CNN.VideoPlayer.hideSpinner(containerId);if (Modernizr && !Modernizr.phone && !Modernizr.mobile && !Modernizr.tablet) {if (typeof videoPinner !== ‘undefined’ && videoPinner !== null) {videoPinner.setIsPlaying(true);videoPinner.animateDown();}}},onContentReplayRequest: function (containerId, cvpId, contentId) {if (Modernizr && !Modernizr.phone && !Modernizr.mobile && !Modernizr.tablet) {if (typeof videoPinner !== ‘undefined’ && videoPinner !== null) {videoPinner.setIsPlaying(true);var $endSlate = jQuery(document.getElementById(containerId)).parent().find(‘.js-video__end-slate’).eq(0);if ($endSlate.length > 0) {$endSlate.removeClass(‘video__end-slate–active’).addClass(‘video__end-slate–inactive’);}}}},onContentBegin: function (containerId, cvpId, contentId) {if (mobilePinnedView) {mobilePinnedView.enable();}/* Dismissing the pinnedPlayer if another video players plays a video. */CNN.VideoPlayer.dismissMobilePinnedPlayer(containerId);CNN.VideoPlayer.mutePlayer(containerId);if (CNN.companion && typeof CNN.companion.updateCompanionLayout === ‘function’) {CNN.companion.updateCompanionLayout(‘removeEpicAds’);}CNN.VideoPlayer.hideSpinner(containerId);clearTimeout(moveToNextTimeout);CNN.VideoSourceUtils.clearSource(containerId);jQuery(document).triggerVideoContentStarted();},onContentComplete: function (containerId, cvpId, contentId) {if (CNN.companion && typeof CNN.companion.updateCompanionLayout === ‘function’) {CNN.companion.updateCompanionLayout(‘restoreFreewheel’);}navigateToNextVideo(contentId, containerId);},onContentEnd: function (containerId, cvpId, contentId) {if (Modernizr && !Modernizr.phone && !Modernizr.mobile && !Modernizr.tablet) {if (typeof videoPinner !== ‘undefined’ && videoPinner !== null) {videoPinner.setIsPlaying(false);}}},onCVPVisibilityChange: function (containerId, cvpId, visible) {CNN.VideoPlayer.handleAdOnCVPVisibilityChange(containerId, visible);}};if (typeof configObj.context !== ‘string’ || configObj.context.length 0) {configObj.adsection = window.ssid;}CNN.autoPlayVideoExist = (CNN.autoPlayVideoExist === true) ? true : false;CNN.VideoPlayer.getLibrary(configObj, callbackObj, isLivePlayer);});CNN.INJECTOR.scriptComplete(‘videodemanddust’);

          MUST WATCH

    Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/06/politics/biden-eviction-moratorium-democrats/index.html

    22 views no comments
    5 children home alone die in East St. Louis fire – NBC News
    5 children home alone die in East St. Louis fire – NBC News
    14 views no comments
    Wildfire smoke blankets northern Utah, darkens sky – fox13now.com
    Wildfire smoke blankets northern Utah, darkens sky – fox13now.com

    SALT LAKE CITY — A thick blanket of smoke fell upon northern Utah Friday, darkening the sky and leaving many to wonder if a wildfire was nearby. However, a cold front is the culprit as it has pushed the smoke from out-of-state wildfires in California and Oregon into the Wasatch Front.

    Air quality is in the unhealthy range for all groups of people and residents should try to limit their time outdoors.

    The National Weather Service office in Salt Lake City reports the smoke will remain across the area today, with conditions expected to improve tonight as winds become more northerly.

    In a tweet Friday, the Salt Lake City Fire Department confirmed the smoke is not from “active incidents” in Salt Lake, but from regional fires.

    “Those with sensitive health concerns are encouraged to stay indoors and contact their personal physician early, if needed,” the department said.

    Wildfires continue to rage across the U.S. West, including the Dixie Fire in California; the state’s sixth largest wildfire ever.

    READ: Dixie Fire destroys town of Greenville, California

    Source Article from https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/heavy-wildfire-smoke-in-utah-on-friday-considered-unhealthy-for-everyone

    11 views no comments
    Fact-checking Republican attempts to blame inflation on Democrats – CNN
    Fact-checking Republican attempts to blame inflation on Democrats – CNN

    By Tara Subramaniam, CNN

    Updated 9:14 AM ET, Fri August 6, 2021

    Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/06/politics/inflation-gop-fact-check/index.html

    6 views no comments
    DeSantis Threatens School Funds If Florida Districts Require Masks – NPR
    DeSantis Threatens School Funds If Florida Districts Require Masks – NPR

    Students return to school at Seminole Heights Elementary in Tampa on Aug. 31, 2020, after the Florida Department of Education mandated in-class learning.

    Octavio Jones/Getty Images


    hide caption

    toggle caption

    Octavio Jones/Getty Images

    Students return to school at Seminole Heights Elementary in Tampa on Aug. 31, 2020, after the Florida Department of Education mandated in-class learning.

    Octavio Jones/Getty Images

    A battle is brewing in Florida over whether students will have to wear masks when they return to the classroom this fall.

    Several Florida school districts are keeping their mask mandates in place for the upcoming school year, despite an executive order by Gov. Ron DeSantis that leaves it up to parents to decide whether their children wear face coverings in school. School boards that don’t eliminate mask mandates could face the loss of state funding.

    South Florida’s Broward County Public Schools, the second-largest district in Florida, cited safety as its top priority announcing the decision to maintain its mask requirement pending further guidance from the state as coronavirus cases surge in Florida.

    The Sunshine State has seen a rash of new COVID-19 infections in recent weeks. On Saturday, it recorded 21,683 new coronavirus cases, its highest single-day total since the pandemic began.

    But DeSantis, a Republican, said that because vaccines are now prevalent, the decision to mask students should be up to their parents — not the school district.

    “I want to empower parents to be able to make the best decisions they can for the well-being of their children,” DeSantis said. He said parents are in the best position to evaluate “the effect that this would have on their children.”

    Disagreement over whether kids needs masks

    DeSantis cited a study, conducted in part by Brown University researcher Emily Oster, that did not find “a correlation between mask mandates and COVID-19 rates” in schools in Florida, New York and Massachusetts. Other researchers have pointed out that the study had a big caveat: The data didnt look at whether students contracted COVID-19 in or outside of school. Oster herself has said that the data sets were collected before the spread of the hyper-transmissible delta variant, according to The Associated Press.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all students, staff and faculty who are not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus wear a mask indoors. Children under 12 are still not approved for the vaccine in the United States.

    “When it comes to safety, we know that adherence to the mitigation strategies works,” U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a recent interview with NPR.

    “I know that there are some folks making decisions that are less based on science and more on their ideology. But at the end of the day, our educators, their job is to make sure our students are OK,” he added.

    The fight unfolding in Florida

    The executive order does not prohibit mask mandates outright, but it gives parents the final say as to whether their child would have to wear a face covering in school. No children would be prohibited from wearing a mask if they chose to.

    “We are finalizing health and education emergency rules this week that do not prohibit masks in schools but will require parents to have the right to opt their children out. School districts will be expected to allow parents to make this choice,” DeSantis’ press secretary, Christina Pushaw, said in a statement.

    “[I]t has to be the parent’s free choice. Requiring medical documentation to opt out of the mask mandate, for example, would violate the spirit of the EO,” she added.

    The executive order says Florida could withhold public funds from “noncompliant school boards” that violate the new requirement.

    Duval County announced on Thursday that it will require any student not wearing a mask indoors to opt out of the district’s policy. Officials in Alachua County voted to require students to wear face coverings for the first two weeks of school.

    “We applaud the school boards of Alachua and Duval counties for following the advice of doctors in their community,” said the Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union. “We believe every county should be empowered to make decisions on how best to keep their students safe in consultation with local health experts and based on the unique needs and circumstances in their area.”

    Orange County schools will mandate masks for staff — but not students — for 30 days.

    In a letter to DeSantis, Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna said he wanted to impose a temporary mask mandate in grades pre-K through 8 to protect students and staff against the delta variant, which is spreading quickly across the country and in Florida. Leon County includes Tallahassee, the state capital.

    “I’m asking you to allow us the flexibility and the autonomy to make the decisions for our schools that best fit our local data and information in Leon County,” Hanna said.

    Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2021/08/06/1025192746/some-florida-school-districts-will-require-masks-the-governor-may-cut-their-fund

    7 views no comments
    9/11 families to President Biden: Don’t come to our memorial events – NBC News
    9/11 families to President Biden: Don’t come to our memorial events – NBC News
    10 views no comments
    Raging wildfire in California ravages tiny historic town – Al Jazeera English
    Raging wildfire in California ravages tiny historic town – Al Jazeera English

    A three-week-old wildfire engulfed a tiny Northern California mountain town, wiping out historic buildings and leaving much of the downtown in ashes, while a new wind-whipped blaze also destroyed homes as crews braced for another explosive run of flames on Thursday in the midst of dangerous weather.

    The Dixie Fire, swollen by bone-dry vegetation and 64kmph (40mph) gusts, raged through the northern Sierra Nevada community of Greenville on Wednesday evening. A gas station, hotel and bar were among many fixtures gutted in the town, which dates to California’s Gold Rush era and has some structures more than a century old.

    Plumas County Supervisor Kevin Goss wrote on Thursday on Facebook that the fire “burnt down our entire downtown. Our historical buildings, families homes, small businesses, and our children’s schools are completely lost.”

    Flames consuming a house on Highway 89 as the Dixie Fire tears through the Greenville community of Plumas County, California [Noah Berger/AP Photo]

    Officials could not immediately say how many buildings were razed, but photos and video from the scene indicate the destruction was widespread.

    “We lost Greenville tonight,” US Representative Doug LaMalfa, who represents the area, said in an emotional Facebook video. “There’s just no words.”

    As the fire’s north and eastern sides exploded on Wednesday, the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning online to the town’s approximately 800 residents: “You are in imminent danger and you MUST leave now!”

    The growing blaze that broke out on July 21 was the state’s largest current wildfire and had blackened more than 1,305sq km (504sq miles). It had burned dozens of homes before making its new run.

    “We did everything we could,” fire spokesman Mitch Matlow said. “Sometimes it’s just not enough.”

    About 160km (100 miles) to the south, officials said between 35 and 40 homes and other structures burned in the fast-moving River Fire that broke out on Wednesday near Colfax, a town of about 2,000 residents. Within hours it ripped through nearly 10sq km (4sq miles) of dry brush and trees. There was no containment and about 6,000 people were under evacuation orders across Placer and Nevada counties, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

    The Dixie Fire levelled multiple historic buildings and dozens of homes in central Greenville [Noah Berger/AP Photo]

    Early in the week, some 5,000 firefighters had made progress on the Dixie Fire, saving some threatened homes, bulldozing pockets of unburned vegetation and managing to surround a third of the perimeter.

    More fire engines and bulldozers were being ordered to bolster the fight, Matlow said. On Wednesday, the fire grew by thousands of acres and an additional 4,000 people were ordered to evacuate, bringing nearly 26,500 people in several counties under evacuation orders, he said.

    Red flag weather conditions of high heat, low humidity and gusty afternoon and evening winds erupted on Wednesday and were expected to be a continued threat.

    Similar risky weather was expected across Southern California, where heat advisories and warnings were issued for interior valleys, mountains and deserts for much of the week.

    Heatwaves and historic drought tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight in the US’s west. Scientists say climate change has made the region much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

    More than 20,000 firefighters and support personnel were battling 97 large, active wildfires covering 7,560sq km (2,919sq miles) in 13 US states, the National Interagency Fire Center said.

    Source Article from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/5/raging-wildfire-decimates-northern-california-town

    9 views no comments
    Andrew Cuomo lounges poolside as sexual harassment scandal swirls – New York Post
    Andrew Cuomo lounges poolside as sexual harassment scandal swirls – New York Post

    Not a care in the world, eh, Andy?

    New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo lounged poolside with his secretary at the Executive Mansion Thursday despite deafening calls for his resignation, almost-certain impending impeachment and multiple criminal investigations into his serial sex-harassment scandal.

    In photos exclusively obtained by The Post, Cuomo, 63, was captured relaxing on a chair, feet up. 

    Gov. Andrew Cuomo works by the pool with a staffer at the New York State Mansion on Aug. 5, 2021, in Albany, NY.
    Hans Pennink
    Cuomo sits poolside with his secretary amid his numerous political scandals.
    Hans Pennink
    Andrew Cuomo’s secretary Stephanie Benton was seen with him at Governor’s Mansion.
    Instagram

    Nearby, a woman identified by two close former Cuomo aides as his secretary, Stephanie Benton, typed on a laptop, wearing a summer jumper, flip-flops cast aside.

    Last month, Benton accompanied Cuomo to Manhattan as he was set to be grilled by investigators on the scandal.

    Cuomo has been largely holed up in Albany since Attorney General Letitia James released her report.
    Hans Pennink
    Cuomo is under pressure to resign amid the AG’s report on his alleged sexual harassment.
    Hans Pennink
    The woman with Cuomo is said to be his secretary Stephanie Benton.
    Hans Pennink

    A spokesman for the governor declined comment.

    Cuomo has been largely holed up in the Albany sprawl since Tuesday when independent investigators retained by state Attorney General Letitia James released a blockbuster report in which they concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, in violation of state and federal law.

    Impeachment charges may be brought against Cuomo by the end of the month.
    Hans Pennink

    Aside from a video in which he again denied ever touching anybody inappropriately, Cuomo has kept in hiding ever since, as he plots his next desperate move to try and keep his political career alive.

    Source Article from https://nypost.com/2021/08/05/andrew-cuomo-lounges-poolside-as-sexual-harassment-scandal-swirls/

    11 views no comments
    White House doesn’t deny it is considering withholding funds to force vaccinations – Fox News
    White House doesn’t deny it is considering withholding funds to force vaccinations – Fox News
    Video

    Dems want to control you from cradle to grave

    Ben Domenech discusses COVID mandates and government control on ‘Fox News Primetime.’

    The White House did not deny a report that the Biden administration is considering leveraging federal financial muscle to push institutions to require Americans get vaccinated.

    “As we always are, the administration is discussing a host of different measures we can continue to boost vaccinations across the country,” a White House official told Fox News. “Any reported ideas under consideration are in early conversations and pre-decisional. There are no imminent policy decisions as to preview at this time.”

    The statement comes after the Washington Post reported Thursday that the administration is considering withholding federal funds and using federal regulatory powers in a bid to push Americans to get vaccinated.

    AMERICANS OPPOSE VACCINE PASSPORTS FOR RESTAURANTS

    The plan could target institutions such as long-term-care facilities, cruise ships, and universities, hoping to reach many of the 90 million Americans who are eligible for the vaccine but have not yet received it.

    One area the plan could focus on is restricting access to federal funds such as Medicare in a bid to persuade nursing homes and long-term-care facilities to require that their employees get vaccinated, the Post reported

    While no decisions have been finalized on the plan, at least one outside lawyer in contact with the Biden administration has urged restraint in using federal powers.

    The move could trigger backlash among some Americans, including in GOP strongholds that have high rates of vaccine hesitancy. 

    The plan is being weighed amid a spike in COVID-19 cases largely driven by the delta variant, which experts have warned is more easily transmittable than the original strain. The rolling seven-day average of new infections has risen to 95,000 as of Thursday, causing some experts to call on the federal government to use more of its powers.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    “I think wisely using the federal spending power is absolutely right,” said Lawrence Gostin, the head of Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.

    Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-doesnt-deny-it-is-considering-withholding-funds-to-force-vaccinations

    7 views no comments
    Republican Recall Candidates Want to Turn California Into Florida. They May Get the Chance. – Slate
    Republican Recall Candidates Want to Turn California Into Florida. They May Get the Chance. – Slate

    “));var p=g(h[i.size_id].split(“x”).map(function(e){return Number(e)}),2);f.width=p[0],f.height=p[1]}f.rubiconTargeting=(Array.isArray(i.targeting)?i.targeting:[]).reduce(function(e,t){return e[t.key]=t.values[0],e},{rpfl_elemid:l.adUnitCode}),t.push(f)}else n.logError(“Rubicon: bidRequest undefined at index position:”.concat(o),r,e);return t},[]).sort(function(e,t){return(t.cpm||0)-(e.cpm||0)})},getUserSyncs:function(e,t,r,n){if(!B&&e.iframeEnabled){var i=””;return r&&”string”==typeof r.consentString&&(“boolean”==typeof r.gdprApplies?i+=”?gdpr=”.concat(Number(r.gdprApplies),”&gdpr_consent=”).concat(r.consentString):i+=”?gdpr_consent=”.concat(r.consentString)),n&&(i+=””.concat(i?”&”:”?”,”us_privacy=”).concat(encodeURIComponent(n))),B=!0,{type:”iframe”,url:”https://”.concat(y.syncHost||”eus”,”.rubiconproject.com/usync.html”)+i}}},transformBidParams:function(e,t){return n.convertTypes({accountId:”number”,siteId:”number”,zoneId:”number”},e)}};function S(e,t){var r=o.b.getConfig(“pageUrl”);return e.params.referrer?r=e.params.referrer:r||(r=t.refererInfo.referer),e.params.secure?r.replace(/^http:/i,”https:”):r}function A(e){var t,r=document.getElementById(e.adUnitCode);(t=r.querySelector(“div[id^=’google_ads’]”))&&t.style.setProperty(“display”,”none”),function(e){var t=e.querySelector(“script[id^=’sas_script’]”),r=t&&t.nextSibling;r&&”iframe”===r.localName&&r.style.setProperty(“display”,”none”)}(r);var n=e.renderer.getConfig();e.renderer.push(function(){window.MagniteApex.renderAd({width:e.width,height:e.height,vastUrl:e.vastUrl,placement:{attachTo:”#”.concat(e.adUnitCode),align:n.align||”center”,position:n.position||”append”},closeButton:n.closeButton||!1,label:n.label||void 0,collapse:n.collapse||!0})})}function I(e,t){var r=e.params;if(“video”===t){var i=[];return r.video&&r.video.playerWidth&&r.video.playerHeight?i=[r.video.playerWidth,r.video.playerHeight]:Array.isArray(n.deepAccess(e,”mediaTypes.video.playerSize”))&&1===e.mediaTypes.video.playerSize.length?i=e.mediaTypes.video.playerSize[0]:Array.isArray(e.sizes)&&e.sizes.length>0&&Array.isArray(e.sizes[0])&&e.sizes[0].length>1&&(i=e.sizes[0]),i}var o=[];return Array.isArray(r.sizes)?o=r.sizes:void 0!==n.deepAccess(e,”mediaTypes.banner.sizes”)?o=O(e.mediaTypes.banner.sizes):Array.isArray(e.sizes)&&e.sizes.length>0?o=O(e.sizes):n.logWarn(“Rubicon: no sizes are setup or found”),x(o)}function E(e,t,r){var i={user:{ext:{data:f({},e.params.visitor)}},site:{ext:{data:f({},e.params.inventory)}}};e.params.keywords&&(i.site.keywords=n.isArray(e.params.keywords)?e.params.keywords.join(“,”):e.params.keywords);var s=n.mergeDeep({},o.b.getConfig(“ortb2″)||{},i),c=n.deepAccess(e.ortb2Imp,”ext.data”)||{},d={user:[3],site:[1,2]},u={user:”tg_v.”,site:”tg_i.”,adserver:”tg_i.dfp_ad_unit_code”,pbadslot:”tg_i.pbadslot”,keywords:”kw”},l=function(e,t,r){if(“data”===t&&Array.isArray(e))return e.filter(function(e){return e.segment&&n.deepAccess(e,”ext.segtax”)&&d[r]&&-1!==d[r].indexOf(n.deepAccess(e,”ext.segtax”))}).map(function(e){var t=e.segment.filter(function(e){return e.id}).reduce(function(e,t){return e.push(t.id),e},[]);if(t.length>0)return t.toString()}).toString();if(“object”!==v(e)||Array.isArray(e)){if(void 0!==e)return Array.isArray(e)?e.filter(function(e){if(“object”!==v(e)&&void 0!==e)return e.toString();n.logWarn(“Rubicon: Filtered value: “,e,”for key”,t,”: Expected value to be string, integer, or an array of strings/ints”)}).toString():e.toString()}else n.logWarn(“Rubicon: Filtered FPD key: “,t,”: Expected value to be string, integer, or an array of strings/ints”)},p=function(e,t,n){var i=!(arguments.length>3&&void 0!==arguments[3])||arguments[3],o=l(e,n,t),a=u[n]&&i?””.concat(u[n]):”data”===n?””.concat(u[t],”iab”):””.concat(u[t]).concat(n);r[a]=r[a]?r[a].concat(“,”,o):o};Object.keys(c).forEach(function(e){“adserver”===e?[“name”,”adslot”].forEach(function(t){c[e][t]&&(c[e][t]=c[e][t].toString().replace(/^\/+/,””))}):”pbadslot”===e&&(c[e]=c[e].toString().replace(/^\/+/,””))}),t===a.b?([“site”,”user”].forEach(function(e){Object.keys(s[e]).forEach(function(t){“site”===e&&”content”===t&&s[e][t].data?p(s[e][t].data,e,”data”):”ext”!==t?p(s[e][t],e,t):s[e][t].data&&Object.keys(s[e].ext.data).forEach(function(t){p(s[e].ext.data[t],e,t,!1)})})}),Object.keys(c).forEach(function(e){“adserver”===e?p(c[e].adslot,name,e):p(c[e],”site”,e)})):(Object.keys(c).length&&n.mergeDeep(r.imp[0].ext,{data:c}),n.mergeDeep(r,s))}function O(e){return n.parseSizesInput(e).reduce(function(e,t){var r=parseInt(h[t],10);return r&&e.push(r),e},[])}function T(e){return”object”===v(n.deepAccess(e,”params.video”))&&void 0!==n.deepAccess(e,”mediaTypes.”.concat(a.d))}function C(e){var t=arguments.length>1&&void 0!==arguments[1]&&arguments[1];return T(e)?-1===[“outstream”,”instream”].indexOf(n.deepAccess(e,”mediaTypes.”.concat(a.d,”.context”)))?void(t&&n.logError(“Rubicon: mediaTypes.video.context must be outstream or instream”)):I(e,”video”).length-1||i>-1?-1===n?1:-1===i?-1:n-i:e-r})}function j(e){var t=parseInt(n.deepAccess(e,”params.video.size_id”));return isNaN(t)?”outstream”===n.deepAccess(e,”mediaTypes.”.concat(a.d,”.context”))?203:201:t}function P(e){return{ranges:{low:[{max:5,increment:.5}],medium:[{max:20,increment:.1}],high:[{max:20,increment:.01}],auto:[{max:5,increment:.05},{min:5,max:10,increment:.1},{min:10,max:20,increment:.5}],dense:[{max:3,increment:.01},{min:3,max:8,increment:.05},{min:8,max:20,increment:.5}],custom:e.getConfig(“customPriceBucket”)&&e.getConfig(“customPriceBucket”).buckets}[e.getConfig(“priceGranularity”)]}}function D(e){var t=!0,r=Object.prototype.toString.call([]),i={mimes:r,protocols:r,linearity:Object.prototype.toString.call(0),api:r};return Object.keys(i).forEach(function(r){Object.prototype.toString.call(n.deepAccess(e,”mediaTypes.video.”+r))!==i[r]&&(t=!1,n.logError(“Rubicon: mediaTypes.video.”+r+” is required and must be of type: “+i[r]))}),t}function k(e){var t=!1,r=[“asi”,”sid”,”hp”];return e.nodes?((t=e.nodes.reduce(function(e,t){return e?r.every(function(e){return t.hasOwnProperty(e)}):e},!0))||n.logError(“Rubicon: required schain params missing”),t):t}function R(e,t){return”rp_schain”===e?”rp_schain=”.concat(t):””.concat(e,”=”).concat(encodeURIComponent(t))}var B=!1;Object(i.registerBidder)(_)}},[622]),pbjsChunk([101],{658:function(e,t,r){e.exports=r(659)},659:function(e,t,r){Object.defineProperty(t,”__esModule”,{value:!0}),r.d(t,”spec”,function(){return m}),r.d(t,”_isInbounds”,function(){return _}),t._getPlatform=S;var n=r(1),i=r(0),o=r(2),a=r(3),s=r(13),c=r(55);function d(e,t){return function(e){if(Array.isArray(e))return e}(e)||function(e,t){var r=null==e?null:”undefined”!=typeof Symbol&&e[Symbol.iterator]||e[“@@iterator”];if(null!=r){var n,i,o=[],a=!0,s=!1;try{for(r=r.call(e);!(a=(n=r.next()).done)&&(o.push(n.value),!t||o.length!==t);a=!0);}catch(e){s=!0,i=e}finally{try{a||null==r.return||r.return()}finally{if(s)throw i}}return o}}(e,t)||function(e,t){if(e){if(“string”==typeof e)return u(e,t);var r=Object.prototype.toString.call(e).slice(8,-1);return”Object”===r&&e.constructor&&(r=e.constructor.name),”Map”===r||”Set”===r?Array.from(e):”Arguments”===r||/^(?:Ui|I)nt(?:8|16|32)(?:Clamped)?Array$/.test(r)?u(e,t):void 0}}(e,t)||function(){throw new TypeError(“Invalid attempt to destructure non-iterable instance.\nIn order to be iterable, non-array objects must have a [Symbol.iterator]() method.”)}()}function u(e,t){(null==t||t>e.length)&&(t=e.length);for(var r=0,n=new Array(t);r0){var s=Object(i.deepClone)(e[0].userId);s.id5id&&(s.id5id=Object(i.deepAccess)(s,”id5id.uid”)),o.userid=JSON.stringify(s)}var d=Object(i.deepAccess)(e[0],”userIdAsEids”);Array.isArray(d)&&d.length>0&&(o.eids=JSON.stringify(d));var u=e[0].params.keywords;if(u&&(o.kw=u),t&&t.uspConsent&&(o.us_privacy=t.uspConsent),!0===a.b.getConfig(“coppa”)?o.coppa=1:o.coppa=0,Object(i.isEmpty)(n))return null;var m=”https://apex.go.sonobi.com/trinity.json”;return Object(i.deepAccess)(e[0],”params.bid_request_url”)&&(m=Object(i.deepAccess)(e[0],”params.bid_request_url”)),{method:”GET”,url:m,withCredentials:!0,data:o,bidderRequests:e}},interpretResponse:function(e,t){var r=e.body,n=[],o=t.data.ref;return 0===Object.keys(r.slots).length||Object.keys(r.slots).forEach(function(e){var a=r.slots[e],c=e.split(“|”).slice(-1)[0],u=function(e,t){for(var r=0;r2&&void 0!==arguments[2]?arguments[2]:{},n=s.a.install({id:t.aid,url:”https://mtrx.go.sonobi.com/sbi_outstream_renderer.js”,config:r,loaded:!1,adUnitCode:e});try{n.setRender(A)}catch(e){Object(i.logWarn)(“Prebid Error calling setRender on renderer”,e)}return n.setEventHandlers({impression:function(){return Object(i.logMessage)(“Sonobi outstream video impression event”)},loaded:function(){return Object(i.logMessage)(“Sonobi outstream video loaded event”)},ended:function(){Object(i.logMessage)(“Sonobi outstream renderer video event”)}}),n}(u.adUnitCode,_,Object(i.deepAccess)(u,”renderer.options”));var S=Object(i.deepAccess)(u,”params.sizes”);Array.isArray(S)&&Array.isArray(S[0])&&(S=S[0]),S&&(_.width=S[0],_.height=S[1])}n.push(_)}}),n},getUserSyncs:function(e,t,r,n){var i=[];try{e.pixelEnabled&&t[0].body.sbi_px.forEach(function(e){i.push({type:e.type,url:e.url})})}catch(e){}return i}};function b(e){return Object(i.deepAccess)(e,”mediaTypes.video”)?””:e.params.sizes?Object(i.parseSizesInput)(e.params.sizes).join(“,”):Object(i.deepAccess)(e,”mediaTypes.banner.sizes”)?Object(i.parseSizesInput)(Object(i.deepAccess)(e,”mediaTypes.banner.sizes”)).join(“,”):e.sizes?Object(i.parseSizesInput)(e.sizes).join(“,”):void 0}function v(e){return e.params.floor,””}function y(e){var t=Object(i.deepAccess)(e,”ortb2Imp.ext.data.pbadslot”)||Object(i.deepAccess)(Object(i.getGptSlotInfoForAdUnitCode)(e.adUnitCode),”gptSlot”)||e.params.ad_unit;return t?”|gpid=”.concat(t):””}var h=function(e,t){return function(r,n){return”video”===e||”outstream”===e?function(e,t,r){return”https://”.concat(e,”apex.go.sonobi.com/vast.xml?vid=”).concat(t,”&ref=”).concat(encodeURIComponent(r))}(r,n,t):’

    Source Article from https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/08/john-cox-covid-vaccine-california-recall-debate.html

    12 views no comments
    FTC rejects Facebook’s justification for cutting off researchers as ‘inaccurate’ – The Washington Post
    FTC rejects Facebook’s justification for cutting off researchers as ‘inaccurate’ – The Washington Post

    On Tuesday, the social media giant disabled the accounts of researchers at the New York University Ad Observatory, which tracks digital advertisements on the platform, saying in a blog post it did so to comply with a privacy order it struck with the FTC.

    Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/08/05/facebook-nyu-ftc-dispute/

    11 views no comments
    Schumer moves to shut down debate on infrastructure bill in key step toward final vote – CNN
    Schumer moves to shut down debate on infrastructure bill in key step toward final vote – CNN

    By Ali Zaslav, Clare Foran and Manu Raju, CNN

    Updated 9:20 PM ET, Thu August 5, 2021

    Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/05/politics/infrastructure-bill-schumer-shut-down-debate/index.html

    10 views no comments
    Biden warns against rewriting history of Jan. 6 assault – The Washington Post
    Biden warns against rewriting history of Jan. 6 assault – The Washington Post

    Ticking off historic legislation that has been passed in the Senate chamber, including the New Deal, the Great Society and voting rights legislation, she said, “In that chamber just before 1 a.m., as officers stood guard, the final vote was tallied. Democrats, independents and Republicans came together and upheld the vote and the voice of the American people. As those officers continued even at that late hour to secure our capital, they secured our democracy.”

    Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-capitol-congressional-gold-medal/2021/08/05/1033968c-f5f7-11eb-a49b-d96f2dac0942_story.html

    8 views no comments
    Novavax delays Covid vaccine emergency authorization submission to FDA until fourth quarter – CNBC
    Novavax delays Covid vaccine emergency authorization submission to FDA until fourth quarter – CNBC

    Novavax announced that it will delay the submission of its Covid-19 vaccine to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization until its fourth quarter.

    Shares of the biotechnology company slipped 10% after the bell.

    The company has filed for regulatory approval in India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Plans to submit the vaccine for emergency use listing at the World Health Organization are set for August, Novavax announced.

    Approval by the WHO will allow the vaccine to be distributed globally via vaccine sharing initiatives at the global agency.

    Novavax data from clinical trials indicate that a booster dose of the vaccine candidate provides a 4-fold increase in neutralizing antibody levels after a two-dose regimen of an approved vaccine.

    The data also indicates that a booster dose of a Novavax vaccine six months after a two-dose regimen of an approved vaccine could provide increased protection against the delta variant and other variants.

    Despite the delay in U.S. authorization, the company says it is still on track to produce 100 million doses per month by the end of the third quarter and 150 million per month by the end of the fourth quarter.

    Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/05/novavax-covid-vaccine-fda-emergency-use-submission-delayed-to-q4.html

    9 views no comments