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July 2021 News Briefs
- Bill Cosby was released from prison after his sexual assault conviction was overturned.
- The Taliban are retaking land across the country as U.S. forces leave Afghanistan well ahead of the September 11th deadline.
- A Russian ransomware attack targeted hundreds of small businesses. The hackers demanded $70 million.
- Sir Richard Branson flew into “space” aboard a rocket plane, beating rival billionair Jeff Bezos into space by nine days. Elon Musk, who is also offering space trips, was there to wish Branson bon voyage.
- Donald Trump continues to lie about the “stolen” election he lost. Biden beat him by 74 votes in the Electoral College, 306 to 232, and by more than 7 million votes in the national popular vote. Rudy Guiliani was disbarred in New York for his part.
- Democratic lawmakers in Texas fled to Washington, DC to avoid a quorum vote on Republican voting restrictions.
- A doctor in Florida hired mercenaries to murder the President of Haiti. The President was killed, but most hired killers captured.
- Amid record temperatures and massive wildfires, Lake Meade, impounded behind Hoover Dam, is at a historic low level triggering mandatory cuts for crops and 40 million people. In Utah, the great Salt Lake has reached its all-time low level.
- Competition for workers is intense and food franchises like McDonald’s and Chipotle are competing with retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target, so McDonalds raised its minimum wage to $15 per hour and encouraged its franchises to follow.
- Five family members were charged with storming the US Capitol on January 6th after tips alerted the FBI to their Facebook posts and pics, and matched them to images from inside the building. More than 530 people have been charged so far, many found or turned in based on social media evidence they posted themselves.
- In a medical first, researchers harnessed the brainwaves of a paralyzed man unable to speak and turned what he intended to say into sentences on a computer screen.
- South African riots
- The Olympics were held in Tokyo, Japan amid Covid lockdown.
July 2021 Covid News
Covid Delta Variant
- After several weeks of declining cases, followed by a long plateau, we are seeing an increase in the number of cases in many parts of the US.
- Of 92 fully vaccinated outdoor wedding attendees in Houston, six became infected with the Delta variant. Recipients of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines experienced mild symptoms, but those who got the Indian vaccine Covaxin became very ill or died. In Las Vegas, 11 employees at a private pool party became infected, 8 of whom were fully vaccinated.
- Missouri and Arkansas are the nation’s Covid hotspots, driven by the highly contagious delta variant infecting the non-vaccinated. Illinois has placed restrictions on travelers from those two states.
- In France, showing proof of a Covid vaccine or negative PCR test within 48 hours is required in France to attend any places with a capacity of more than 50 people including cinemas, art galleries, libraries, and museums.
- In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott banned mask mandates, which followed a ban on businesses, including cruise lines, requiring proof of vaccine.