Kaiser: 90,000 deaths from Covid-19 over the past four months were entirely preventable

COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death across most of 2020, but in December 2020 and early 2021, the illness surged and briefly became the number one leading cause of death in the U.S., far surpassing even cancer and heart disease deaths in those months.

With the rapid uptake in vaccinations in the months when vaccines first became widely available, COVID-19 deaths fell sharply. COVID-19 dropped to the number 7 leading cause of death in the U.S. in July 2021.

However, with the more infectious COVID-19 Delta variant, insufficient vaccination rates, and local and state governments easing up social distancing restrictions, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths increased again. Vaccination rates are particularly lagging for younger adults and people living in certain states. As of October 7, 2021, about 78% of adults (ages 18+) in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and over 50 million adults remain unvaccinated.



https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid19-and-other-leading-causes-of-death-in-the-us/

John Deere workers go on strike after rejecting wage deal

New York (CNN Business)About 10,000 members of the United Auto Workers union went on strike against farm and construction equipment maker John Deere early Thursday morning.

The UAW had reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year contact with the company two weeks ago, only to see 90% of the rank-and-file members of the union reject it in a ratification vote that concluded this past Sunday. Union and management negotiators talked into the night Wednesday trying to reach a new deal but were unable to do so.

This is the nation's largest private-sector strike since the UAW waged a costly six-week strike against General Motors (GM) two years ago. And it continues a recent trend of workers flexing more muscle as the dynamics of the labor market tip more toward them and away from employers. Businesses have been struggling to find the workers they need to fill a recent record number of job openings. There has also been a record high number of workers quitting jobs.

Last week, 1,400 members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union went on strike against Kellogg, shutting plants where cereal brands such as Rice Krispies, Raisin Bran, Froot Loops, Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes are made.



https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/14/business/john-deere-strike-uaw/index.html

More than 100K workers threaten strikes as unions flex muscles

Workers in various industries nationwide are threatening to go on strike in a sweeping effort to secure higher pay and better working conditions.

More than 100,000 unionized employees — between Hollywood production crew members, John Deere factory workers and Kaiser Permanente nurses — have overwhelmingly voted to authorize strikes and are preparing to join the picket line unless they get stronger collective bargaining agreements.

Thousands are already on strike, including 2,000 New York hospital workers, 700 Massachusetts nurses and 1,400 Kellogg plant workers in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

The wave of strikes comes at a key moment for labor groups, which have steadily lost ground in recent decades amid anti-union legislation and corporate crackdowns on organizing. But with companies now struggling to find employees, unions are finding leverage in their effort to boost front-line wages that have historically been limited due to a steady supply of applicants willing to take lower-paying jobs.

In a near-unanimous vote Monday, unions representing more than 24,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses and other health care workers in California and Oregon authorized a potential strike after contract negotiations stalled. Roughly 38,000 Kaiser workers have now authorized their union leaders to call a strike, if necessary.

Kaiser nurses, who are protesting pandemic-induced burnout exacerbated by low staffing levels, are pushing for 4 percent annual raises and ramped-up hiring. They oppose the company’s offer to increase annual pay by 1 percent over the next three years and implement a two-tier system that would pay newly hired workers less than longer-tenured employees.






https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/576456-more-than-100k-workers-threaten-strikes-as-unions-flex-muscles

VA-GOV: GOP rally features flag used at Jan. 6 insurrection.

GOP Lawmaker Banned from Airline Has Covid-19

Alaska state Sen. Lora Reinbold (R), who was banned from flying on Alaska Airlines for refusing to wear a mask, and therefore unable to travel to and from the state capital, has now tested positive for the coronavirus, the Washington Post reports.

Said Reinbold in a Facebook post: “It’s my turn to battle Covid head on… game on! Who do you think is going to win? When I defeat it, I will tell you my recipe.”



https://politicalwire.com/2021/10/14/gop-lawmaker-banned-from-alaska-airlines-has-covid-19/

VA-GOV: Democrats Send Heavy Hitters to Boost McAuliffe

“Prominent Democrats from across the country are mobilizing to try to lift Terry McAuliffe to victory in the final weeks of the Virginia governor’s race, a critical election that has put Democrats on edge and carries significant national ramifications for the party,” the Washington Post reports.

“Former president Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for McAuliffe later this month as part of an effort to boost turnout among Black voters. So will Stacey Abrams, a rising Democratic star from Georgia, and Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta. First lady Jill Biden will also stump for McAuliffe, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will host a fundraiser for the gubernatorial hopeful.”




https://politicalwire.com/2021/10/13/democrats-send-heavy-hitters-to-boost-mcauliffe/

PJ Harvey - Down By The Water

Transphobic, anti-vaxx actor finds some work.

After scoring notable supporting roles in movies like Fast & Furious 6 and Deadpool, Gina Carano’s acting career received a major boost when she was cast as Cara Dune for Disney+’s The Mandalorian. Carano appeared as the former Rebel shock trooper-turned-mercenary-turned-New Republic marshal for The Mandalorian’s first two seasons, but she was fired by Lucasfilm in February 2021 after sharing controversial posts on social media. Now Carano has kicked her first gig after exiting the popular Star Wars series.

In the immediate weeks after being fired from The Mandalorian, Gina Carano revealed she’d be working with conservative media company The Daily Wire on developing movies, and over a year later, we now know what the first movie from this slate is called and what it’ll be about. Per Deadline, the Western thriller Terror on the Prairie will follow a pioneering family that must fight back against a band of vicious outlaws that’s terrorizing them on their new farm in the plains of Montana. The movie will be released exclusively to members of The Daily Wire’s website in the United States in spring 2022, and Voltage Pictures will handle the international release.

Along with starring in Terror on the Prairie, Gina Carano is also attached as a producer. Her cast-mates include Justified’s Nick Searcy, MMA star Cowboy Cerrone, stand-up comedian Tyler Fischer, Skateland’s Heath Freeman and The O.C.’s Samaire Armstrong, among others. Behind the cameras, Northfork’s Michael Polish is directing off a script written by newcomer Josiah Nelson. No specific filming start date was announced, but production is being fast-tracked.




https://www.cinemablend.com/star-wars/gina-carano-kicks-off-first-acting-gig-since-getting-fired-from-the-mandalorian

Biden Plans Wind Farms Along Entire U.S. Coastline

“The Biden administration announced on Wednesday a plan to develop large-scale wind farms along nearly the entire coastline of the United States, the first long-term strategy from the government to produce electricity from offshore turbines,” the New York Times reports.

“The announcement came months after the Biden administration approved the nation’s first commercial offshore wind farm off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts and began reviewing a dozen other potential offshore wind projects along the East Coast. On the West Coast, the administration has approved opening up two areas off the shores of Central and Northern California for commercial wind power development.”

“Taken together, the actions represent the most forceful push ever by federal government to promote offshore wind development.”




https://politicalwire.com/2021/10/13/biden-plans-wind-farms-along-the-entire-u-s-coastline/

Man charged federally with threatening former Baltimore health commissioner Dr. Leana Wen over COVID

A Texas man has been charged in federal court with making threats to former Baltimore health commissioner Dr. Leana Wen because of her support of COVID-19 vaccines.

An indictment against Scott Eli Harris, 51, of Aubrey, Texas, was unsealed Tuesday in Maryland U.S. District Court, charging Harris with using a cellphone to send threatening messages to Wen in July.

“Never going to take your wonder drug. My 12-gauge promises I won’t,” Harris allegedly wrote. “I’m a 5th generation U.S. Army veteran and a sniper. I can’t wait for the shooting to start.”

He also allegedly used ethnic slurs and other offensive language against Wen, who was born in China but moved to the United States when she was 8. Wen regularly appears on CNN as a medical analyst. She did not respond to a request for comment.




https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-ci-cr-wen-threats-charges-20211012-iiiutjgxyfbslh2zmlpv3yntlu-story.html