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University of Florida quarterback to drop 'AR-15' nickname

University of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson announced on Sunday he would drop his “AR-15” nickname and apparel line that featured a scope reticle after recent mass shootings.

“While a nickname is only a nickname and ‘AR-15’ was simply a representation of my initials combined with my jersey number, it is important to me that my name and brand are no longer associated with the assault rifle that has been used in mass shootings, which I do not condone in any way or form,” Richardson wrote on Twitter.

He added that he is working on a “rebranding” that will include a new logo and instead use “AR” and his full name to represent the football player.

The redshirt freshman passed for 529 yards in the past season, with six touchdowns and five interceptions.

AR-15-style rifles have been used in recent high-profile mass shootings, including those at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas; a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y.; and a Fourth of July Parade in Highland Park, Ill.

Those shootings have reignited calls from Democrats for further gun control measures, with President Biden and others calling for an assault weapons ban.

The Uvalde and Buffalo massacres sparked negotiations that led to a gun safety package deal among a group of 20 senators from both parties. 

Biden signed the package — which includes funding for states to implement red flag laws, a closure of the so-called boyfriend loophole and a crackdown on straw purchases — into law last month.

Source: TEST FEED1

Fauci to retire before the end of Biden's term

Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, said in an interview published on Monday that he plans to retire by the end of Biden’s term in office.

“We’re in a pattern now. If somebody says, ‘You’ll leave when we don’t have Covid anymore,’ then I will be 105,” Fauci told Politico. “I think we’re going to be living with this.”

Fauci said the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), where he is the director, had “the best people in the country” to carry out his vision.

And he said possibility of more attacks coming his way Republicans take control of Congress was not a factor in his decision.

When asked about the possibility of quitting during an interview last year, Fauci said he would “unequivocally” not quit in response to criticisms of him.

“So because there are a lot of people who have ideas about conspiracies and changing minds and flip-flopping, that’s not a reason to step down. Not at all,” he said.

The Brooklyn-born immunologist has served as director of the NIAID since 1984, most notably working on HIV/AIDS research before becoming a leading health authority during the COVID-19 pandemic, earning both praise and derision from the public and lawmakers.

Fauci has advised seven presidents on public health issues. His working relationship with former President Trump was famously fraught during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Fauci often had to counter unfounded claims made by the president.

Fauci told Politico he and Trump developed “an interesting relationship.”

“Two guys from New York, different in their opinions and their ideology, but still, two guys who grew up in the same environments of this city. I think that we are related to each other in that regard,” he said.

Source: TEST FEED1

Bernie Sanders endorsed Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin Senate race

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Monday endorsed Democrat Mandela Barnes in the state’s Senate race, becoming the latest high-profile figure to throw his support behind the lieutenant governor. 

“As the son of a public school teacher and UAW assembly line worker, Mandela Barnes knows the struggles of the working class,” Sanders said in a statement released by the Barnes campaign. 

“His agenda advances the interests of working families, not the billionaire class. I’m proud to endorse Mandela because he is the best positioned progressive candidate who will win both the primary and defeat Ron Johnson in November,” he said. 

Sanders’ move comes after Our Revolution, a Sanders-aligned progressive group, endorsed Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson in the race in April. 

Barnes said he was “honored” to have Sanders’ endorsement. 

“The truth is, we have more in common with each other than we do with a pro-outsourcing, anti-jobs, anti-child care multimillionaire like Ron Johnson,” Barnes said. “Together, we’re going to flip this seat and fight for Wisconsin’s family farmers, small businesses, unions, and working families to have the fair shot they deserve.” 

Sanders is the latest senator to endorse Barnes in the race. The lieutenant governor also has the support of Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.). The New Jersey senator campaigned with Barnes on Friday, while Warren is set to hit the trail with him recently. Additionally, Barnes has the support of House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.). 

Most polls show Barnes and Milwaukee Bucks Executive Alex Lasry leading the crowded Democratic primary field vying to take on incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). A Marquette University Law School released last month showed Barnes with 25 percent support, followed by Lasry with 21 percent support. Nine percent of voters backed State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, and seven percent backed Nelson. 

The candidates came face-to-face in a televised debate on Sunday where they largely zeroed in on Johnson. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the Wisconsin Senate race as a “toss-up.” 

Source: TEST FEED1

Lack of trust is fueling the current COVID-19 surge

The nation is experiencing a COVID-19 tsunami. Yet, people’s behavior suggests that no one is noticing. Are the surge and the behavior related?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides weekly updates on every county’s COVID-19 status. As of July 14, over 75 percent of counties are at the medium or high levels. Given how these levels are defined, this means that COVID-19 hospital admissions in these counties are sufficient to impact hospital bed availability. 

With more people using at-home tests, case counts have become a meaningless measure for assessing COVID-19 community risk, since positive test results rarely get reported to public health agencies. Hospitalizations, both new COVID-19 admissions and current occupancy, provide the most informative risk metrics. 

New COVID-19 hospital admissions continue to increase, with the BA.5 omicron subvariant gaining a foothold in the population and its contagiousness driving widespread infection spread. 

The majority of Americans appear unfazed by the current risk environment.

Restaurants and entertainment venues continue to enjoy robust activity and the travel industry is enjoying a returning vibrance. Air travel continues to be robust, as measured by the daily number of people the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are screening at airport security checkpoints, which has consistently been over 2 million travelers since early June. Given that seat capacity is just below those levels available in 2019, air travel has essentially returned to pre-pandemic levels. 

In the spring of 2021, one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, people were asking what the new normal would look like. We can now answer this question. 

The new normal is an ongoing stream of new variants and subvariants, each with their own set of characteristics and risks. The ebb and flow of infections will continue. The much hoped for environment that prior infections would be protective has not panned out. The vaccines, including boosters, have continued to provide a fortress of protection against severe disease, albeit weakening over time. Treatments like Paxlovid are invaluable despite limitations such as drug interactions. 

The good news so far is that deaths have not surged in lockstep with infections, though at around 300 per day, they are not negligible. The not-so-good news is that hospitalizations continue to climb, which may lead to more deaths in the coming weeks.

Is this new normal acceptable? Will the public health environment continue to erode, or will it heal with time? 

The CDC has done a great disservice to the nation. It has placed a tremendous burden on every person to assess what they should do to protect themselves, and most importantly, protect our society’s well-being. Opaque guidance on social distancing, masking and ventilation has been lost in the cacophony of “freedom to choose” jubilation and an insensitivity spawned from a stream of worst-case warnings that have been communicated in the past. 

This lack of trust in the CDC means that the public is no longer listening. The recent White House briefing, which contained useful information and advice, fell on deaf ears. 

Many hoped, or wished, that after over two years of restrictions and constraints, the pandemic would be in the rearview mirror. We can keep our heads in the sand and believe that it has, but the data says otherwise. 

Does that mean that people have to lock down again and return to a state of hibernation? Definitely not. That did not work very well, as the implemented social disruptions led to non-COVID-19 excess deaths that were unexpected and unpredictable. 

What our nation needs is a regained trust in the CDC and the data that can guide us through the BA.5 surge and other new variants that are likely to emerge in the future. The seeds of trust can be found in what is messaged and how it is messaged. 

Blanket mask mandates are ineffective. Credible, targeted masking guidance gives people more control over their situation. Ongoing transparent communication on the state of the nation is needed. Worst-case scenarios have been ineffective and even harmful, as people tune out the message, no matter how informative its substance. 

Our new normal need not be as bleak as it appears. It can be changed, with a willingness for people to recognize where we are, and a willingness to take actions that are in everyone’s best interest, even their own.

Without trust, our new normal will continue to on its current trajectory that serves no one’s interests.  

Sheldon H. Jacobson, Ph.D., is a professor in computer science and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A data scientist, he applies his expertise in data-driven risk-based decision-making to evaluate and inform public policy.

Source: TEST FEED1

FCC chair proposes raising broadband speed standards

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on Friday proposed raising broadband speed standards in a notice to the rest of the commission. 

Rosenworcel said the current standard, set in 2015, isn’t “just behind the times” it’s also “harmful” by masking the extent to which low-income and rural communities are “left behind and left offline.” 

“That’s why we need to raise the standard for minimum broadband speeds now and while also aiming even higher for the future, because we need to set big goals if we want everyone everywhere to have a fair shot at 21st century success,” she said in the announcement. 

Rosenworcel’s notice proposes increasing the national broadband standard to 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20 megabits per second for uploads. 

The standard, which has not been updated since 2015, is 25 megabits per second for downloads and 3 megabits per second for uploads. 

As Rosenworcel initiates a push to raise the standard, though, she faces a commission split 2-2 by party. President Biden’s nominee to the FCC, Gigi Sohn, has been stalled in Congress leaving Democrats unable to gain a Democratic-majority at the commission.

Source: TEST FEED1

Bossware: Your employer may be tracking you during remote work

(KTLA) — Did you work remotely during the pandemic? Are you still?

If so, your employer may have a very good idea how productive you are.

It’s called “bossware,” and it’s a sneaky type of surveillance technology that allows employers to keep tabs on workers — often without them knowing.

“The average employee will accept the job and say, ‘OK, I like the benefits, I like the salary, I’m going to sign on the dotted line.’ And of course, they’re also signing away all of their privacy rights,” says Alex Alben, a professor of internet law at the University of California, Los Angeles.

He and other experts note that the use of bossware increased during the pandemic as employers handed out laptops to workers and told them to set up shop at home.

What they may not have disclosed is the presence of bossware, which allows the company to track keystrokes, mouse movements, browsing habits and websites visited.

“Some of the less scrupulous ones might even allow the employer to turn on the camera or the microphone of the device that it’s installed on, potentially without the employees’ awareness,” says John Davisson, senior counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

KTLA checked out one popular bossware offering called Clever Control. Along with more routine surveillance, such as how often you’re at the keyboard, it allows your employer to quietly turn on your camera and microphone, and even to record your activities.

Here’s the thing: It’s their laptop, not yours. They can do with it as they please.

And apparently, there’s no law requiring businesses to inform workers when bossware is being used.

“It’s very much like having somebody sitting on your shoulder watching everything you do,” says Hayley Tsukayama, senior legislative activist for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “And that’s just not a good way to set up a work environment, I would say.”

The California Consumer Privacy Protection Act requires businesses to disclose what information they’re collecting on customers. But employers are exempt from making similar disclosures to workers.

That exemption is scheduled to expire next year – unless corporate lobbyists succeed in maintaining it.

In the meantime, the smart money is on assuming you’re being watched unless you’re told otherwise.

KTLA asked its parent company, Nexstar, if it uses bossware. It said no.

Source: TEST FEED1

Social Security data show pandemic’s toll — and a path forward

The Social Security Administration (SSA) just released beneficiary death information for 2021. Together with the data for 2020, it is clear the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on the beneficiary population — and it is well past time for the federal government to take additional steps to protect individuals served by SSA’s programs.

SSA recorded nearly 5.6 million beneficiary deaths in the 2020-2021 period, an increase of about 840,000 over the number recorded for the 2018–2019 period. This represents about a 17.7 percent increase in deaths from one two-year period to the next.

By way of comparison to another data source, the increase in the number of SSA deaths is roughly comparable to the number of deaths due to COVID-19 through the end of 2021 (about 825,000) as reported by the CDC. COVID-19 deaths appear to have been overwhelmingly concentrated in the older age groups that are typically served by Social Security.

Death rates, which measure the number of deaths over a year per 1,000 members of a population at the mid-point of the year, are another way to illustrate the effects of the pandemic on Social Security beneficiaries. Based on SSA data on deaths and number of beneficiaries, the average annual death rate in the two years before COVID-19 was 37.7 deaths per 1,000 beneficiaries. The corresponding rate for the 2020-2021 period was 43.2 deaths per 1,000 beneficiaries, representing a 14.4 percent increase in the death rate.

While the effects of COVID-19 on the elderly are widely known, it is important for policymakers to better understand the effects on disabled individuals. Social Security’s largest group of disability beneficiaries are “disabled workers.” These beneficiaries are referred to as disabled workers because they worked in Social Security-covered employment prior to becoming disabled.

The new data published by SSA indicate the average annual death rate for disabled worker beneficiaries increased by 16.9 percent from the 2018-2019 period to the 2020-2021 period.

Another group of disability beneficiaries is Disabled Adult Child (DAC) beneficiaries. These are adult Social Security beneficiaries who have been disabled since a young age and receive benefits based on their parents’ work in Social Security-covered employment. SSA’s new data indicate that the number of deaths among DACs increased by 27.6 percent following the onset of the pandemic.

In short, SSA’s data for disabled individuals reflects the devastating effects of COVID-19 on individuals with underlying health problems.

SSA’s new data should prompt action on several fronts.

Currently, the CDC recommends a second booster shot in cases in which a person is 50 or older.

Recent press reports indicate federal health officials are considering expanding eligibility for the second booster shot by making it available to adults under age 50. If that turns out not to be feasible, it would be useful for the CDC to determine whether the science at least supports additional booster eligibility for adult Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability recipients under the age of 50.

The CDC lists many medical conditions for which COVID-19 is especially dangerous, and many SSA disability beneficiaries have these conditions.

Additionally, administration officials have recently expressed concern about the slow take-up of the second booster shot among currently eligible persons. Take-up problems, however, are not limited to just the second booster shot.

The latest numbers from the CDC on vaccines and booster shots for the 50-or-older population are troubling: 16 million people are still not fully vaccinated; 35.9 million vaccinated persons eligible for a first booster shot have not received one, and 42.2 million persons eligible for a second booster have not received it.

Unfortunately, the Biden administration bears much of the responsibility for the disappointing vaccine and booster numbers because it simply does not have a disciplined communication plan. Administration officials rely far too heavily on media interviews or press conferences where officials “think out loud” about aspects of the virus, possible changes in recommendations, or even the political landscape.

The federal government needs to get back to the basics: Communicate in writing using a neutral and factual style; deliver the communications directly to individuals known to be at risk, and repeat communications periodically for effect and to provide updated information.

The populations most at risk for hospitalization and death from COVID-19 strongly overlap with the populations served by SSA. Indeed, the overlap is stronger than with the Medicare population because Social Security and SSI also include many children, disabled individuals, and older persons not on Medicare.

The Biden administration should be able to manage the straightforward task of mailing letters to SSA’s beneficiaries stating CDC recommendations on vaccines and boosters and providing factual information on the effects of vaccines and boosters on preventing serious outcomes such hospitalization and death.

If the administration cannot manage that task, it could perhaps fall back on something easier: putting some information on already existing notices that SSA mails out anyway. In early December, SSA will begin mailing out 70 million cost-of-living (COLA) notices to Social Security and SSI beneficiaries. Adding a succinct paragraph to the COLA notice about recent CDC recommendations and providing the CDC vaccination phone line (1-800-232-0233) could help, at least at the margin.

Finally, SSA’s recently released data should serve as a wake-up call to Republican leaders who have been reluctant to work with the Biden administration on providing sufficient funding for activities to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. Relative to the size of the federal budget and the country’s wealth, the amount of funding sought by the administration is very modest. The American people would, no doubt, like to see effective and practical action — across party lines — that blunts the effect of a virus that continues to take a devastating toll on the country’s elderly and disabled citizens.

David A. Weaver, Ph.D., is an economist and retired federal employee who has authored a number of studies on the Social Security program. His views do not reflect the views of any federal agency.

Source: TEST FEED1

Border Patrol seizes nearly $690K of narcotics in Texas

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than $690,000 worth of hard narcotics, the agency announced on Friday.

The seizure occurred on the World Trade Bridge, which connects Laredo, Texas, with Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, over the Rio Grande, on Wednesday.

“Attempts to smuggle contraband through commercial supply chains are increasing,” Alberto Flores, CBP’s port director in Laredo, said in a statement. “Our continued dedication to maintaining a robust border security operations posture has led us to major narcotic interdictions at our cargo facilities.”

CBP was inspecting a 2003 Freightliner tractor that carried a shipment of air conditioning parts from Mexico, including a search leveraging canines, when they found 32 packages containing alleged cocaine.

The packages allegedly included 89.68 pounds of cocaine, amounting to an estimated street value of $691,560, CBP said.

CBP said it seized the alleged cocaine and the trailer, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations special agents are investigating the seizure.

Source: TEST FEED1

Biden approval on economy hits new low: poll

President Biden’s economic approval ratings have hit a record low for his presidency — and surpassed the lowest ratings of the previous two presidents, new polling shows.

A CNBC All-America Economic survey put Biden’s economic approval rating at 30 percent, 5 points below a previous survey in April. 

That number is also 11 points below the low for former President Trump and 7 points below the lowest for former President Obama.

Conducted July 7-10, the poll surveyed 800 Americans and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent. 

The survey has been distributed for 15 years, but the latest results include “the worst economic outlook measures CNBC has recorded,” the report concludes.

Over 60 percent of participants of respondents said they expect the country to fall into a recession in the next year, and 6 percent believe it’s already fallen. 

Just 22 percent of those surveyed reported believing the economy will improve in the next 12 months.

Six percent of Republicans said they approve of Biden’s economic record, and just over half — 58 percent — of Democrats back their party’s leader.

Biden’s overall presidential approval in the poll was one point lower than Trump’s lowest rating, at 36 percent. 

Inflation was the top concern, followed closely by abortion. The lowest listed concern was the coronavirus, a change from recent years. Other concerns included crime, immigration, jobs and climate change. 

About half of the respondents said Biden’s moves against inflation are having no effect — and just shy of a third think his efforts are having the opposite effect. 

Over half of respondents reported cutting back on entertainment, driving less and reducing travel to combat rising costs.

Source: TEST FEED1

Americans confidence in media hits record lows: Gallup

Americans’ confidence in two facets of the news media — newspapers and television news — has fallen to all-time lows, according to a new Gallup poll.

The poll found that just 16 percent of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in newspapers, the first time on record that the measure has fallen below 20 percent, compared to 11 percent who had the same degree of confidence in television news.

Both figures are down five percentage points since last year.

Gallup began tracking Americans’ confidence in newspapers in 1973, recording a majority who had confidence only once in 1979, and began tracking television news in 1993. A majority has never had confidence in television news since the first poll.

Confidence levels are also split along partisan lines, with confidence among Democrats low but still higher than among Republicans and independents. 

Just 5 percent of Republicans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in newspapers, compared to 12 percent of independents and 35 percent of Democrats, according to the poll.

Confidence levels in newspapers among Republicans and independents have never been lower. Democrats’ confidence rose during the Trump administration but fell after President Biden’s inauguration.

Confidence in television news followed a similar pattern, with 6 percent of Republicans having a great deal or quite a lot of confidence, compared to 8 percent of independents and 20 percent of Democrats.

The figures mark a significant drop in confidence levels among Democrats and independents, while the figure for Republicans has not substantially changed.

The poll was conducted from June 1-20 and included interviews with 1,015 adults nationwide. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Source: TEST FEED1