News Of The Week Roundup: Week 39, 2021

I can't believe it is October. I've spent the entire weekend organizing and decluttering. Eric is working on redoing the drywall in the garage which meant everything had to come out of there anyway, so it was a great time to get rid of some stuff. It is always amazing to me how much "stuff" a person accumulates. Eric and I are not collectors. I rarely if ever buy physical media anymore, the odd hardcover book an exception that I know I will want to revisit several times. All my music is digital. I stream shows and haven't bought a DVD in I don't know how long. Eric has a fetish for tools and I have one for bags. He has too many tools - like, it is absurd how many he owns. Plus he keeps what he calls "aggregates" in case he needs for future projects. What are "aggregates" you ask? Think pieces parts and bits of wire, plastic pipe, PEX, tile, glue, wire, wood, whatever. We got rid of a lot of that and I am thankful. I use my local Buy Nothing group on Facebook to give away things that still have life to keep items out of landfills. Truly the best use of Facebook.

As for news, the week was all about the infrastructure bill on Capitol Hill. The government was funded so we didn't "shutdown" in America, which is always good. The infrastructure bill will pass by the end of the month. The question is really just how big it will be and what will it include.

Politico-Morning Consult poll:

56% of Americans support the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Just 27% oppose.

57% believe the $1 trillion price tag for the bill is either the right amount or too *little* to spend.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 28, 2021

New: As she looms over Biden’s agenda, pro-Sinema mailers are distributed in Arizona touting her infrastructure bill.

“Independent. Straight Talk. Bipartisan.” “Just like John McCain.”

A glimpse into the senator’s unique political identity at home.https://t.co/FhpSWtfb5v pic.twitter.com/IWVNp4FToT

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) October 3, 2021

Booker sides with Democratic progressives in fight over infrastructure bill https://t.co/JD4Hiqln1F pic.twitter.com/PiTQffQGax

— NJ.com Politics (@NJ_Politics) October 3, 2021

Also, any infrastructure bill passed will not close churches in America. Just FYI.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) claims that the infrastructure bills are a Democratic plot to take over America with socialism in one vote. Blackburn also claimed, "They want government control of your kids," and infrastructure bills will close churches. pic.twitter.com/bh57V2X2Bv

— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) October 3, 2021

Friday kicked off the official Walt Disney World 50th anniversary celebration. The celebration will actually last 18 months and features special programming and merchandise in all four Disney parks. I saw some crowd photos from Friday and all the people gave me the heebee jeebees.

Florida's Walt Disney World celebrates its 50th anniversary with new rides and a light show pic.twitter.com/IzQlspZKGh

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 1, 2021

This wasn't at night... we're talking around 6 a.m. - people were flocking to the main gate of The Magic Kingdom because they wanted exclusive merchandise. Bonkers.

The gates to Magic Kingdom have opened and guests are pouring in for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World! pic.twitter.com/smdNu7PFxg

— WDW News Today (@WDWNT) October 1, 2021

COVID-19 cases remain frustratingly high in America (see post above for crowds). Still, the pandemic is showing signs of easing, at least in the U.S. Perhaps by Christmas time, things will be more stable and less dangerous - with Delta starting to die off. Experts are hoping to vaccinate large swaths of the world as soon as possible. Without doing so, this pandemic will never end.

World leaders aim to vaccinate 70% of the global population by next September, yet experts say many doses in rich countries risk going unused https://t.co/lB2n4EVDIp

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 2, 2021

A grim milestone for America:

CNN: On Friday, the United States passed 700,000 deaths from Covid-19, 108 days after it reached 600,000 Covid-19 deaths.

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) October 2, 2021

The Feds are still looking for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of murdered van life blogger Gabby Petito. Laundrie is wanted on a financial crimes warrant of using a debit card that wasn't his while traveling home to Florida from out west where he was the last to see Gabby alive. Many want more serious charges for him. That won't matter if he stays in the wind.

Why hasn’t Brian Laundrie been charged with a more serious crime?
“I think it’s coming.” – Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg says.
He also explains why the full autopsy report hasn’t been released.
And what would it take for Brian’s parents to be charged? pic.twitter.com/d67uQ6xR8N

— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) October 2, 2021

The Super Bowl halftime show announcement has people buzzing! I have to admit, I am excited for this. 90s hip hop, rejoice!

Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Mary J. Blige Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre will perform at the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show. https://t.co/srZpYevZpc pic.twitter.com/FPIWcbHYPJ

— Variety (@Variety) September 30, 2021

And I leave you with this:

pic.twitter.com/yhjHONqsue

— WholesomeMemes (@WholesomeMeme) October 1, 2021

News Of The Week Roundup: Week 37, 2021

It's officially the last weekend of summer and it was a crazy hot one in my neck of the woods. Fall will officially be here on Wednesday. That means colder, shorter days. Most people love fall. I don't care for the season much because it means winter is close at hand.

This past week had a lot of news headlines. Stories were kind of all over the place.

The city of Pasadena, California wants to pay tribute to Eddie Van Halen. There might be a park named after him!

Eddie Van Halen may have new park in Pasadena named after him: https://t.co/HV5Eu814fs

— Loudwire (@Loudwire) September 18, 2021

Remember, even (big) cats can get COVID-19:

Six African lions, a Sumatran tiger and two Amur tigers tested positive for the coronavirus, according to officials at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. https://t.co/PuUzSRbhp0

— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 18, 2021

Vaccine-resistant Americans are turning to monoclonal antibody treatments with a zeal that has, at times, mystified their doctors, chasing down lengthy infusions after rejecting vaccines that cost one-hundredth as much. https://t.co/GC0hlg8Kai

— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 19, 2021

Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom easily beat back naysayers during Tuesday's recall election. The fiasco wasted over $200 million in taxpayer money.

California Governor Newsom defeats Republican recall effort https://t.co/0xk9KaEwDo pic.twitter.com/y7FdnQ3dHn

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 15, 2021

The search continues for missing travel blogger Gabby Petito. Now her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, is also missing (or in hiding). Laundrie is apparently the last person to see Gabby alive. He wouldn't cooperate with police or give them any information, which is definitely... odd. This story is very weird.

Searches continue for Gabby Petito and her fiancé, who disappeared after returning home from a road trip without her https://t.co/lzkuT1Klyv

— KMOV (@KMOV) September 19, 2021

The cross-country hunt for Gabby Petito and her now missing fiancé, "person of interest" Brian Laundrie, continues, as the FBI combs the Wyoming mountains for Petito and police in Florida search a wildlife preserve for Laundrie. https://t.co/axSBw1nWH9

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 19, 2021

Gabby Petito's 'abandoned' van spotted near Grand Teton 2 days after last contact https://t.co/jWWCt0oTeG pic.twitter.com/FUJ28bEQK1

— New York Post (@nypost) September 19, 2021

A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan killed 10 innocent civilians. The strike was aimed at Taliban fighters. The Pentagon admitted the mistake after media investigations. The CIA did try to send a warning that the area was full of kids - but the warning wasn't relayed in time. Tragic. 

Breaking News: The Pentagon acknowledged that a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan on Aug. 29 was a tragic mistake that killed 10 civilians, including seven children, a military official said.https://t.co/oC6Lnr32hv

— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 17, 2021

And I leave you with this:

In which case, cough suppression is the best medicine! pic.twitter.com/gPIIUhRIbz

— Hear Me Roar (@Stop_Trump20) September 15, 2021

Update on Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 07:59PM by Allyson B. Crawford

Sad update: today Wyoming police and federal agents found human remains believed to be Gabby Petito. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.

BREAKING: Authorities say a body discovered in Wyoming is believed to be Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito. The FBI said the body was found by law enforcement agents who had spent the past two days searching campgrounds. https://t.co/tQsCfTJqtT

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 19, 2021