Good morning,
U.S. Voting Laws
In any normal era, the debate rocking Washington over voting laws would surely be settled with some principles agreed to by both Republicans and Democrats. But this is the era of disinformation and lies driven by the desire to win power at any cost.
To outside observers, it’s a confusing landscape, where on one hand the President spoke last night in a impassioned plea saying the fight against restrictive voting laws was the “most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War” and called Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election “a big lie” and questioned Republicans with the question “have you no shame”.
Republicans argue that laws are needed to tamp down on voter fraud, despite evidence that it is not a widespread problem.
Whats clear is the 2024 election campaign is already underway in the U.S., with both parties fighting to set the stage for victory, even if that divides the nation further. 17 Republican-dominated states have enacted 28 laws to make it harder to vote.
Cuba
Cuban officials have tried to blame the United States for igniting protests which have shaken the leadership of the Island Country, and threatened to send a wave of refugees to U.S. shores.
But it would appear the protests were over a stagnant economy and rising food prices in the pandemic. Tourism ground to a halt because of Covid, and when the Cuban Government opened its shores to Russian visitors the pandemic cases rose alarmingly.
Many believe Cuba is on the brink, and the next 48 hours may be critical in either seeing demonstrations subside as the Government has suspended social media, or if street protests re-ignite people may directly challenge the Governments authority.
Iraqi Hospital Fire
Another oxygen tank fire in a hospital, this time in a Covid isolation ward in the Iraqi City of Nasiriya has claimed the lives of up to 90 people now, as the death toll has risen since Sunday. Much of Iraq’s health care is in collapse or badly neglected and the P.M. has ordered the arrest of the head of the hospital as street protests erupted led by angry relatives.
The speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Mohammed al-Halbousi, tweeted that the blaze was "clear proof of the failure to protect Iraqi lives, and it is time to put an end to this catastrophic failure". The Health Minister has been suspended.
UK And Europe Covid
London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan has ignored the British P.M.’s idea to drop mask wearing mandates, and ordered restrictions remain in place on public transport to protect public health and public confidence. The order is seen as a push back against the Governments attempt to let the virus run hot for the summer.
Health care leaders are warning of devastating consequences as Prime Minister Boris Johnson goes ahead with reopening on July 19 as the new Delta variant spreads rapidly in Britain. Night clubs, social distancing, mask mandates will be dropped even as warnings indicated the spread of the new variant will bring 200-400 deaths a day, and 2000 hospital admissions daily.
The Government claim first that with vaccines the chain between infection and severe illness is broken, and then it said weakened not broken.
The fact is the new variants will spread even faster now and mutations are to be expected, and then the chances one of those defeats the vaccines becomes more likely, and many critics say the Government shouldn’t aim for herd immunity with those risks.
There is rising concerns over the Delta variant in Europe, and even today France’s President Macron is expected to address the pandemic concerns in a nation wide address.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany will not follow France and Greece in mandating vaccines for certain sectors of the population. This week, both countries said healthcare workers would have to be vaccinated
Malta has abandoned plans to prevent unvaccinated people from entering the country.
Cyprus has recorded its highest number of new infections since the pandemic began, with 1,081 cases announced on Tuesday.
Spain, has passed four million infections - the third EU country to do so, after France and Italy
Have a good day everyone. I have relocated for the summer to Florida and was travelling so I didn’t write for a few days. Stay healthy!
https://www.ft.com/content/8b40e041-c518-444b-b5d2-28e51107eb67
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56875804
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jul/14/shapps-mask-wearing-expected-to-remain-on-public-transport