Good morning,
Texas
In Texas, more than 1.6 million homes and businesses remained without power late Wednesday night, and some are without water. Texas officials ordered 7 million people to boil tap water before drinking it. The winter storm which was brutal is now being followed by yet another cold front bringing more snow and cold.
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/02/17/weather-updates-texas-power-outages-another-winter-storm-south-midwest/6778122002/
No this was not caused by wind turbines, as suggested by the States Governor who campaigns in favour of fossil fuels. In fact the power outages are the result of freezing cold and natural gas lines. But that didn’t stop cable news from suggesting otherwise.
MEDIA
On Back Story with Dana Lewis I interview Author/Journalist Peter Baker on his new book The Man Who Ran Washington. The book is about James Baker, the former W.H. Chief of staff and the Sec. of State who laments a divided America. We discuss the state of affairs in Washington, why isn’t there another political party emerging? And a wide ranging conversation on the media bruised after covering the last American President and how the public will get their news in the future.
Podcast link;
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016881/7925407
A show down in Australia between the Gov’t and Facebook after the tech giant banned users from viewing or sharing news, and created a flurry of political reaction to what many view as a highly dubious and controversial gamble by Mark Zuckerberg.
The Gov’t wants to force Facebook and Google to pay for the media’s loss of advertising to the big tech firms, and many Countries are considering similar laws. The law would enable news companies to negotiate as a bloc with tech firms for content which appears in their news feeds and search results.
In withdrawing news from its platform Facebook also blocked Gov’t health and emergency sites.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-56107028
ROYALS
Prince Phillip has spent another night in the hospital. The 99 yr old is not suffering Covid, but Doctors were concerned enough about his medical conditions to admit him.
The Queen, who is 94 is at Windsor Castle.
Meantime Prince Harry and Meghan Markle caused a storm by agreeing to a tell all interview with Oprah Winfrey. You know that Oprah doesn’t agree to big TV specials without knowing there are tears and revelations that promise to rock the royal family about why Harry and Meaghan left England and went to The U.S.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/news/queen-snub-meghan-and-harry-horrified-monarch-with-oprah-interview-nuclear-bomb/ar-BB1dLRLr
Myanmar Coup
Protests are intensifying against the military coup in Myanmar, and many people are refusing to leave their homes to go to work. Warnings by observers include dire threats the military will increase violence to suppress the demonstrations which are numbering in the tens of thousands and growing and include blocking roads and even walk outs by Doctors and nurses.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56094649
Covid Kids
A new study shows while Covid cases are down in England, one of the groups most effected by the spread. including a newer variant, are kids aged 5-12.
That news from a study in Imperial College, as the Government here wants to reopen schools on March 8 without implementing many measures that would mitigate the aerosol Covid19 virus like air purification, mandatory masks in classrooms and open windows!
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/18/covid-infections-in-england-fall-by-two-thirds-but-spreading-fastest-among-young
Coming soon on Back Story podcast, 2 epidemiologists discuss in depth zero covid, and why we have to pursue elimination, not mitigation.
Have a good day everyone. Could you share this free news letter with one other person?