Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — July 23, 2021

Australia’s Most Populous State Declares ‘National Emergency’ over Covid Outbreak

THE GUARDIAN: New South Wales announces 136 new local Delta cases with Sydney under the strictest lockdown measures it has experienced

Australia’s most populous state has declared a “national emergency” as it struggles to contain a record-breaking surge of the Delta variant of Covid-19 amid a lockdown affecting half the country.

The state of New South Wales announced 136 new locally-acquired cases of Covid-19 on Friday, with continued community transmission among essential workers, including in supermarkets and pharmacies.

More than a year after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, NSW has broken records for daily case numbers on consecutive days, and the city of Sydney is under the strictest lockdown measures it has ever experienced.

More than 13 million Australians – approximately half the country’s population – are currently under some form of lockdown or restriction, including the states of Victoria and South Australia.

On Friday, the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, called for an urgent mass vaccination program in parts of Sydney, and warned that the city’s outbreak would endanger the entire country. Despite restrictions that have closed restaurants, pubs and bars, general retail shops, schools, offices, gyms and sport, and limited the reasons that people can leave the house, Covid numbers continue to rise. » | Naaman Zhou | Friday, July 23, 2021

Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The Life of William Haines | 2001 Documentary

Mar 5, 2016 • What price Hollywood? was the title of an early George Cukor film, but is a question every closeted movie star has probably asked himself. In 1930, the top box office star was a gay man. Billy Haines lived with his lover, Jimmie Shields, and never posed on the red carpet with a beard on his arm. By 1933, he was washed up in show business; and by 1936, he had become hugely successful in an entirely new line of work as an interior decorator. Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The Life of William Haines, details the extraordinary life of Billy Haines, the only matinee idol who ever decided that Hollywood’s price was too high and walked away from film stardom. | Views on YouTube: 1,894,386

Authors Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell on Their Book 'Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love'

Oct 15, 2020 • Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell join WGN Weekend News to talk about their book

Related: here

The Last BeeGee: Barry Gibb's Emotional First Interview Following Robin's Death | 7NEWS Spotlight

Apr 2, 2021 • The BeeGees were a phenomenon with hit songs and legions of fans. But their success has been tinged with heartache, starting with the death of brother Andy in 1988, Maurice in 2003 and Robin in 2012. Rahni Sadler sat down with Barry in the months following Robin's passing for an emotional interview, which helped him come to terms with the tragedy. This story originally aired on September 23, 2012. | Views on YouTube: 714,378

Brüssel erteilt Johnson eine Abfuhr

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der britische Premierminister Johnson will das Nordirland-Protokoll neu verhandeln. Kommissionspräsidentin von der Leyen hat ihn jedoch abblitzen lassen und angekündigt, „kreativ und flexibel“ innerhalb des Protokolls zu sein.

„Das Nordirland-Protokoll: der Weg vorwärts“, so hat die britische Regierung ihr „Command Paper“ genannt, das sie am Mittwoch vorlegte. Premierminister Boris Johnson kommt im Vorwort schnell zur Sache. Eigentlich würden die Umstände es schon jetzt rechtfertigen, schreibt er, wesentliche Teile des Protokolls auszusetzen, das die Beziehungen zwischen dem Norden und dem Süden der irischen Insel regelt. Doch gibt er der EU noch eine Chance: Wenn sie ihren „unflexiblen Ansatz“ aufgebe und das Protokoll neu verhandle, könne man ein „neues Gleichgewicht“ finden. Das ist nah an einer Erpressung und aus Brüsseler Sicht das, was man einen „Non-starter“ nennt.

Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen wies Johnsons Ansinnen am Donnerstag schnörkellos zurück. „Die EU wird weiterhin kreativ und flexibel innerhalb des vom Protokoll gesetzten Rahmens sein“, teilte sie auf Twitter mit, nachdem Johnson sie am Mittag angerufen hatte. „Aber wir werden es nicht neu verhandeln.“ Eine Sprecherin fügte spitz hinzu, dass die Präsidentin zugehört habe, wie Johnson seine „jüngste Position“ zu dem Vertragswerk erklärt habe. Etwaige Gesprächstermine zwischen den Unterhändlern seien nicht angesetzt. » | Von Thomas Gutschker, Brüssel | Freitag, 23. Juli 2021

Related article here

Rupert Murdoch’s Disinformation Media Empire | The Mehdi Hasan Show

Jul 23, 2021 • An undervaccinated population in the United States where the government literally can’t give Covid-19 inoculations away; the Donald Trump presidency; and the January 6th insurrection on the United States Capitol. There’s a case to be made that none of these things would have happened without Rupert Murdoch and Fox News. Fellow Australian Malcolm Turnbull, the former prime minister, joins Mehdi to discuss Murdoch, Trump, the spread of disinformation and the rise of authoritarianism.

US in ‘Another Pivotal Moment’ as Delta Variant Drives Surge in Covid Cases

THE GUARDIAN: Hospitals are filling up, especially in areas with low vaccinations / CDC offers no change in guidance on mask wearing

The US is “at another pivotal moment in this pandemic” as rising Covid-19 cases show no signs of abating, driven by the Delta variant, and some hospitals are filling up, especially in areas with low vaccination rates, government officials warned on Thursday.

The US government did not change its guidance on mask wearing, despite debates going on in the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about whether those who have been vaccinated should once again be officially advised to wear masks indoors to prevent the spread. » | Joanna Walters in New York | Friday, July 23, 2021

‘It’s too late’: US doctor says dying patients begging for Covid vaccine »

Why Vaccinated People Are Getting ‘Breakthrough’ Infections »

Des millions de personnes en situation à risque restent à vacciner, alerte l'Assurance maladie »

New Zealand Shuts Australia Travel Bubble as Sydney’s Covid Outbreak Worsens

THE GUARDIAN: Jacinda Ardern pauses flights for eight weeks as her health chief says the spread in NSW was ‘clearly not under control’

New Zealand is shutting down the quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia for two months, as the country grapples with a number of serious outbreaks of Covid-19.

The country had already paused travel with the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The new pause applies to all of Australia for the next eight weeks.

At a press briefing on Friday, prime minister Jacinda Ardern said because of the Delta variant there was “greater risk now … than when we opened the travel bubble”.

“Covid has changed and so must we.”

Ardern said that she wanted to “acknowledge the impact it is having very directly on people’s lives. Covid-19 is devastating”. » | Tess McClure in Christchurch | Friday, July 23, 2021

Covid-19 : en Australie, « urgence nationale » autour de Sydney »

Belarus NGOs Condemn Government Crackdown after ‘Black Week’ of Raids

Belarusian human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski was among those arrested last week. Photograph: Dmitry Brushko/AP
THE GUARDIAN: Human rights groups say latest series of arrests and searches are part of ‘a total purge on civil society’

The government of Belarus has launched a broad crackdown on civil society, launching raids and arrests on dozens of organisations in what has been described as a “black week” for the country’s NGOs.

The raids, which began last week, have touched all corners of civil society, from groups that campaign for political prisoners’ rights to those that crowdfund medical care and have helped medics in the fight against coronavirus.

The pressure follow mass arrests of opposition politicians and the closure and harassment of much of the country’s independent media, as longtime leader Alexander Lukashenko seeks to stamp out even apolitical efforts by Belarusians to self-organise.

“It’s a total purge of civil society,” said Marina Vorobei, the founder of Freeunion.online, an online platform for public unions and initiatives that helps with self-organisation and provides tools for secure networking and remote work. “NGOs have always been under pressure in Belarus … but these raids, this wave of arrests and seizures have never been seen by the non-profit sector.” » | Andrew Roth in Moscow | Friday, July 23, 2021

Bisou du jour, chaud et gay !

Kuß des Tages, heiß und schwul! / Kiss of the day, hot and gay!
Image grâce à Pinterest. Merci beaucoup !

Michael Jackson: I Just Can't Stop Loving You [Official Video]

Views on YouTube: 5,120,228

Bee Gees - You Win Again (1987)

Views on YouTube: 50,153,389

Loving: A Short Documentary on Men in Love

Oct 3, 2020 • Signed, numbered, dedicated, special limited editions of LOVING now available here

Manifestations à Cuba : Washington sanctionne le ministre de la défense cubain

LE MONDE : Le président américain Joe Biden a prévenu que ces sanctions financières décidées à la suite de la « répression » des récentes manifestations à Cuba n’étaient « qu’un début ».

Les Etats-Unis ont imposé, jeudi 22 juillet, des sanctions financières au ministre de la défense cubain, Alvaro Lopez Miera, et à une unité spéciale du ministère de l’intérieur, pour la « répression » des récentes « manifestations pacifiques et prodémocratie » à Cuba, tout en menaçant de nouvelles mesures punitives.

« Ce n’est qu’un début. Les Etats-Unis vont continuer à sanctionner les responsables de l’oppression contre le peuple cubain », a prévenu le président Joe Biden dans un communiqué, condamnant « sans ambiguïté les arrestations massives et les simulacres de procès »visant « ceux qui osent parler ». » | Le Monde avec AFP | jeudi 22 juillet 2021

Brexit: Von der Leyen Rejects Boris Johnson Bid to Renegotiate Irish Protocol

Ursula von der Leyen spoke with Boris Johnson at his request for about 30 minutes. Photograph: Christian Hartmann/AP
THE GUARDIAN: EU has already proposed changes to lessen impact on Northern Irish citizens, say officials

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has rejected Boris Johnson’s move to renegotiate the Northern Irish protocol, raising the temperature of a simmering Brexit row.

“The EU will continue to be creative and flexible within the protocol framework. But we will not renegotiate,” she said after a call with the prime minister on Thursday.

EU sources said the call lasted about 30 minutes, and Von der Leyen made clear they spoke at Johnson’s request. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels and Aubrey Allegretti | Thursday, July 22, 2021

We Have No Confidence in Priti Patel, Says Police Federation

THE GUARDIAN: Police officers in England and Wales furious at pay freeze after months on frontline of Covid crisis

Rank-and-file police officers have overwhelmingly supported a vote of no confidence in the home secretary, Priti Patel, the first such move in more than a decade.

In a scathing announcement, the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), which represents 130,000 officers, said Patel and the government “could not be trusted” and warned “warm words were not enough”.

The move comes after Wednesday’s confirmation that officers earning £24,000 or more would be hit by a pay freeze in 2021-22. » | Jamie Grierson, Home affairs correspondent | Thursday, July 22, 2021

„First Kiss“ in Tel Aviv

Im Falle der Fälle, daß Sie diesen großartigen Kissathon in Tel Aviv verpaßt haben, den ich Ihnen vor ein paar Tagen gebracht habe, bringe ich Ihnen das Ereignis heute noch einmal. Ich glaube Sie werden mit mir einverstanden sein: Dieses Ereignis ist nicht nur ungewöhnlich und sehr genießbar anzuschauen, es ist auch sehr einmalig. Der Kissathon sollte gar nicht verpaßt werden! Klicken Sie doch hier für diesen Hochgenuß. Sie werden auf keinen Fall enttäuscht sein! – © Mark

Lionel Richie : Dancing on the Ceiling

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group | Views on YouTube: 1,815,178

Billionaires Fight to Privatize & Monopolize Space Infrastructure as Earth Burns & Workers Organize

Jul 22, 2021 • As the world’s richest man flies his Blue Origin rocket into suborbital space, here on Earth calls are growing to tax the rich and let Amazon unionize. Billionaire Jeff Bezos has faced strong criticism after Tuesday’s flight, for which he thanked Amazon workers and customers who “paid for all of this.” Bezos traveled to the edge of space just days after another billionaire, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, took a similar trip on a Virgin Galactic spacecraft. “The richest and most powerful people in the world are turning their eyes away from the planet and to the stars,” says Paris Marx, a writer and host of the podcast “Tech Won’t Save Us.” “We need to question whether we should be dedicating so much resources to this kind of grand vision of a future that may never arrive,” Marx says. We also speak with journalist Peter Ward, author of the book “The Consequential Frontier: Challenging the Privatization of Space,” who says billionaires who have monopolized large sectors of the economy are seeking to do the same for space infrastructure. “It’s not the worst thing to have the private sector involved. It’s just it can’t be where they have complete control,” Ward says.