7 ways men live without working in America

You've heard people bemoaning this "labor participation rate," which is simply the number of working-age men (usually counted as ages 16 to 64) not working or not looking for work, as a percentage of the overall labor force. It's true that the pandemic, which of course produced a number of factors that made working more difficult never mind dangerous, pushed the labor participation rate to a record low. In fact, the participation rate for men peaked at 87.4% in October 1949 and has been dropping steadily ever since.

Big gap between Pfizer, Moderna vaccines seen for preventing COVID hospitalizations

Amid persistent concerns that the protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines may be waning, a report released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that America's workhorse shot is significantly less effective at preventing severe cases of disease over the long term than many experts had realized. Data collected from 18 states between March and August suggest the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduces the risk of being hospitalized with COVID-19 by 91% in the first four months after receiving the second dose. Beyond 120 days, however, that vaccine efficacy drops to 77%.

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  U.S. administers about 384 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC

  Reuters
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  British study to test mixed COVID-19 vaccine dose schedules in children

  Reuters

Elise Stefanik’s ‘Hateful Rhetoric’ Ripped In Stinging Editorial By Hometown Newspaper

Rep. Elise Stefanik's (R-N.Y.) hometown newspaper offered a scathing response to her anti-immigrant rhetoric in a recent ad campaign. Stefanik, a Donald Trump loyalist, echoed the racist “great replacement” theory in ads warning voters of a “permanent election insurrection.” “If there's anything that needs replacing in this country — and in the Republican Party — it's the hateful rhetoric that Ms. Stefanik and far too many of her colleagues so seamlessly spew,” the editorial concluded.

Illegal marijuana farms take West's water in 'blatant theft'

Jack Dwyer pursued a dream of getting back to the land by moving in 1972 to an idyllic, tree-studded parcel in Oregon with a creek running through it. From dusty towns to forests in the U.S. West, illegal marijuana growers are taking water in uncontrolled amounts when there often isn't enough to go around for even licensed users. Conflicts about water have long existed, but illegal marijuana farms — which proliferate despite legalization in many Western states — are adding strain during a severe drought.

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  Illegal marijuana farms take West's scarce water

  The Independent
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  Illegal marijuana farms are using up too much water in the Western U.S.

  MarketWatch

Scientists created the world's whitest paint. It could eliminate the need for air conditioning.

The whitest paint in the world has been created in a lab at Purdue University, a paint so white that it could eventually reduce or even eliminate the need for air conditioning, scientists say. The paint has now made it into the Guinness World Records book as the whitest ever made. “When we started this project about seven years ago, we had saving energy and fighting climate change in mind,” said Xiulin Ruan, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue, in a statement.

Police asked Gabby Petito's family to stop discussing her relationship with Brian Laundrie, without explaining why, attorney says

Gabby Petito's family has been told not to talk about her relationship with Brian Laundrie. It is unclear why police have asked them to do this, the family said. The couple's relationship became a focus after police were called out to a fight between them.

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  Family says Laundrie is now missing; Petito still not found

  Associated Press
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  Boyfriend of missing Florida woman has disappeared, family says

  Reuters

Study rewrites understanding of modern Japan's genetic ancestry

An analysis of ancient DNA is transforming the understanding of the genetic ancestry of Japan's modern-day population, identifying a crucial contribution from people who arrived about 1,700 years ago and helped revolutionize Japanese culture. Research published on Friday showed that the people of Japan bear genetic signatures from three ancient populations rather than just two as previously thought - a more complex ancestry for the archipelago nation of roughly 125 million. The researchers analyzed genetic information from 17 ancient Japanese people - DNA extracted from the bones of 12 specifically for this study and five done previously - and compared it to genomic data for modern Japanese people.

‘In so much pain’: Political activist Laura Loomer, who wished for COVID, now has it

Outspoken anti vaxxer and alt-right agitator Laura Loomer is feeling the effects of COVID-19. The 28-year-old Barry University alum announced she had contracted the virus on conservative social media platform Gettr Wednesday. “Yesterday I was feeling ill,” wrote Loomer, a onetime Republican nominee to represent Florida's 21st congressional district in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections.

NYC restaurant hostess attacked after asking diners for proof of vaccination

Three people were arrested for allegedly assaulting a New York City restaurant hostess on Thursday after she asked a group of diners visiting from Texas to show proof they had been vaccinated before seating them. Cellphone footage obtained by NBC New York shows a brawl involving several people outside Carmine's Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side. “It's a shocking and tragic situation when one of our valued employees is assaulted for doing their job - as required by city policies...”

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  Impact of NYC’s Covid-19 vaccination proof mandate for restaurants

  Yahoo Finance Video
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  New York restaurant hostess attacked after asking a group of diners from Texas for proof of vaccination

  The Independent

Ex-officer behind infamous 1970 slayings ends release appeal

A former Army doctor convicted for the infamous 1970 murders of his pregnant wife and two young daughters on a North Carolina base has ended his appeal of a lower court ruling that denied his requested release. An attorney for Jeffrey MacDonald said in court documents that his client wished to dismiss his appeal to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia. Federal prosecutors did not oppose the dismissal in the “Fatal Vision” case, named for a book about the investigation, and the court granted the dismissal Thursday.

Donald Trump wrote to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to 'decertify' the 2020 election

Donald Trump wrote to Georgia Secretary of State asking him to "decertify" the results of the election. In the letter, Trump repeated unproven claims of widespread election fraud. Donald Trump sent a letter to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to start "decertifying" the 2020 election, on Friday.

Even Steve Bannon Looks Skeptical About Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Latest Claim

In her first year as a member of the House, Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has said a lot of outrageous things. Greene, who has said she believes in the QAnon conspiracy theory but not in the effectiveness of vaccines, was being interviewed on Bannon's “Real America's Voice” podcast when she told the former Trump White House strategist: “I have been the most effective member of Congress this session.” Greene, however, has been unable to do much congressional work since February, when she was stripped of her committee assignments because of her support for racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories, and for advocating the execution prominent Democrats.

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  Watch Steve Bannon’s Epic Side-Eye at Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Claim She’s ‘Most Effective Member of Congress’

  The Wrap
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  Marjorie Taylor Greene calls to shut down the government in wild Steve Bannon interview

  The Independent

Texas teen posts images of slain family, then kills self

A South Texas teen who said he killed his family and posted graphic images of their bodies on social media killed himself after officers found him at his home, authorities said Thursday. The Aransas Pass police and San Patricio County sheriff's office say they started investigating after being alerted to the images on social media. They say the teen, identified as 15-year-old William Quince Colburn III, had also threatened to continue the violence at a school.

At bond hearing, Alex Murdaugh’s privilege was on full display

For decades, the Murdaugh family operated in that rarefied world of wealth and privilege that few of us will ever experience. So on Thursday, when Alex Murdaugh, shackled and wearing a jail jumpsuit, came before a Hampton County judge charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and falsifying a police report, observers couldn't help but comment on his downfall, his fall from grace or whatever other cliche seemed to fit the moment. Certainly his attire was a drastic change from the black tuxedo he's seen wearing in a frequently shared Facebook photo or the suits and ties he wore as an attorney, but even in his short court appearance it was clear that, despite the jumpsu...

Anti-Mask Florida Official Dies of COVID—and Takes GOP Software Secrets With Him

Just a day after testing positive for COVID-19, a Florida Republican official who battled against mask mandates, attacked the vaccine, and railed at CDC officials has died in Tampa. Gregg Prentice, who was 61, led the Hillsborough County Election Integrity Committee—and his sudden death has sent the local GOP scrambling as it no longer has access to essential campaign finance software without his help. In a Sept. 14 letter to the Federal Election Commission, the Hillsborough County Republican Executive Committee reported it might not be able to file its monthly financial reports as required—because only Prentice knew how to do it.

Diners gone wild: Watch an all-out brawl at this upscale Brickell restaurant

Truluck's steakhouse in Brickell is where you go for a nice meal out with a sleek decor, expertly prepared seafood and steaks and spot-on service. But on Friday night, the longtime venerated eatery, with a handful of locations throughout the country, was a scene of absolute chaos as a brawl broke out among diners. The out of control scene captured on a bystander's cellphone looks like something out of an R-rated action movie, not a restaurant where entrees run you $40 and up.

Trump floated the idea of repainting his private plane to look just like Air Force One 'as a way of taunting' Biden, book says

Trump floated repainting his private plane to look like Air Force One, a new book says. Trump described Air Force One as "his brand," saying, "I don't do the corporate jet thing." Former President Donald Trump floated the idea of repainting his private Boeing 757 plane to resemble Air Force One and fly it around the country "as a way of taunting" President Joe Biden, according to a new book.

Man who unlocked 1.9 million AT&T phones sentenced to 12 years in prison

A US district court has sentenced a man who unlocked 1.9 million AT&T phones to 12 years in prison. Muhammad Fahd continued the seven-year scheme to defraud the company even after learning of an investigation against him, according to the Department of Justice. At Fahd's sentencing hearing, Judge Robert S. Lasnik said he committed a “terrible cybercrime over an extended period,” with AT&T said to have lost $201.5 million as a result.

Eric Trump Asks Question About His Dad, Gets The Same Stinging Response

Eric Trump received a resounding “no” in response to a question posed via a web address he shared Thursday on Twitter. Former President Donald Trump's son posted the URL doyoumissmeyet.com. It linked to a page featuring an image of his father in front of the American flag.

Biden approval drops to lowest of presidency: Reuters/Ipsos poll

Public approval of U.S. President Joe Biden has dropped to the lowest level of his presidency, with Americans appearing to be increasingly critical of his response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll. The national poll, conducted Sept. 15-16, found that 44% of U.S. adults approved of Biden's performance in office, while 50% disapproved and the rest were not sure. While most Americans support the kind of vaccine and mask requirements that Biden has ordered recently to slow the spread of the Delta variant, some Republicans have criticized what they consider to be an overreaction by the White House.

After school worker cuts biracial girl’s hair, Michigan parent sues for $1 million

Six months after a 7-year-old girl's hair was cut by a school worker without her parent's permission, her father has sued the Michigan school district. Jimmy Hoffmeyer seeks $1 million from Mount Pleasant Public Schools, alleging it violated his biracial daughter's constitutional rights. Two staffers at Ganiard Elementary School were also named in the lawsuit, in which the father makes racial discrimination and ethnic intimidation accusations.

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  Lawsuit seeks $1M after teacher cuts chid's hair

  Yahoo News Video
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  Father files $1M lawsuit after daughter's hair cut by Michigan teacher without permission

  USA TODAY

Black Iowa police chief faces backlash after bringing change

The first Black police chief in Waterloo, Iowa, is facing intense opposition from some current and former officers as he works with city leaders to reform the department, including the removal of its longtime insignia that resembles a Ku Klux Klan dragon. Joel Fitzgerald says his 16-month tenure in Waterloo, a city of 67,000 with a history of racial divisions, is a “case study” for what Black police chiefs face as they seek to build community trust and hold officers to higher standards. In an interview with The Associated Press, he said the attacks were driven by misinformation and racism toward him and his boss, the city's first Black mayor.