Nicki Minaj reveals personal info of reporters investigating her vaccination claims

In the ongoing saga of Minaj vs. the world after a series of poorly received vaccine tweets, the rapper posted the contact info for a journalist in search of an interview

the grio

Covid vaccinations among US Latinos are rising thanks to community outreach

Grassroots groups are mobilizing churches, soccer coaches and cartoon abuelas to reassure underserved Spanish-speaking communities and remove barriers to get them their shots

The Guardian

Black doctors bravely battle COVID-19 vaccine misinformation

“It’s no accident that Black folks have found ourselves having to swim through mountains of disinformation or intentionally false information,” Dr. Rhea Boyd tells theGrio about the COVID-19 pandemic atmosphere.

The Grio

Robert Durst found guilty of murdering close friend Susan Berman in 2000

A Los Angeles jury on Friday convicted New York real estate heir Robert Durst of gunning down a friend more than two decades ago, a killing authorities believe was connected to his missing wife.

NBC News

In the Democrats’ Budget Package, a Billion Tons of Carbon Cuts at Stake

The package is imperiled by opposition from Joe Manchin, a coal state Democrat, who is balking at the costs, and advocates fear the chance won’t come again.

Inside Climate News

Italy likely to decide on decriminalizing cannabis

Italy will likely decide on decriminalizing cannabis next year after advocates garnered enough signatures to force a referendum. 

Organizers said Saturday they were able to obtained the 500,000 signatures required to trigger a referendum on the measure in seven days, according to Reuters.

The Hill

‘I felt this huge relief’: how antibody injections could free the immunosuppressed under Covid

FDA expected to issue full emergency authorization for periodic antibody injections, or PrEP, to complement vaccinations

The Guardian

Biden sends hundreds of border agents, steps up flights to remove Haitian migrants from South Texas

Expelling Haitian migrants from the USA – which is set to begin Sunday – is part of the Biden administration’s six-point strategy for dealing with the increase in border crossings in Del Rio, the Department of Homeland Security said Saturday.

USA Today

Entitled consumers have terrorized service and retail workers throughout the pandemic, but it was a natural evolution in a culture that promises ‘the customer is always right’

If there’s one unifying theory among American shoppers, it’s that they’re always right. 

After all, that’s what we’ve been taught to believe for over a century: that the customer is never wrong, at least inside the four walls of a Starbucks or a Walmart. It’s an ethos that has guided everything from the rise of early department stores to post-World War II suburban malls — and, in more recent times, e-commerce behemoths like Amazon. 

But now, 18 months into the pandemic, it’s clear that not only is that mantra indelibly baked into the American shopping experience, it’s also dangerous. It’s created a sense of entitlement among shoppers that has led to agression and even violence toward retail workers.

Business Insider

Why LGBTQ people should fear new Texas abortion law

If you value the right to privacy and are LGBTQ or a queer ally, you should be terrified.

Dallas Voice

Jared Polis becomes first sitting governor to marry in same-sex wedding

The Colorado governor married his longtime partner of 18 years, Marlon Reis, in a traditional Jewish ceremony in Boulder

The Guardian

Gay marriage, adoption, surrogacy: Revolutionary bill raises hope among LGBTIQ+ Cubans

The Cuban government published the draft of a new family code this week that would allow same-sex marriage, adoption by gay couples and recognizes surrogacy, but the road ahead is long, because the legal framework must be approved in a referendum and religious groups are likely to oppose it. 

The proposal defines marriage as “a voluntary union between two persons” instead of a woman and a man, as the current law from 1975 says. The change of those few words sparked a major debate in the country in 2018 when authorities removed similar language from the draft for a new constitution following criticism by the Catholic Church and other religious groups.

Miami Herald

Britain may revert to the imperial system as part of its plans to ‘capitalize on new Brexit freedoms’

The UK is considering reverting to the imperial system, the weight and measurement system that uses pounds and ounces, as part of it’s efforts to “capitalise on the freedoms from Brexit,” according to the British government.

Insider

Turkey Is Committing Cultural Genocide in Cyprus

Simply put, Erdoğan today poses a greater threat to Turkish Cypriots than the irredentist Greek junta did prior to 1974.

The National Interest

A Nebraska school says it was a lice check. Lakota people sense centuries of repressions.

Norma LeRoy tries to understand why a school secretary cut her two girls’ hair without her consent in the spring of 2020. The secretary was checking for lice, LeRoy was told – lice the mother said they never found.  

LeRoy feels like few in this remote region of Nebraska’s Cherry County understand what they took. It’s why the 36-year-old Rosebud Sioux has to turn away from her kids, toward the trees, to shield them from her tears. 

To her people, hair is sacred. Cutting it outside Lakota tradition carries consequences.

USA Today

AI’s Islamophobia problem

GPT-3 is a smart and poetic AI. It also says terrible things about Muslims.

Vox

How COVID-19 hybrid immunity could be a potential pandemic game-changer

Mixing vaccines could offer a stronger immune boost, preliminary data suggests.

ABC News

Analysis: French break-up a blow to Biden’s China-focused alliance rebuilding

European capitals celebrated a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June, as President Joe Biden’s top diplomat cracked jokes in French in Paris, posed for selfies with French youth and spoke at length about revitalizing the transatlantic relationship. 

It was a breath of fresh air after four years of former President Donald Trump’s brash “America First” administration, during which U.S. ties with Europe lurched from one crisis to another amid policy decisions that often blindsided European countries. 

But less than three months after Blinken’s repair tour, Washington finds itself in an unprecedented diplomatic crisis with France over a trilateral deal with Britain to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines that sank a $40 billion contract for French-designed vessels.

Reuters

China plans tax crackdown on richest entertainers, including online influencers

China is set to conduct regular tax investigations into top entertainers including online influencers, promising serious punishment for offenders amid a deepening crackdown on the entertainment industry and lucrative culture of fandom.

South China Morning Post

Islamic State leader in Sinai surrenders to Egyptian authorities

The surrender of Abu Hamza al-Qadi to an Egyptian tribal union linked to the government could be a major blow to the terrorist organization.

Al-Monitor

Slow but steady has seen the EU win out in the vaccine race

We did it,” said Ursula von der Leyen in her annual state of the union address last week. With more than 70% of its adult population now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, Europe is, “against all critics, among the world leaders”. 

Moreover, the Commission president said, the EU had exported half its vaccines: “We delivered more than 700 million doses to the European people, and we delivered more than 700 million doses to the rest of the world. We are the only region to achieve that.”

The Guardian

PM Morrison rejects France’s accusation that Australia lied over cancelled submarine deal

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday rejected France’s accusations Canberra lied about plans to cancel a contract to buy French submarines, saying he had raised concerns over the deal “some months ago”.

France 24

Remote School Was a Lifeline for Chronically Ill and Disabled Students

“For [our school] at least,” Viki said, “it feels like they’ve ignored the fact that remote learning is a necessity for some students.” 

But the debate between remote and in-person schooling isn’t a simple one. While remote options provide necessary accessibility for disabled or chronically ill students, fully remote school posed learning and mental health challenges for others. The benefits of in-person schooling are clear, but so are the drawbacks. The answer would seem to be to provide multiple options, but that’s not so simple, either.

Teen Vogue

Pfizer says vaccine safe, effective for kids ages 5 to 11

Data shows the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children ages 5 to 11, the companies announced Monday morning.

ABC News