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Orcas at Sea World (Taken 6.23.21)

I finally worked through my Friday inbox (while catching up on 3 different Housewives franchises) and found some content worth sharing going into the weekend. Most of it is repetitive: if you've watched any newscast, you're well aware of what's going on with COVID, mask and vax wars. hospitalizations, breakthroughs, etc, but maybe new reading will be more clarifying. 

What I was shocked to find in my inbox was a message directly from PETA about a whistleblower report that alleges that Amaya was maybe injured by another orca, Corky, after all 10 orcas were put in the same tank. As I mention below, I've never seen more than 3 whales in any given tank, but obviously there's a lot of unseen areas and practices at Sea World, so in this case, I would agree with PETA that an independent external investigation needs to happen. It's so very tragic and I haven't been quiet about how conflicted I feel even having a membership pass in the first place, but this makes me feel like I need to go visit instead of making me not want to go at all. 

Sometimes things are conflicting and life is so very hard. We're seeing that every day with what is unfolding in Afghanistan. I'm glad we are leaving Afghanistan and ending this senseless war, I wish it had been done years ago, or better that we were never there in the first place, but it doesn't make it any easier to see the anguish and pain happening there. We may joke about it often, but we really are "hashtag blessed" to live where we live. Which is why elections matter. Can you imagine the past 18 months under someone like Elder or Cox or Faulconer or Jenner? No thanks. My ballot tracker already notified me that my vote has been received by the registrar. Make sure they get your no vote, too. 

Stay safe out there. 

• COVID-19:
• US sees 86,000+ hospitalizations daily — 2nd highest rate of pandemic: 7 notes - Becker's Hospital Review (8.20.21)
• Vaccinations Against COVID-19 May Have Averted Up To 140,000 Deaths In The United States - Health Affairs (8.18.21)
  Overall, our analysis suggests that the early COVID-19 vaccination campaign was associated with reductions in COVID-19 deaths. As of May 9, 2021, reductions in COVID-19 deaths associated with vaccines had translated to value of statistical life benefit ranging between $625 billion and $1.4 trillion.
• In A Message To Americans, Pope Francis Says Getting Vaccinated Is 'An Act Of Love' - npr/kpbs (8.18.21)
• Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Situation Report (8.20.21)
• At the national level, new daily hospitalizations are at record highs for all age groups aged 49 years and younger, and the 50-59 years age group is at 91% of its record high. Notably, the 0-17 years age group—most of whom are still not eligible for vaccination—is currently 40% higher than its previous peak and still increasing rapidly, just as schools are resuming classes across the country.
• The CDC Only Tracks a Fraction of Breakthrough COVID-19 Infections, Even as Cases Surge. A May 1 decision by the CDC to only track breakthrough infections that lead to hospitalization or death has left the nation with a muddled understanding of COVID-19's impact on the vaccinated. - ProPublica (8.20.21)
• How COVID Affects Vaccinated and Unvaccinated People - Statista (8.20.21)
  The efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines varies from study to study, as these are not carried out in a lab but in the real world where conditions vary. Efficacy also differs depending on the population that the vaccine is given to, in addition to the fact that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines is expected to decline with time and when up against a high virus load coronavirus mutation like the Delta variant.

• White House: 
• Joint Statement by The NATO Foreign Ministers on Afghanistan
• Secretary Blinken’s Call with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Al-Thani
• Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Call with Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Kamilov
• Gratitude to Our Allies and Partners for Supporting U.S. Efforts to Evacuate U.S. Citizens, Partners, and At-Risk Afghans
• Gratitude to Bahrain for Facilitating the Transit of U.S. Citizens and Embassy Personnel from Afghanistan
• Gratitude to the UAE for Facilitating the Transit of U.S. Citizens, Embassy Personnel, and Others from Afghanistan
• U.S. Imposes Additional Costs on Russia for Aleksey Navalny Poisoning
• Fact Sheet: United States Imposes Additional Costs on Russia for the Poisoning of Aleksey Navalny
• Politics:

• News:
• 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission: Votes to Not Count Federal Prison Populations in CA - WeDrawTheLines.org (8.20.21)
• While not a fan of PETA, I got this email regarding the death of Amaya at Sea World. For the record, I've never seen more than 3 whales in the same tank at the same time. I can't imagine what circumstance would make Sea World do something so different.
  Last night, when SeaWorld confirmed that 6-year-old orca Amaya had died, PETA had already filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Agriculture this week requesting an investigation after receiving two whistleblower reports about an incident that may have caused this death. Below, please find a statement from PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman:
• "If the whistleblower reports that PETA received are true, orca Amaya died just days after SeaWorld workers put all 10 orcas into a single tank, despite a documented history of aggression among some of them—leading Amaya to chase, rake, and injure the much older orca Corky, who may have retaliated overnight. PETA is demanding a full outside investigation into whether SeaWorld’s incompetence left Corky injured and Amara dead at just 6 years old."
• U.S. extends travel curbs at Canada and Mexico land borders - Reuters (8.20.21)
• Other Reading:
• Kayleigh McEnany Tried to Slam Jen Psaki for Not Holding Daily Briefings—It Did Not Go Well - SecondNexus (8.20.21)