san diego: dialed in: CoViD-19: WHO Addresses Omicron BA.2 | Misinfo Is Subtle | US Adds Sanctions To Russia Over Ukraine Escalation | US Pledges $35M To Rare Earth Extraction in California |

Kangaroo Mama & Joey at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 2.22.22)

What a difference a day makes. I went to bed early on Monday night and was up at the crack of dawn to get some work done and set about my day. I can't do anything about Russia and Ukraine, about gas and rent prices, about babies being poisoned by bad formula, about the idiot I heard about over the weekend who was so drunk his corgi shot itself in the paw because he left his loaded pistol on the ground when he passed out on the couch. What I can do is turn off the 24 hour news and walk away. It isn't that I don't care, it's that as a bit of an empath, I care too much and paralyze my own life functions if I don't turn it off.

Darren had committed to a day at San Diego Zoo Safari Park with me, so by the afternoon we were on our way.

When we got there, we walked through the gates and within 10 minutes it was pouring. We quickly returned to the car where I had brought my waterproof boots, reassessed our jacket and umbrella situation, and spent the afternoon walking in the sometimes sun, sometimes drizzle, sometimes downpour of the afternoon. We got to see a joey popping his head out of his mama kangaroo, we got to see the 18 day old giraffe, and we got to see all the African plains animals on the tram super close up as they were more active because of the rain, staying higher on the hillsides than down in the valleys. Even the zebras were out, which I guess is a fairly new thing as they were always cordoned off from the rest of the herd animals. We were able to see all three baby southern white rhinos on the tram, too, though they didn't make appearances up on Kilima Point, presumably because they sometimes fill the troughs of food for rhinos, but today had stocked the tree feeders for the giraffes instead.

When we drove home it was raining and we hit traffic but all was good once we were home eating takeout tacos from El Panson. The bad news of the world is always there in your face but the joy is there, too, if you just let yourself see it.

Stay safe out there.

COVID-19:

Statement on Omicron sublineage BA.2 - WHO (2.22.22)

The BA.2 sublineage should continue to be considered a variant of concern
It should remain classified as Omicron
Studies have shown that BA.2 has a growth advantage over BA.1
Where immunity from vaccination or natural infection is high: in this data, there was no reported difference in severity between BA.2 and BA.1.
Omicron subvariant prevalence, by state - Becker's Hospital Review (2.22.22)

Nationwide prevalence under 0.5% of all cases

Opinion: Covid Still Threatens Millions of Americans. Why Are We So Eager to Move On? - KHN (2.22.22)
Opinion: Medical misinformation often isn’t outright lies. It’s more subtle than that. - STAT News (2.22.22)
Opinion: Commit to transparent pandemic data — not fancy dashboards. Governments and organizations responsible for crucial COVID data must focus on what matters. - nature (2.22.22)
Opinion: The pandemic isn’t over. Omicron won’t be the last coronavirus variant to haunt us - LA Times (2.21.22)
Weekly Epidemiological Update - 22 February

Globally, during the week of 14 to 20 February 2022, the number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths decreased by 21% and 8% respectively, compared to the previous week. Across the six WHO regions, over 12 million new cases and over 67 000 new deaths were reported. As of 20 February 2022, over 422 million confirmed cases and over 5.8 million deaths have been reported globally

FDA: Check Approved At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests

Politics:

Governor Newsom Joins President Biden to Uplift California’s Vision for an Inclusive, Sustainable, Clean Energy Economy in Lithium Valley

News:

Biden, Putin signal bigger confrontation ahead over Ukraine - AP News (2.22.22)
Arbery killers convicted of federal hate crimes in his death - AP News (2.22.22)
Winter Storm Warning Issued Today, 02/22/22, at 4:00 P.M. to Wednesday 02/23/22, at 6:00 P.M. - County Of San Diego Emergency (2.22.22)

Other Reading:

A supernova could light up the Milky Way at any time. Astronomers will be watching. When a star from our Galactic neighbourhood explodes, it could outshine the Moon. Researchers are racing to get ready for the fireworks. - nature (2.21.22)
Tribe Grapples With Missing Women Crisis on California Coast - AP News (2.21.22)

Government:

White House

Remarks by President Biden Announcing Response to Russian Actions in Ukraine

Readout of President Biden’s Meeting with Foreign Minister Kuleba of Ukraine
Fact Sheet: United States Imposes First Tranche of Swift and Severe Costs on Russia
Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official on Russia Sanctions

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics and Deputy NEC Director Daleep Singh, February 22, 2022
Remarks by President Biden at a Virtual Event on Securing Critical Minerals for a Future Made in America

FACT SHEET: Securing a Made in America Supply Chain for Critical Minerals

Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Libya

Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Libya