Bird Song of the Day
Owl Week at the Naked Capitalism Water Cooler continues, with an entire family of Barn Owls (plus some insects, I think).
#COVID19
Since we are apparently “in the eye of the storm” with our still appallingly high Covid numbers, and waiting until the effects of the variants makes themselves felt, I thought I’d try to get a handle on where the variants are. Here is the CDC’s map:
Note CDC’s careful qualification: “The cases identified above are based on a sampling of SARS-CoV-2-positive specimens and do not represent the total number of B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1 lineage cases that may be circulating in the United States and may not match numbers reported by states, territories, tribes, and local officials.” I presume that’s because our lineage tracking, unlike that of civilized countries with national health care systems, is abysmal.
[Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for DuJour]
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President Joe Biden is appointing Clare Martorana, a veteran of the U.S. Digital Service and a former health tech executive, to oversee White House efforts to upgrade the government’s creaky tech infrastructure. As Chief Information Officer for the United States, Martorana will be in charge of bolstering the federal government’s cybersecurity, modernizing IT systems, and making government websites more accessible for all citizens.
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Martorana has also been tasked with ensuring that digital election information and online voter registration are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities and people with limited understanding of English. This part of the role is particularly important for Biden, who recently issued an executive order that aims to strengthen voting access.