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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Jun 29, 2015
June 29, 2015
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Health and Medical Briefs:
About one in eight Americans with HIV do not realize they are infected with the virus that causes AIDS -- and those same people account for nearly one-third of HIV transmissions in the United States. The new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report says by 2012, only Hawaii, New York, Connecticut, Delaware and Colorado met the White House's goal of having at least 90 percent of people who have HIV aware of their status. In 2011, there were an estimated 1.2 million people living with HIV and only 14 percent of those had undiagnosed infections.
Because people unaware of their infections account for one-third of transmissions, the C-D-C wants to reduce those transmissions by expanding HIV testing and awareness. HIV spreads through body fluids, affecting specific cells of the immune system. HIV can destroy so many of these cells that the body can't fight infections, which can result in AIDS. The later someone is diagnosed, the higher the chances he or she develops AIDS. In 2012, more than 13-thousand people died from AIDS. (Bartha)The Reel Deal:
With the continuing Confederate flag controversy comes a sidebar --some people now want the classic film, "Gone With The Wind" banned because of the film's political stance.
Last week, NY Post film critic LOU LUMENICK said the 1939 film romanticizes the Confederacy and goes to great lengths to hide slavery's role in the Civil War, and should also be banned.
"[W]hat does it say about us as a nation if we continue to embrace a movie that, in the final analysis, stands for many of the things as the Confederate flag that flutters so dramatically over the dead and wounded soldiers at the Atlanta train station just before the 'GWTW' intermission?"
Of course, the film did go on to win eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.NASCAR:
USA Today reports, "NASCAR's position on the Confederate flag has evolved as CEO BRIAN FRANCE works to distance the sport from what he said Saturday was an 'offensive and divisive symbol'.
"In all areas that NASCAR controls on a given race weekend, the flag has no presence," France said. "We have been clear in support of this position throughout our industry and to those across the country who have called for the eradication of the Confederate Flag."
"We will be as aggressive as possible to disassociate NASCAR events from an offensive and divisive symbol," France continued. "We are working with the industry right now to achieve that goal." (Lane)Grace notes:
Is MADONNA a tax cheat? The New York Post says she's building a tree nursery on an old potato farm next to her mansion in the Hamptons on Long Island, New York. She bought the farm for practically nothing, and now gets a hefty tax break for (quote), "agricultural" use of the land. Officials in Suffolk County already gave Madonna the approval and future trees are in the ground right now. But, her wealthy neighbors are upset because they think she's cheating the IRS and just using the nursery as a way to hide her money. Plus, they say she's stealing revenue from other farmers.
The nursery would shield Madonna's house from nosy neighbors too...like the one who are probably more upset that she got that farm land so cheap! Suffolk County and the Town of Southampton bought the potato farm for $10-million dollars in 2010, then sold it to Madonna last year for $2.2-million dollars provided she only used the land for (quote), "production of agricultural products."
Editor's note: "Ol' Madonna had a farm, EIEIO." (Marino)In the Dumper:
A British couple who lives off of leftover food from supermarket dumpsters missed a court date --thanks to food poisoning.
PAUL and KERRY BARKER say they had to start eating from trash cans after the government cut their welfare benefits. They ended up being charged with theft after being caught more than once allegedly 'stealing' food from dumpsters. Prosecutors say they also ripped off several bottles of wine from inside a convenience store.
When they failed to show up for court last week, their lawyer explained it was because of a bad case of food poisoning thanks to the expired leftovers they've been forced to eat. A warrant has been issued for their arrest. (Still) -
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