February 23, 2021  (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• The Texas grid got crushed because its operators didn’t see the need to prepare for cold weather  (Washington Post)
• Biden says US is securing 600 million vaccine doses by July (10 News)
• “I Don’t Trust the People Above Me”: Riot Squad Cops Open Up About Disastrous Response to Capitol Insurrection (Pro Publica)
• Migrant parents separated from children since 2018 are reunited at LAX (Los Angeles Times)
• Capitol Police Officer Who Led Rioters Away Gets Congressional Gold Medal
• Biden’s Civilian Climate Corps comes straight out of the New Deal (Grist)
• Montana senator says he'll 'block' Deb Haaland's Interior nomination (Indian Country Today)
• Someone tried to poison a Florida city’s water supply during hack (Tampa Bay)
• Biden says women dropping out of workforce, closed schools are "national emergency" (CBS)
• House votes to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from committee assignments (CNN)

WORLD

• U.S. officially rejoins the Paris climate accord (CNN)
• Israel reopens for business after half the nation has Covid jab – but you need ‘vaccine passport’ app to visit the gym (The Sun)
• Iran produces uranium metal, IAEA says, in latest breach of deal (Reuters)
• Sudan says Ethiopian forces crossed border, raising tensions
• European rights advocate asks Russia to explain police action over protests (Reuters)
  
   

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By José A. Álvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office

February 22, 2021 (Lemon Grove/Otay Mesa) - New COVID-19 vaccinations sites are opening in Lemon Grove and Otay Mesa, the County Health and Human Services Agency announced today.

February 22, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• From airports to sporting events, dogs are being used to detect COVID-19 in humans (10 News)
• In-Depth: Why heart medication could help some COVID long haulers (10 News) 
• Biden administration asks Supreme Court to uphold health law (San Diego Union-Tribune) 
• COVID Deadlier for Native Americans Than Other Groups (WebMD
• PFAS exposure linked with worse COVID-19 outcomes (Harvard School of Public Health)
• One in eight recovered COVID patients die from illness complications within 5 months: UK study (New York Post)
• Imaging Reveals How COVID Can ‘Cause the Body to Attack Itself,' Study Shows (NBC San Diego)
• Instagram bans Robert F Kennedy over Coronavirus vaccine misinformation (Variety.com)
• COVID-19 has already cut U.S. life expectancy by a year. For Black Americans, it’s worse (PBS)
• How a powerful corporate consulting firm helped create the opioid epidemic (PBS)
• While ER visits were down last year, drug overdoses increased amid pandemic (USA Today)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• AT&T scrambles to install fiber for 90-year-old after his viral WSJ ad (Ars Technica)
• Study finds ‘forever chemicals’ can lead to severe COVID-19 cases (Daytona Daily News)
• Robinhood CEO admits communications shortcomings, ahead of House testimony (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Capitol under heavy security at nightfall on Jan. 6, after the attack

February 21, 2021 (Washington D.C.) – On February 13, 57 Senators including seven Republicans voted to convict Donald Trump of inciting the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6.  But the action fell 10 votes short of the two-thirds margin needed for conviction. 

By Ricardo Cano, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.

Photo:  Gavin Newsom briefs the press in late December on his plan for reopening schools. Image from livestream

February 21, 2021 (Sacramento) - Disagreements between California’s Democratic-controlled Legislature and its Democratic governor over a plan to reopen schools came to a head this week as lawmakers introduced a bill they say would safely bring students back to campus this spring.

By Miriam Raftery

February 20, 2021(Alpine) – The Sheriff’s department seeks help from the public to solve a felony animal cruelty case. Deputies responded to a call reporting suspicious circumstances in the 400 block of Peutz Valley Road in Alpine shortly after 8 a.m. on Feb. 19 found ten animals dead in a pen including lambs, goats and a ram.

According to Lt. Anthony O’Boyle, the property owners are victims who are out of state when the deaths occurred.  “A relative was coming by to check up on and feed the animals. When the relative arrived yesterday morning, she found the animals deceased,” he said.

East County News Service

February 19, 2021 (San Diego) - Some local vaccination sites are postponing appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine due to not receiving vaccine shipments, in part due to shipping delays caused by severe winter storms in several states, and in part due to delays in shipments of Moderna’s vaccine.

The vaccine super-station at Petco Park is pausing all appointments through at least Saturday; the closure may be extended through Monday depending on when more vaccine doses arrive.

The North County Super Station in San Marcos and some other county-run sites are offering only appointments for second doses of the vaccine currently. Cancelled appointments for first doses will be rescheduled over the next week, so be sure to check your email.

However the Grossmont Center and Chula Vista sites run by Sharp are still offering first and second dose appointments with the Pfizer vaccine.