Doris O'Brien is a retired college Speech teacher and banker. She has published two books of humor (Up or Down With Women's Liberation and Humor Me a Little) and for many years contributed light verse to the Pepper 'n Salt column of the Wall Street Journal. She is an avid writer of letters to the editors.
Doris celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary in the same year she welcomed her first grandchild. She now lives in Pasadena with a great view of the San Gabriel mountains — and the annual Tournament of Roses Parade.
She can be reached by e-mail: witsendob at (@) gmail.com
The Hidden US COVID-19 Pandemic: Orphaned Children – More than 140,000 US Children Lost a Primary or Secondary Caregiver Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
One US child loses a parent or caregiver for every four COVID-19 deaths, a new modeling study published in Pediatrics reveals. The findings illustrate orphanhood as a hidden and ongoing secondary tragedy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes that identifying and caring for these children throughout their development is a necessary and urgent part of the pandemic response – both for as long as the pandemic continues, as well as in the post-pandemic era ... In the closing words of the paper, “Effective action to reduce health disparities and protect children from direct and secondary harms from COVID-19 is a public health and moral imperative.” more »
Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking: Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco Testifies on Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco: "...the original passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994, as you have noted Mr. Chairman, had a major impact on my own life. At the time I was a young staff member on this Committee, working for then-Chairman Biden, and one of my responsibilities included responding to letters from people who wrote to the Committee. Time and again, I read firsthand accounts not only about the violence that too many people — mostly women — suffered at the hands of their intimate partners, but also about the lack of accountability for these crimes. Statistics the Committee reported during that period painted a very grim picture: 98% of rape victims never saw their attacker caught, tried and imprisoned — meaning almost all perpetrators of rape walked free. Fewer than half of people arrested for rape were convicted, and almost half of convicted rapists could expect to serve a year or less in jail." more »
A Scout Report Selection: Science-Based Medicine
Science Based Medicine features blog-style posts offering the latest evidence about medical claims, news about recent scientific discoveries, and commentary on issues of contemporary and perennial interest. Readers can scroll through the latest posts or find those organized by popular topics such as Chiropractic, Energy Medicine, Nutrition, Health Fraud, and even Veterinary Medicine. Second, in the Reference drop-down menu, SBM offers materials on major topics and issues such as Homeopathy, Vaccines & Autism, and Acupuncture. more »
Quarantined By Adrienne G. Cannon: After a 10 Day Waiting Period, I Test “Negative!”
Adrienne Cannon Writes: "I sit down and try to understand what my life will be for the next few days. I can swim in an outdoor pool. No! too risky for fellow swimmers. I can take a walk outside. No! Not in a community of older friends and neighbors. I see I have a special date on the calendar — the first rehearsal of the concert band that has been shut down for a year. I play a woodwind instrument and I calculate immediately that I will have to miss that event — I play a “wind” instrument that I translate into “aerosol droplet spread.” I have to accept that I am quarantined within my walls for the duration." more »
