Bits 'n pieces from east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling:

B.1.1.7. is the official name of the coronavirus variant first found in Great Britain in September and is now appearing in the U.S. A Harvard epidemiologist talking to The New York Times describes this new development as “pretty grim.” While B.1.1.7. is not yet regarded as more deadly, it does appear to spread more rapidly, leading to potentially higher numbers of deaths from that and other illnesses.

Last weekend, President Donald Trump tried to get the Georgia Secretary of State — a Republican — to change the outcome of the presidential election in that state. The Washington Post released the audio recording. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told Trump that the state had done both a hand re-tally and a recount of ballots and all the numbers matched the initial count that favored President-Elect Joe Biden.

Trump insisted, saying, “I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break.”

Trump’s phone call to Georgia is an impeachable offense, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington stated. It amounts to trying to rig an election. CREW has filed a criminal complaint with the Justice Department and Georgia’s Fulton County District Attorney.

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) stated on Facebook recently that not a single Congressional Republican appears to think the election was fraudulent. “Instead, I hear them talk about their worries about how they will ‘look’ to President Trump’s most ardent supporters,” he said.

Rethinking workplace routines after COVID-19: TIME says a New York marketing firm cut meetings by 50 percent and kept salaries the same. Within two months, employees’ had more creative work and increased productivity. Ideas being experimented elsewhere include office space as a retreat from working at home, taking off one Friday a month, encouraging entry into the more focused “flow” state (such less time with emails, and “do not disturb” notices), cutting meetings in half and structuring meetings so more dominant personalities don’t take over.

Congress overrode Trump’s veto of the $741 billion National Defense Authorization Act. The president objected to contents that would rename military bases named for Confederate leaders. He also demanded repeal of Section 230 as a punishment for social media companies because it protects tech giants like Facebook from being held liable for what is posted.

The bill includes a three percent pay increase for service members, higher pay for hazardous duty and new benefits for Vietnam War-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange, as well as tightening up prevention measures that target shell companies that evade anti-money-laundering rules, according to The New York Times. Both Republican and Democratic leaders disagreed with Trump’s veto. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he supports the bill since it gives a boost to those defending American lives and interests. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) described Trump’s veto as “staggeringly reckless,” especially so since the nation recently was targeted with a massive cyber attack, Business Insider reported.

Blast from the past: The current challenge by congressional Republicans to the outcome of the 2020 presidential election is said to be inspired by the chaos of the 1876 election. But historian Heather C. Richardson says there are no strong parallels. In 1876, both parties were corrupt and voters were not easily able to conceal how they voted. Ballot boxes could be stuffed or broken into prior to reporting the results. There were accusations of voters being terrorized at some polling places to deter them, and, in at least one state 101 percent of all voters cast a vote. Today, the election process has evolved so that both parties observe the process and certified results are (and have already been) delivered to Congress.