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Thursday, April 30, 2020

Two More Years

CNN: Expert report predicts up to two more years of pandemic misery By Maggie Fox

Derangement

dcreport: Trump’s Derangement Threatens the Entire World - As His Mental State Disintegrates, He Will Take Millions of People Down with Him; ‘America First’ Will Come to Mean America Last By Bandy X. Lee

Quid Pro Pandemic

Washington Post: We’re all Zelensky now By Catherine Rampell
Do us a favor though: Before we provide lifesaving equipment, praise the president.

Contradicts

  Hey, when all else fails for Trump as it has, why not try starting up a war with China.

CNN: Trump contradicts US intel community by claiming he's seen evidence coronavirus originated in Chinese lab By Zachary Cohen, Alex Marquardt, Kylie Atwood and Jim Acosta

Perspective


The Age Of Trump


To The Moon

Axios: Three companies move forward in bid to bring astronauts to the Moon by Miriam Kramer
NASA is moving forward with its plans to send humans back to the surface of the Moon by 2024...

Self Congratulations

Salon: Jared Kushner has failed upward his entire life. Now he's applied that to a viral pandemic - Kushner's congratulates himself — and the Trump administration — for "great success story" with COVID-19. Lol wut? by Amanda Marcotte

The Onion - Nancy Pelosi Assures Democratic Reps They Don’t Need To Try Being Productive During Stressful Pandemic

The Onion: Nancy Pelosi Assures Democratic Reps They Don’t Need To Try Being Productive During Stressful Pandemic

Big Mistake

Guardian UK: Trump says he won't extend distancing guidelines as death toll passes 60,000 - US death toll at 60,207 as Trump delivers an update assessment and Jared Kushner says response is ‘a great success story’

Kamala

Washington Post: There’s one front-runner for Biden’s VP — regardless of what Jim Clyburn thinks By Jennifer Rubin
...I would suggest Clyburn’s remarks do not make it any less likely he will pick an African American — Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), specifically.

Pricey

  I was checking Amazon to see if my new track 'Hobo' which is scheduled to be released on May 8th was appearing on the site. While I'm doing that I stumble across this, it's a CD I put out in 2010, nice CD, but seems a little pricey to me....I have no idea why this is there.


Unemployed During A Pandemic

Washington Post: 3.8 million Americans sought jobless benefits last week, extending pandemic’s grip on the national workforce - More than 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in six weeks

Have An Excellent Thursday

work by Carl Larsson 1853 - 1919




Morning Joe - Trump Erupts At Campaign Manager Over Poll Numbers

Seth Meyers - Trump Ignored Coronavirus Warnings; Pence Refused to Wear a Mask

Stephen Colbert - Jared Kushner Declares Trump's Coronavirus Decision-Making 'A Great Success Story'

Night

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump is having a really bad night by Bill Palmer

Ban

Guardian UK: States use coronavirus to ban abortions, leaving women desperate: ‘You can’t pause a pregnancy’ - Eight US states have worked to try and halt abortions entirely during the pandemic as clinics report a rise in demand
(Texas) Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia have all seen confusion and intermittent bans as anti-abortion state politicians categorized abortion services as non-essential, and included abortion clinics in bans on elective surgical procedures.

Furious

Guardian UK: Trump v Fox News: why the president is furious at the conservative network - The president attacked Fox News and accused it of being ‘fed Democratic talking points’ – possibly over a string of anti-Trump ads due to run on the network

Abject Failure

Washington Post: Trump’s triumphant rhetoric on coronavirus testing By Glenn Kessler

Labor Market Analysis

Washington Post: How the pandemic consumed the labor market By Andrew Van Dam
Week 2, March 22 to 28: The producers (Highest week-to-week change included: manufacturing; construction; retail)

Boasting About Failure

NY Times: Trump and Kushner Engage in Revisionist History in Boasting of Success Over Virus - “We did all the right moves,” the president said Wednesday. “The federal government rose to the challenge, and this is a great success story,” said his son-in-law. By Peter Baker

Updates

NY Times: Coronavirus Live Updates: Federal Social-Distancing Guidelines Set to Expire - The weekly jobless report is expected to add millions to unemployment rolls, increasing pressure on states to ease restrictions. Dozens of bodies were found decomposing in two trucks at a Brooklyn funeral home. Another dismal jobs report is expected shortly, as the number of people who filed for unemployment over the past six weeks approaches 30 million.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. At 8:00 a.m. ET DOW futures are -60. The market is poised to open moderately lower.

CNN: Shell cuts dividend for first time since World War II as oil demand collapses By Hanna Ziady

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Losing

Washington Post: Trump presented with grim internal polling showing him losing to Biden By Josh Dawsey

Higher

NY Times: U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Is Far Higher Than Reported, C.D.C. Data Suggests By Josh Katz, Denise Lu and Margot Sanger-Katz

O.F.F.S.

  O.F.F.S. is 'oh for f**k's sake'. I mean seriously, is this the tackiest, most loathsome, money grubbing worst thing ever? The site is not connected with the actual White House although it does appear to be a Trump supporter site.

The Daily Beast: ‘White House’ Shop Sells the Gift No One Asked for: $100 COVID-19 Commemorative Coins - MONEY NOT WELL SPENT by Rachel Olding
In a sales pitch that absolutely no one has asked for, the White House Gift Shop is selling COVID-19 commemorative coins, emblazoned with slogans like “World vs The Unseen Enemy” and “Everyday HEROES Suited Up.”

Backed

Newsweek: Dr. Fauci Backed Controversial Wuhan Lab with Millions of U.S. Dollars for Risky Coronavirus Research By Fred Guterl

Acroyoga

  Not much into the music, but the movements are quite lovely.

Another Day, Anothr Lie

NY Mag: Trump Caught in Another Huge Lie About Coronavirus Tests By Jonathan Chait

New Drug

NY Times: Coronavirus Live Updates: F.D.A. Plans to Announce Emergency Use of New Drug - The U.S. economy shrank at a 4.8 percent annual rate in the first quarter. Officially, more than 53,000 have died, according to The Times’s count, but death rates suggest the true toll is far greater.

Watchdog

Axios: Watchdog turns to states for documents on Trump's coronavirus response by Sara Fischer

Governors

Salon: Back to the future: Governors outflank Trump with a new Articles of Confederation - Governors are doing their best to escape our performance-art president. But there's a reason we have a constitution by Heather Digby Parton
Because of the lack of national leadership, governors are forming regional compacts in order to try to facilitate a response that makes sense.

The Onion - Other Butter Companies Scramble To Fill Racism Void Left By Land-O-Lakes

The Onion: Other Butter Companies Scramble To Fill Racism Void Left By Land-O-Lakes

How

Get Pocket: How Past Plagues and Pandemics Have Shaped Human History by PocketPosted

Too Stupid

  There's a pay wall up around this article. The little bit that you can read for free is spot on.

The Daily Beast: Trump’s Too Stupid to Do Better. McConnell and His Republicans Have No Excuse. NOBLE PRIZE LOSERS - They understand the state of the crisis and the stakes. They just don’t seem to care, so long as those deaths are slow enough that they don’t get in the way of November. by Rick Wilson

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Hieronymus Bosch 1450 - 1516

Morning Joe - Over Half Disapprove Of Trump's Handling Of Virus - Poll

Seth Meyers - White House Schedules, Cancels And Then Reschedules Coronavirus Press Briefing

Lysol

The Palmer Report: For Donald Trump, the Lysol drinking has begun by Bill Palmer

First Thing

Guardian UK: First thing: More than a million Americans have caught the coronavirus - Almost 70 veterans have died in the worst known outbreak at a US long-term care facility. Plus, how Democrats can halt Trump’s takeover of the judiciary

Unravel

Guardian UK: Trump is unravelling – even his supporters can't ignore it now by Arwa Mahdawi
The tide now seems to have turned. Recent polls show that most Americans are unimpressed with Trump’s handling of the crisis. This includes conservatives: a Siena College poll released on Monday found that 56% of Republican voters in New York say they trust Andrew Cuomo, the state’s Democratic governor, to decide how to reopen the state over Trump.

Lethal

Washington Post: Antibody tests support what’s been obvious: Covid-19 is much more lethal than the flu By Joel Achenbach
The new serological data, which is provisional, suggests that coronavirus infections greatly outnumber confirmed covid-19 cases, potentially by a factor of 10 or more. Many people experience mild symptoms or none at all, and never get the standard diagnostic test with a swab up the nose, so they’re missed in the official covid-19 case counts.

Lies

Washington Post: Trump tests his most promising coronavirus antidote: Lies By Dana Milbank
Trump has at times speculated that the virus could be killed by an antimalarial drug and an antibiotic, or by ingesting bleach or other household disinfectants. But he has never abandoned the regular application of disinformation as his primary defense against the coronavirus.

Compare

  Reviewing the news the morning, there are these two headlines from ABC News. Compare the messages.

ABC News: Pro-Trump group plans dozens of anti-lockdown protests around the country, some in virus hot spots - The group claims the protests will be "drive-in" rallies. By Will Steakin

ABC News: Coronavirus deaths 'likely to continue to rise' in coming weeks, CDC says - There are now more than 58,000 deaths in the U.S. By Morgan Winsor and Ella Torres

Racial Conservatism AKA Racism

NY Times: Trump Hasn’t Given Up on Divide and Conquer - It worked for him before, but will the rising racial liberalism of white Democrats counter the rising racial conservatism of white Republicans? Is that even the right way to frame the question? By Thomas B. Edsall
If white Republicans and white Democrats are moving in opposite directions, as much current research suggests, Trump will retain a constituency receptive — perhaps even more receptive than it was in 2016 — to his racially divisive tactics.

Shrinking GDP

NY Times: A report on the U.S. economy is going to be bad, and there is worse to come. Government data to be released on Wednesday will almost certainly show that the U.S. economy shrank in the first quarter at its fastest rate in a decade.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. At 7:40 a.m. ET DOW futures are +133. The market is poised to open significantly higher.

CNN: US oil drops as much as 20% as oversupply concerns keep roiling markets By Jill Disis

Good Versus Bad


Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Reported


Georgia

AJC.com: Georgia men drink disinfectants in attempts to stop coronavirus By Johnny Edwards
Two people in Georgia drank liquid cleaning products over the weekend in misguided attempts to ward off COVID-19, according to the Georgia Poison Center. Both men had histories of psychiatric problems and are expected to recover.

Airplanes

Washington Post: Scientists know ways to help stop viruses from spreading on airplanes. They’re too late for this pandemic. By Michael Laris

'Infinite'

  Gorgeous work by my friend, European composer and producer Marc Vliegen, AKA Have A Cigar.

One Million

  Grim milestone as the USA passes the 1,000,000 confirmed cases mark. That means 1 in every 330 people are confirmed to have the virus. When you take a 30 minute ride in your car, how many people do you pass by, including homes and businesses. It's many more than 330 unless you are in a remote rural area.


The Onion - Undaunted Texas Waffle House Waitress Has Been Expecting To Die There Every Day For The Past 20 Years Anyway

  Definitely a poignant edge to this one.

The Onion: Undaunted Texas Waffle House Waitress Has Been Expecting To Die There Every Day For The Past 20 Years Anyway

Down

Washington Post: Republicans’ new fear: Trump will drag them down with him By Paul Waldman

Order

Axios: Trump to order meat processing plants to stay open during coronavirus pandemic by Alayna Treene

Survive

From April 10th

NY Times: The Ideas That Won’t Survive the Coronavirus - Covid-19 is killing off the myth that we are the greatest country on earth. By Viet Thanh Nguyen

Hedges

  Hedges is seriously not going to give you happy information. Always read Hedges with a sense of non commitment.

Salon: Pulitzer winner Chris Hedges: These "are the good times — compared to what's coming next" - Author of "America: The Farewell Tour": We're heading for a steep decline; Biden and the Democrats have no answers by Chauncey DeVega

The Onion - ‘The Food Supply Chain Is Breaking Down,’ Screams Tyson CEO Being Swallowed Whole By Chicken

The Onion: ‘The Food Supply Chain Is Breaking Down,’ Screams Tyson CEO Being Swallowed Whole By Chicken

Avoid

Rethinking Religion: Buddhists Don’t Have to Be Nice: Avoiding Idiot Compassion

Mike DeWine

NY Times: Ohio’s G.O.P. Governor Splits From Trump, and Rises in Popularity - Mike DeWine, a low-key career politician, has followed health experts’ guidance as Ohio confronts the coronavirus. His constituents are overwhelmingly appreciative. By Trip Gabriel
He also split decidedly with Mr. Trump by encouraging a nearly all-mail primary election on Tuesday. While the president has spread the false claim that voting by mail entails “a lot” of fraud, Mr. DeWine pushed universal absentee ballots for voters’ safety.

Have An Excellent Tuesday

work by Robert R. Crumb




Morning Joe - Why Did Trump Downplay Warnings On Coronavirus?

Seth Meyers - Trump Sinks in Polls, Claims Disinfectant Comments Were Sarcastic

Ugly

The Palmer Report: Here comes the truly ugly part by Bill Palmer

Cuomo

Guardian UK: Andrew Cuomo wishes he 'blew the bugle' on coronavirus earlier - New York governor discussed US reactions to first news of the outbreak from China in interview with Axios on HBO

Updates

Guardian UK: Coronavirus US live: Trump repeats attacks on press as deaths continue to mount

Asleep At The Wheel

Washington Post: President’s intelligence briefing book repeatedly cited virus threat By Greg Miller and Ellen Nakashima

Covid 19 And Cancer

Washington Post: Patients with certain cancers are nearly three times more likely to die of covid-19, study says - Those with blood or lung malignancies, or tumors that have spread throughout the body, were at highest risk of complications and death. By Laurie McGinley
Cancer patients also were more likely to experience “severe events,” such as being admitted to intensive care units and needing mechanical ventilation, than people without cancer.

Re-Opening

NY Times: U.S. Governors Move Ahead With Reopening, Despite Health Worries - Several states, including Texas and Florida, have stay-at-home orders expiring this week. “That executive order has done its job to slow the growth of Covid-19,” Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said. By Jack Healy, Manny Fernandez and Peter Baker

Updates

NY Times: Coronavirus Live Updates: Trump’s Plan to Expand Testing Falls Short, Experts Warn - At least a dozen U.S. states forged ahead with a variety of strategies to ease restrictions. Rhode Island’s testing strategy helps discover infections that might have gone overlooked elsewhere. The relief program for small businesses faltered again. President Trump defended the nation’s testing capability on Twitter, though numerous public health experts have said it is insufficient to begin opening up the country.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. At 9:00 a.m. ET DOW futures are +386. The market is poised to open significantly higher.

CNN: Could US oil prices go negative again? It's possible By Julia Horowitz

Improve

Get Pocket: 11 Simple Ways to Improve Your Memory - Long-term, immediate, and habitual methods for keeping your memories fresh and clear.
2. Don’t Walk Through a Doorway.

Monday, April 27, 2020

Warning About Trump

World Mental Health Coalition: Prescription For Survival

Washington Post - The White House Needs To Answer Coronavirus Questions, Not Play Musical Chairs With CNN

Why


Rants

Washington Post: We should be worried about Trump’s rants By Eugene Robinson
“Sarcasm” is becoming a familiar claim from the president. After speculating nonsensically last week at a coronavirus briefing that disinfectants or powerful light could be used “inside the body” to combat covid-19, and being widely ridiculed for the suggestion, Trump claimed he was just being sarcastic

Impeached And Imbleached


Don 'Campbellock' Campbell Dies

  Amazing dancer - watch this. I know you will remember him.

Tragedy

Unbearably tragic and sad.

NY Times: Top E.R. Doctor Who Treated Virus Patients Dies by Suicide - “She tried to do her job, and it killed her,” said the father of Dr. Lorna M. Breen, who worked at a Manhattan hospital hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. By Ali Watkins, Michael Rothfeld, William K. Rashbaum and Brian M. Rosenthal

Kind

Get Pocket: People Constantly Underestimate How Much They Benefit From Being Kind - How compassion unlocks our capacity for self-improvement. by James Dennin

Insanity

  Fascintating. GOP governors are acting as if the Covid-19 pandemic is magically over. Meanwhile back in the reality, the number of confirmed cases in the USA will hit 1,000,000 in a day or two, and similarly we will also reach the grim milestone of 60,000 deaths in a day or two.

Axios: Texas governor to allow stay-at-home order to expire on April 30 by Ursula Perano

The Onion - Trump Accuses New York Of Padding State’s Mortality Rate By Including African American Deaths

The Onion: Trump Accuses New York Of Padding State’s Mortality Rate By Including African American Deaths

Positive

CBS17: ReOpen NC leader says she tested positive for COVID-19

He's Back

NY Times: The White House canceled — and then rescheduled — Monday’s daily briefing with the task force.

Gaslighter In Chief

Salon: Gaslighting on Lysol-gate: Now Trump is denying he said what we heard him say - Gaslighting isn't just a fancy word for lying — it's an assault on truth, evidence and our perception of reality by Amanda Marcotte

The Onion - ‘A Dash Of Soap Bubbles, 2 Pinches Of Sunshine, And Just A Drop Of Imagination’ Says Top Hat-Wearing Trump Pouring Ingredients Into Fizzing Concoction

The Onion: ‘A Dash Of Soap Bubbles, 2 Pinches Of Sunshine, And Just A Drop Of Imagination’ Says Top Hat-Wearing Trump Pouring Ingredients Into Fizzing Concoction

Failed

CNN: Why Trump failed his nation By David Axelrod

Xenophobia

Guardian UK: Donald Trump set to fall back on xenophobia with re-election plan in tatters - The president had been intending to campaign on a strong economy and facing a socialist opponent but scapegoating foreigners has worked for him before by David Smith in Washington

Have An Excellent Monday

work by Haitian artist Jasmin Joseph 1924 - 2005




Morning Joe - The President Walks Back Disinfectant Suggestion

NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

The Free Nationals Feat. Anderson Paak, Chronixx and India Shawn

Pieces

The Palmer Report: White House correspondent Brian Karem rips Donald Trump to pieces by Bill Palmer

Uniting

Guardian UK: The US states uniting to combat coronavirus amid leadership vacuum - States are banding together to fend for themselves, raising fears – or hopes – that the federal government’s grip will be lessened

Warned

Guardian UK: US was warned of threat from anti-vaxxers in event of pandemic - FBI-connected researchers suggested biggest threat in controlling outbreak was from ‘those who categorically reject vaccination’

Updates

Washington Post: Live updates: Italy will ease coronavirus lockdown as global cases near 3 million; Americans show signs of ‘quarantine fatigue’

Months

Washington Post: Social distancing could last months, White House coronavirus coordinator says

The Advantages Of An Intelligent Leader

The Daily Beast: New Zealand’s Prime Minister: We Have ‘Currently Eliminated’ Coronavirus
New Zealand says it has successfully managed to stop community transmission of COVID-19. With new cases in single figures for several days, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the virus was “currently” eliminated.

New York

NY Times: Governor Cuomo said that some businesses upstate might open after May 15.
...regions of New York that were less hard hit by the coronavirus might be able to open “low-risk” businesses like construction and manufacturing.

Self Praise Narcissism

NY Times: 260,000 Words, Full of Self-Praise, From Trump on the Virus By Jeremy W. Peters, Elaina Plott and Maggie Haberman
“He’s worked, like, probably as hard or harder than anybody,” Mr. Trump said. Then he corrected himself: “Other than maybe Mike Pence — or me.”

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. At 7:55 a.m. ET DOW futures are +205. The market is poised to open significantly higher.

CNN: Amazon may be the ultimate coronavirus-proof stock By Paul R. La Monica

Friday, April 24, 2020

Weekend!

  Have an excellent weekend and see you bright and early Monday morning.

work by Henry Farrer 1844-1903




Heartbreaking

  Say a prayer for these people.

CNN: The 5-month-old daughter of a New York firefighter dies from coronavirus By Sarah Jorgensen and Scottie Andrew,

America's Asinine President

NY Times: Trump’s Suggestion That Disinfectants Could Be Used to Treat Coronavirus Prompts Aggressive Pushback - Responding to the criticism from public health officials around the country, the president said he was playing a trick on reporters. By Katie Rogers, Christine Hauser, Alan Yuhas and Maggie Haberman
Injecting bleach or highly concentrated rubbing alcohol “causes massive organ damage and the blood cells in the body to basically burst,” Dr. Diane P. Calello, the medical director of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, said in an interview. “It can definitely be a fatal event.”

Even the makers of Clorox and Lysol pleaded with Americans not to inject or ingest their products.

A Ray Of Light

Axios: Trump plans to cut daily coronavirus briefings

Shocked

NBC News: Trump's remarks on disinfectants left even close aides shocked - West Wing aides and members of the coronavirus task force were taken aback by the president's "off-the-cuff" remarks.
On Friday the Maryland Emergency Management Agency issued an alert that it had “received several calls regarding questions about disinfectant use” and the coronavirus, warning residents that “under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body.”

Owes

Politico: Trump owes tens of millions to the Bank of China — and the loan is due soon - The president's financial dealings with the state-owned bank complicate his attacks on Biden.

Miracle Brainstormer

NY Magazine: Trump Thinks His Job Is Brainstorming Miracle Coronavirus Cures By Jonathan Chait

NY Is On It

The Hill: Cuomo orders postage-paid absentee ballot applications to be sent to all New York voters By Max Greenwood

Never Ever Take Responsibility

NBC News: Trump says he was being sarcastic with comments about injecting disinfectants - The president has faced widespread condemnation for his suggestions about how to treat COVID-19.

Enough Is Enough

Salon: Now that Trump has suggested we shoot up Lysol, can cable news stop airing this crap? "I'm like a person who has a good," said the president of the United States, pointing to his head. Fact check: No by Amanda Marcotte

The Onion - Man Just Buying One Of Every Cleaning Product In Case Trump Announces It’s Coronavirus Cure

The Onion: Man Just Buying One Of Every Cleaning Product In Case Trump Announces It’s Coronavirus Cure

Magical Insane Thinking On Full Display In Georgia

CNN: Georgia reopens hair salons, gyms and bowling alleys despite rise in coronavirus deaths statewide By Faith Karimi

Blood Sugar

Scientific American: How Blood Sugar Can Trigger a Deadly Immune Response in the Flu and Possibly COVID-19 - Glucose metabolism plays a key role in the cytokine storm seen in influenza, and the link could have potential implications for novel coronavirus infections By Tanya Lewis

Indeed


Have An Excellent Friday

Randy Newman - 'Stay Away'

Morning Joe - Trump Suggests Disinfectant To Kill Virus Inside The Body

Stephen Colbert - Mitch McConnell's 'Screw The States' Plan Riles Lawmakers From Both Parties

Lunatic

NY Times: Home Alone at the White House: A Sour President, With TV His Constant Companion - As his administration grapples with reopening the economy and responding to the coronavirus crisis, President Trump worries about his re-election and how the news media is portraying him. By Katie Rogers and Annie Karni
Mr. Trump rarely attends the task force meetings that precede the briefings, and he typically does not prepare before he steps in front of the cameras. He is often seeing the final version of the day’s main talking points that aides have prepared for him for the first time although aides said he makes tweaks with a Sharpie just before he reads them live. He hastily plows through them, usually in a monotone, in order to get to the question-and-answer bullying session with reporters that he relishes.

Lunatic

The Palmer Report: Exposed: Donald Trump’s own babysitters admit he’s even further gone than we thought by Bill Palmer

Lunatic

Guardian UK: Coronavirus: medical experts denounce Trump's theory of 'disinfectant injection' - Doctors warn US president’s musings on disinfectant as a cure for coronavirus could lead to death

Here Comes The Second Wave

Guardian UK: Governors' push to reopen states risks second wave of infection, experts warn - Experts say too early to scale down US stay-at-home orders - Georgia and Oklahoma among states keen to relax restrictions

Tragedy

Washington Post: A 100-year-old WWII veteran dies of the coronavirus a century after the flu pandemic killed his twin By Meagan Flynn

Lunatic

Washington Post: Trump asked if disinfectants could be injected to kill the coronavirus inside the body. Doctors answered: ‘People will die.’ By Allyson Chiu and Katie Shepherd

Did I Have It

  I was sick as a dog in February. I had the worst flu of my life, this is true. My voice was an octave lower for a solid week.

NY Times: Amid Signs Coronavirus Came Earlier, Americans Ask: Did I Already Have It? New revelations have left people wondering about ailments early this year. Doctors are thinking back to unexplained cases. Medical examiners are looking for possible misdiagnosed deaths. By Julie Bosman, Amy Harmon and Thomas Fuller
“I’ve started to think it was the coronavirus,” said Julie Parks, a 63-year-old employee who was among the sick. “I may have had it, but I can’t be sure. It’s limbo.”

Lunatic

NY Times: Trump Asks if Sunlight Can Kill Viruses. ‘Not as a Treatment,’ Birx Says. At a briefing, the president promoted unproven treatments and asked Dr. Deborah Birx if she had heard of the success of sunlight as a tool against viruses. By William J. Broad and Dan Levin
“And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute — one minute — and is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning?”

The Market On Friday

  Good morning. At 8:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +157. The market is poised to open significantly higher.

CNN: Investors may be learning not to pin their hopes on coronavirus treatments By Julia Horowitz

Mad Man

  There's over the top and then there's this. There are no words to describe how unbelievable this is.

Vanity Fair: Yes, Trump Actually Suggested Injecting Disinfectants Into Your Veins Could Cure Coronavirus - Please, please do not follow this advice.

January

CNN: Coronavirus spread 'under the radar' in US major cities since January, researchers say By Nicole Chavez, Faith Karimi and Eric Levenson

Thursday, April 23, 2020

The Leader Of The Free World


Tally

Reuters: U.S. coronavirus deaths top 49,000, averaging 2,000 lives lost a day: Reuters tally

Updates

NY Times: Cuomo Says 21% of Those Tested in N.Y.C. Had Virus Antibodies: Live Updates - The preliminary data suggests that many more New Yorkers may have been infected than was previously believed. A top New York City health official warned against relying heavily on antibody tests in making decisions about social distancing and restarting the economy.

No Experience

Pro Publica: How Jared Kushner Is Tackling the White House’s Coronavirus Response — Without Any Evident Experience - The president’s son-in-law and adviser has added the emergency-response supply chain to his extensive list of duties. He views himself as a disrupter — but that’s not always a good thing. by Andrea Bernstein

Flop

Axios: Gilead's coronavirus drug flops in first major trial by Bob Herman

Child Soldiers

Salon: Yale psychiatrist Bandy Lee: Lockdown protesters resemble “child soldiers” and “urban gangs” - Dr. Bandy X. Lee says Trump is "practicing 'total authority' and putting his armed troops in the streets" by Igor Derysh

The Borowitz Report - Texas’s Lieutenant Governor Says Dying Not As Bad As Living In State Where He Is Lieutenant Governor

New Yorker: Texas’s Lieutenant Governor Says Dying Not as Bad as Living in State Where He Is Lieutenant Governor By Andy Borowitz

Brother

Boston Globe: Elizabeth Warren’s oldest brother dies of coronavirus in Oklahoma By Jess Bidgood

Whoa

The Hill: 4 more tigers and 3 lions test positive for coronavirus at Bronx zoo By Rebecca Klar

Global Warming

CBS News: How the coronavirus pandemic could affect climate change - As countries implement stay-at-home restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19, skies are clearing and waterways are filling with fish and wildlife. But experts say the 5.5% reduction in emissions we've seen amid the pandemic won't stop climate change.

Nailed It


How To

Harvard Business Review: How to Persuade People to Change Their Behavior by Jonah Berge

Majority


Unemployment


Peak?

  The daily cases reported graph is showing a slow down. Is this a trend, are there more unreported cases that if reported would change the shape of the graph, I wish I knew. Regardless, there is a shift according to the graph.


Vaccine

CNN: Covid-19 vaccine trial on humans starts as UK warns restrictions could stay in place until next year By Sarah Dean

Sad Story

  If someone says it's all a hoax, and then gets the virus and dies from it, leave the family alone. The person is dead. It no longer matters that you were 'right' or whatever. Show some respect. Don't be worse than these anti-lockdown protestors making a dangerous stink about something they obviously have not taken the time to understand.

Washington Post: He criticized lockdown measures before getting covid-19. As strangers vilified him, his family canceled the live-stream of his funeral.

Mistake

Washington Post: States rushing to reopen are likely making a deadly error, coronavirus models and experts warn - Closing America was hard. Science suggests reopening amid coronavirus will be even harder. By William Wan, Carolyn Y. Johnson and Joel Achenbach

Have An Excellent Thursday

work by Srijon Chowdhury



Albany NY On Wednesday

  What a disgrace.

Times Union: Hundreds gather at the Capitol to protest state shutdown by Cayla Harris

Chris Hayes - Federal Doc Reportedly Ousted For Questioning Trump’s Favored COVID-19 Treatment

Stephen Colbert - President Trump, You're Going To Have To Do The Unthinkable - Your Job

Nancy

The Palmer Report: Nancy Pelosi just took a blowtorch to Donald Trump by Bill Palmer

Georgia

Guardian UK: 'It's way too early': Georgia businesses wary of governor's invitation to reopen - Critics say Brian Kemp’s decision to let nail salons, bowling alleys and restaurants open is political and not based on medical advice

China

Guardian UK: China coronavirus cases may have been four times official figure, says study - More than 232,000 could have been infected in first wave, compared with then-official total of 55,000, as US envoy calls for rethink of US-China relationship

Updates

Washington Post: Live updates: Global pressure mounts for inquiry into coronavirus outbreak’s origins; U.S. braces for more gloomy jobless figures

Line

Washington Post: Under Trump, coronavirus scientists can speak — as long as they mostly toe the line By Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, Yasmeen Abutaleb and Lena H. Sun

Why

NY Times: Trump: Why Waste a Crisis? The global pandemic is his latest rationale for enacting longstanding conservative goals.

Earlier

NY Times: Hidden Outbreaks Spread Through U.S. Cities Far Earlier Than Americans Knew, Estimates Say By Benedict Carey and James Glanz
Even in early February — while the world focused on China — the virus was not only likely to be spreading in multiple American cities, but also seeding blooms of infection elsewhere in the United States, the researchers found.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. At 7:00 a.m. ET DOW futures are -52. The market is poised to open moderately lower.

CNN: The New York Stock Exchange could reopen in phases beginning in May By Alison Kosik

First

CNN: A seemingly healthy woman's sudden death is now the first known US coronavirus-related fatality, LA Times reports By Sarah Moon

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Virus Progression


No Play No Pay

NY Times: Health Dept. Official Says Doubts on Hydroxychloroquine Led to His Ouster - Rick Bright was abruptly dismissed this week as the director of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. By Michael D. Shear and Maggie Haberman
...he was removed from his post after he pressed for rigorous vetting of hydroxychloroquine...

Horizon

Venus, Earth, The Moon, Mars, Titan


Complications

  Please read this article.

Washington Post: A mysterious blood-clotting complication is killing coronavirus patients - Once thought a relatively straightforward respiratory virus, covid-19 is proving to be much more frightening By Ariana Eunjung Cha
They’ve since seen how covid-19 attacks not only the lungs, but also the kidneys, heart, intestines, liver and brain.

Patients who by all conventional measures seem to have mild disease deteriorating within minutes and dying at home.

Autopsies have shown some people’s lungs fill with hundreds of microclots. Errant blood clots of a larger size can break off and travel to the brain or heart, causing a stroke or heart attack.

Absolute Dysfunction

Rolling Stone: Absolute Clusterf–k’: Inside the Denial and Dysfunction of Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force - Missed warnings, conflicting messages, and broken promises — how the White House fumbled its response to the worst pandemic in a century By Andy Krol

Low

Salon: Is the official COVID-19 death count too low? Funeral directors, EMS workers say yes - We're fixated on the official data, which is bad enough. But we may be missing a bigger and more lethal picture by Bob Hennelly

The Onion - Protesters Demand States Reopen, Notice Spike In Coronavirus Cases, Infuriate Them By Locking Down Again

The Onion: Protesters Demand States Reopen, Notice Spike In Coronavirus Cases, Infuriate Them By Locking Down Again

Normal

Washington Post: In Florida, we love our beaches. Thanks to our governor, now we can die for them. The Sunshine State is returning to ‘normal’ after the pandemic. Whatever that means here. By Diane Roberts
And so DeSantis has dithered, obfuscated and delayed. He wouldn’t tell Floridians to stay home until he got the go-ahead from Trump; like Trump, he shills hydroxychloroquine as a supposed coronavirus miracle cure.

Hair

Wired: How to Cut Your Hair at Home - Unless you're lucky enough to be quarantined with a hair care professional, you might be getting desperate for a trim. Let us help you avoid a DIY disaster.

This Aged Well


Praise

The Atlantic: Calling Me a Hero Only Makes You Feel Better - I work in a grocery store. All this grandiose praise rings insincere. by Karleigh Frisbie Brogan

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Gary Ernest Smith




Morning Joe - CDC Director Issues Warning About Second Wave Of Virus

Stephen Colbert - Trump's Immigration Bombshell Came, As Always, Via Tweet

Comment

  I've been looking through the news like you and everybody else searching for signs of some improvement or just something that is positive, some light at the end of the tunnel. There is a lot of work going on to rapidly produce a vaccine, doctors are becoming more and more aware of the virus' effects, but unfortunately the numbers are not good. The news that the CDC is warning of a second wave next Winter is particularly disturbing. I do not mean to be an alarmist here, yet it is an alarming time.

  The only good news I'm seeing is that Trump's approval is dropping. His rally behind the president gain has loosened, it was indeed temporary. Trump must go this is imperative. We are also learning that the anti-lockdown protests are funded by some deep pocket individuals with previous ties to Trump, Mercer is in the mix.

  Keep social distancing, stay healthy. We tend to see our financial losses as severely troubling, but look at it this way. If you or I were on a respirator fighting for our lives, the sudden drop in our present financial status would have no relevance at all. We would easily trade all of it for our life. Right now, your health is your most important asset.

Desperate

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump is self destructing by Bill Palmer

Updates

Guardian UK: Coronavirus live news: UN warns of 'biblical' famine; first case seen in Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
Officials in Beijing dismissed the US state of Missouri’s move to sue the Chinese government over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak as “nothing short of absurdity” and lacking any factual or legal basis.

Lacking Basic Human Emotion

Guardian UK: Consoler-in-chief? Lacking empathy, Trump weighs the economic costs, not the human ones
But Trump has especially fallen short as consoler-in-chief during the coronavirus crisis, analysts say, failing day after day to muster expressions of sympathy for victims and their families as the death toll in America increased into the tens of thousands.

The Backers

Washington Post: Inside the conservative networks backing anti-quarantine protests By Isaac Stanley-Becker and Tony Romm
In Michigan, among those organizing “Operation Gridlock” was Meshawn Maddock, who sits on the Trump campaign’s advisory board and is a prominent figure in the “Women for Trump” coalition.

Second Wave

Washington Post: CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus is likely to be even more devastating By Lena H. Sun
“There’s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said...“And when I’ve said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don’t understand what I mean.”

“We’re going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time,” he said.

Compare

NY Times: State by State: Comparing Coronavirus Death Rates Across U.S. By Lazaro Gamio
In Georgia, a funeral in the small city of Albany became a super-spreader event. Three counties near this city have some of the highest per capita rate of infections outside of the New York area.

Updates

NY Times: Coronavirus Live Updates: Clues Emerge on Virus’s Path; Trump Orders Halt on Green Cards - President Trump said he would sign the order on Wednesday. The first known death from the illness in the U.S. came weeks earlier than thought. The Senate approved a $484 billion relief plan. President Trump said on Twitter he would sign an executive order on Wednesday to limit immigration because of the coronavirus.
...the medical examiner of Santa Clara California revealed that two people who died in their homes in early February were infected with the coronavirus — weeks before the first officially recorded death in Seattle.

The Market On Wendesday

  Good morning. At 8:00 a.m. ET DOW futures are +243. The market is poised to open significantly higher.

CNN: Global oil prices hit 21-year low but stock markets edge higher By Jazmin Goodwin, Laura He and Mark Thompson

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Here's Your Hoax Trump

National Review: Coronavirus Kills More Americans in One Month Than the Flu Kills in One Year By John McCormack

No Comment

  Gee, who could have seen this coming.

The Hill: Kentucky sees highest spike in coronavirus cases after protests against lockdown - This comes after a Louisville church filed a lawsuit against the state’s stay-at-home orders. By Alexandra Kelley

U.A.W.

AP News: United Auto Workers union backs Democrat Biden for president

Indeed

Newsweek: GOP Texas Lieutenant Governor Says We Need to Take Risk to Get Back to Work: 'There Are More Important Things Than Living' By Brendan Cole

The Other Freedom


What Pandemic?

  Apparently there is no pandemic or, voila, it somehow disappeared. Barr is now threatening legal action against governors who lock it down.

Bloomberg: Barr Threatens Legal Action Against Governors Over Lockdowns By Chris Strohm

Hydroxychloroquine

  Gee maybe it's not all Trump makes it out to be.

AP News: More deaths, no benefit from malaria drug in VA virus study By MARILYNN MARCHIONE
About 28% who were given hydroxychloroquine plus usual care died, versus 11% of those getting routine care alone.

Racism

Salon: No, Mr. So-Called President, racism won't stop the coronavirus - Trump wants a scapegoat, as always — but an immigration ban won't slow the pandemic or enable widespread testing by Amanda Marcotte

The Onion - Walgreens Introduces New Dumbass-Only Shopping Hours For Dipshits Who Don’t Know How To Stay 6 Feet Away

The Onion: Walgreens Introduces New Dumbass-Only Shopping Hours For Dipshits Who Don’t Know How To Stay 6 Feet Away

Chronic

Scientific American: Is Chronic Anxiety a Learning Disorder? Some psychiatrists think it might be, but the data are still too sparse to be sure.

Yes He Is


Illogical

  Republican governors are banking on magical thinking. They want to re-open their states hoping that the virus is somehow or other all of a sudden not a problem because the death rate is not 200,000, so far, and is now 'only' running up to 50,000.

CNN: This Republican's logic on reopening the country is totally illogical Analysis by Chris Cillizza

Increase In Domestic Violence

Town Of Bethlehem: Domestic Violence/Abuse Telephone Numbers and Resources - As we all deal with the multiple effects that COVID-19 is having on us, the Bethlehem Police Department, and many other local law enforcement agencies are seeing a substantial increase in domestic violence related offenses and incidents. Know that there is help, and these difficult times can lead to added stress, tension and anxiety for everyone. Together we will work through this issues to be stronger than before. Help is available:

What To Do

Washington Post: Journalists are tasked with reporting the truth. So what to do when Trump lies? by Eugene Robinson

Have An Excellent Tuesday

Coldplay - NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Stephen Colbert - Trump Indulges His Penchant For Chanting Mobs By Tweeting Encouragement To Lockdown Protesters

Lawrence O'Donnell - What’s Behind The Protests Against Social Distancing Restrictions?

Stacey

The Palmer Report: Stacey Abrams slam dunks Georgia’s idiot Governor Brian Kemp by Bill Palmer

America The Beggar Nation

Guardian UK: Maryland obtains 500,000 coronavirus tests from South Korea - Move raises questions about governor’s need to circumvent the federal government to obtain critical supplies

Warning

Guardian UK: Fauci warns Covid-19 cases could surge if stay-home orders lifted too quickly - Infectious disease expert says US must not ‘jump the gun’ - US approaching 800,000 coronavirus cases