Balloon Juice | Anne Laurie, Author at Balloon Juice

Anne Laurie has been a Balloon Juice writer since 2009.

Sunday Morning Open Thread: Performance Art

by Anne Laurie| September 26, 20218:52 am| 31 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Popular Culture

Tony Awards 2021 will be hosted by Audra McDonald & Broadway's Back will be hosted by Leslie Odom Jr.#TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/zAdFgT91K4

— Watch Tony Awards 2021 Live Stream Broadway’s Back (@tonyawards2021) September 22, 2021

Of course, some of you have already scheduled your evening around this event, and the rest of you don’t care, but *shrug* it’s the weekend…

How To Watch the 2021 Tony Awards https://t.co/XlPLoku61M pic.twitter.com/cCLytskDj5

— Melly Marena (@MarenaMelly) September 24, 2021

… The shows being celebrated on Sunday include the Alanis Morissette jukebox musical Jagged Little Pill, Jeremy O. Harris’s transcendent Slave Play (which, with 12 nominations, has become the most Tony-nominated play in history), and Matthew Lopez’s epic, seven-hour “play of the century,” The Inheritance. Only 18 productions were eligible for awards—down from 34 at the 2019 ceremony—suggesting that the night will be somewhat more intimate than usual; however, a two-hour concert special—“The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!,” hosted by Tony and Grammy award-winning actor Leslie Odom Jr.—is certain to bring some vibrancy to the proceedings.

Beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday, the first half of the night—when most of the awards will be announced—will be hosted by six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald and stream exclusively on Paramount+ (which, blessedly, offers a free trial period). A concert celebrating the return of Broadway will follow, airing on CBS at 9 p.m. ET. Cord-cutters, don’t despair; you too can enjoy the concert on Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DirectTV Now, or FuboTV.

Per the AP:

… While other entertainment industries like TV and film found ways to restart during the pandemic, Broadway was unable until now due to financial and physical impediments. The lifting of all capacity restrictions was crucial to any reopening since Broadway economics demand full venue capacity.

The sobering musical “Jagged Little Pill,” which plumbs Alanis Morissette’s 1995 breakthrough album to tell a story of an American family spiraling out of control, goes into the night with a leading 15 Tony nominations.

Nipping on its heels is “Moulin Rouge!,” a jukebox adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s hyperactive 2001 movie about the goings-on in a turn-of-the-century Parisian nightclub that has 14 nods.

“Slave Play,” Jeremy O. Harris’ ground-breaking, bracing work that mixes race, sex, taboo desires and class, earned a dozen nominations, making it the most nominated play in Tony history.

Other shows to keep an eye on are “The Inheritance” by Matthew Lopez, which nabbed 11 nominations. It’s a two-part, seven-hour epic that uses “Howards End” as a starting point for a play that looks at gay life in the early 21st century. And “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical,” which tells the rock icon’s life with songs that include “Let’s Stay Together” and “Proud Mary,” earned 12 nods…

Many thanks to ⁦⁦@anyingyang⁩ for this handy dandy awards weekend FAQ for those who have not necessarily been following the long-running Tony Awards story concerning shows from two years ago and nominations announced last October. https://t.co/YM4xTQP3ge

— Peter Marks (@petermarksdrama) September 25, 2021

Sunday Morning Open Thread: Performance ArtPost + Comments (31)

Sunday Morning Garden Chat: Annual Review

by Anne Laurie| September 26, 20216:52 am| 51 Comments

This post is in: Garden Chats

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From ~~universally beloved~~ ace commentor / photographer Ozark Hillbilly:

I took some nice pics this year. Here are a few.

Top pic: Zinnia (there is something particularly striking about this pic)

Oxeye Daisies and Coreopsis

Great Spangled Fritillary hogging a Zinnia bloom

Yarrow

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COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday / Sunday, Sept. 25-26

by Anne Laurie| September 26, 20216:19 am| 41 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

I’m in the shadow of the Washington monument looking out at 676,286 flags on the day this pandemic became the largest mass casualty event in American history. I didn’t realize families of those lost wrote personal messages on flags. It hurts to read. Here are some.THREAD pic.twitter.com/kEfgQHZnb0

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) September 21, 2021

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COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday / Sunday, Sept. 25-26Post + Comments (41)

…

If you can get to DC to see this powerful installation, please do. The flags will be displayed until Oct 3. For those who can’t make it, I hope my photos give you a sense of its power. Think about those lost. Hold their memory close. Let prevent more Americans from dying.END pic.twitter.com/NxVT2w5EH2

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) September 21, 2021

(If you want to add the name of a loved one lost to COVID, here’s the website.)

Booster logistics: States begin the complex task of providing Pfizer booster shots to designated eligible groups. Among the challenges: making sure recipients of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines know they're not yet eligible https://t.co/fPnYKyk4B9

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 26, 2021

Billions more in profit are at stake for some vaccine makers as the U.S. moves toward dispensing COVID-19 booster shots to shore up Americans' protection against the virus. How much manufacturers stand to gain depends on how big the rollout proves to be. https://t.co/Synff6yfYq

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 25, 2021

… How much the manufacturers stand to gain depends on how big the rollout proves to be…

Wall Street is taking notice. The average forecast among analysts for Moderna’s 2022 revenue has jumped 35% since President Joe Biden laid out his booster plan in mid-August.

Most of the vaccinations so far in the U.S. have come from Pfizer, which developed its shot with Germany’s BioNTech, and Moderna. They have inoculated about 99 million and 68 million people, respectively. Johnson & Johnson is third with about 14 million people.

No one knows yet how many people will get the extra shots. But Morningstar analyst Karen Andersen expects boosters alone to bring in about $26 billion in global sales next year for Pfizer and BioNTech and around $14 billion for Moderna if they are endorsed for nearly all Americans…

Drugmakers are also developing COVID-19 shots that target certain variants of the virus, and say people might need annual shots like the ones they receive for the flu. All of that could make the vaccines a major recurring source of revenue…

This bodes well for future vaccine development, noted Erik Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan.

Vaccines normally are nowhere near as profitable as treatments, Gordon said. But the success of the COVID-19 shots could draw more drugmakers and venture capitalists into the field.

“The vaccine business is more attractive, which, for those of us who are going to need vaccines, is good,” Gordon said.

A patient in the ER just asked me for a booster shot.

Unfortunately she was very confused. Because her oxygen was low. Because she had severe Covid. Because she never had her first vaccine dose.

Our top priority must remain vaccinating those who haven’t yet gotten their shots.

— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) September 25, 2021

======

Impossible to read this as anything other than an utter failure. pic.twitter.com/oscif0YMsB

— Kevin 👐 Glass (@KevinWGlass) September 24, 2021

Everyone in my feed is chattering about who gets boosters first in the US but I'm just thinking about who in the world gets first doses last. https://t.co/GXzeUMcrWt

— Amy Maxmen, PhD (@amymaxmen) September 24, 2021

Health workers in India’s Himachal Pradesh overcome the challenge of steep topography, walking for hours or days to reach remote villages and administer COVID-19 vaccine doses https://t.co/1agNJELPEw pic.twitter.com/a2jjukUOSC

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2021

Vietnam delays reopening resort island over low vaccination rate https://t.co/5fxhTLLFZP pic.twitter.com/YLwZgC3Zjk

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2021

Australia's Victoria state records second-highest daily rise in virus cases https://t.co/oFXUeahCo5 pic.twitter.com/l8T2hOjNJu

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 26, 2021

Hope collides with doubt, while covid deaths soar, in the E.U.’s least-vaccinated country https://t.co/EVnp1bdP1b

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 26, 2021

Britain's Conservative government is hoping a combination of relatively high vaccination rates and common-sense behavior will keep a lid on coronavirus infections this fall and winter and avoid the need for restrictive measures. By @JillLawless https://t.co/r3sGNhR0iV

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) September 26, 2021

Covid-19: Ireland ends mandatory hotel quarantine for travellers https://t.co/PXadxYJJ3f

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 25, 2021

A train carrying COVID-19 vaccines along with doctors and nurses to administer them is on a three-month journey to small towns and poorer parts of South Africa, which has the continent’s highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases. https://t.co/CBYv8WowBk

— AP Africa (@AP_Africa) September 25, 2021

======

A daily pill to treat Covid could be just months away. The short-term antiviral regimen in clinical trials is designed to begin right after diagnosis & could prevent symptom development. Antivirals are already essential for other infections, such as flu https://t.co/euNDw5ojTi pic.twitter.com/lwDIca6e6H

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 25, 2021

Tamiflu, but for Covid:

… “Oral antivirals have the potential to not only curtail the duration of one’s covid-19 syndrome, but also have the potential to limit transmission to people in your household if you are sick,” said Timothy Sheahan, a virologist at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who has helped pioneer these therapies.

Antivirals are already essential treatments for other viral infections, including hepatitis C and HIV. One of the best known is Tamiflu, the widely prescribed pill that can shorten the duration of influenza and reduce the risk of hospitalization if given quickly.

The medications, developed to treat and prevent viral infections in people and animals, work differently depending on the type. But they can be engineered to boost the immune system to fight infection, block receptors so viruses can’t enter healthy cells, or lower the amount of active virus in the body.

At least three promising antivirals for covid are being tested in clinical trials, with results expected as soon as late fall or winter, said Carl Dieffenbach, director of the Division of AIDS at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who is overseeing antiviral development….

Like the monoclonal antibodies, antiviral pills would be no substitute for vaccination, said Griffin. They would be another tool to fight covid. “It’s nice to have another option,” he said.

One challenge in developing antiviral drugs quickly has been recruiting enough participants for the clinical trials, each of which needs to enroll many hundreds of people, said Dr. Elizabeth Duke, a Fred Hutch research associate overseeing its molnupiravir trial.

Participants must be unvaccinated and enrolled in the trial within five days of a positive covid test. Any given day, interns make 100 calls to newly covid-positive people in the Seattle area — and most say no.

“Just generally speaking, there’s a lot of mistrust about the scientific process,” Duke said. “And some of the people are saying kind of nasty things to the interns.”…

Which doesn’t mean these same *still* unvaccinated people won’t demand a free lifetime supply of TamiCovid, the minute it should come on the market…

Another MS drug class causes concern for Covid vaccination. Vaccine effectiveness may be reduced in MS patients on S1P modulators. Earlier, reduced antibody responses were found for those treated w/ anti-CD20 therapies. No problems w/ Mavenclad or Aubagio https://t.co/kk0En9Dcxx pic.twitter.com/uxhs99hZyv

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 25, 2021

Very good Q&A on #Covid boosters with @celinegounder.
We got blinded by the ~95% VE the mRNA vaccines showed against all infection in the first couple of months. We're not going to hold that & chasing it with boosters isn't viable.
h/t @rkhamsi https://t.co/UPFgMt9Cjm

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) September 25, 2021

Is a cloth mask good enough to face #DeltaVariant? Some European airlines have banned cloth masks during air travel—favoring surgical masks. Infectious diseases expert, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong of UC San Francisco, also recommends them https://t.co/tGDHPv8wsJ pic.twitter.com/BfbYIM0Lta

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 26, 2021

Vaccine pioneers win 2021 #LaskerAward

The American "Nobel" prize given to scientists whose research is the basis of mRNA vaccines now used in #COVID19 vaccines by Pfizer & Moderna.https://t.co/inMoHfEGoK #Lasker2021

— MicrobesInfect (@MicrobesInfect) September 25, 2021

Familiar tactics to anyone who’s dealt with ailing, aging pets:

National Zoo’s covid-infected lions and tigers won’t eat their meat, so zookeepers are trying goat cheese and chicken broth https://t.co/flNwZfWqgj

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 25, 2021

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There are still plenty of eligible Americans who haven’t been able to get vaccinated, even if those people aren’t the white suburbanites getting so much media attention:

The unvaccinated but willing account for approximately 10% of the U.S. population, according to a report last month.

Immunizing this group could be critical to attaining herd immunity and protecting those disproportionately affected by the pandemic. https://t.co/19Qw8RybZt

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 25, 2021

Nearly 100 free and charitable clinics across the country, which services uninsured or underinsured people, have forged bridges with underserved communities in an initiative dubbed “Project Finish Line,” aiming to vaccinate 1 million hard-to-reach people. https://t.co/19Qw8RybZt

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 25, 2021

Yesterday we received a message from the hospital COO that the Indiana National Guard Crisis Response Team was deploying to my hospital. The message itself was written from a place of relief, of finally getting help.

— Dr. Hedrick (@DrHedrick) September 25, 2021

We can't and won't stop trying to save lives. But right now it's like being at a hospital at the bottom of a cliff that people keep driving over after ignoring reading the signs to stop.

— Dr. Hedrick (@DrHedrick) September 25, 2021

'A serious issue:' New Mexico health officials suspect 2 people are dead from ivermectin poisoning. Acting state Health Secretary Dr. David Scrase said the unnamed people died after taking the anti-parasitic, one of whom was already dealing w/ severe Covid https://t.co/WrTYSKxjWF

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 25, 2021

A U.S. appeals court temporarily blocked a New York City mandate requiring all school teachers and staff to be vaccinated for COVID-19 just days before it was to take effect https://t.co/SPjPZSfRnk pic.twitter.com/3RFjJHVafc

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 26, 2021

NY considers using National Guard & medical personnel from other states to replace anti-vaxxer healthcare workers who refuse state order to get vaccinated https://t.co/3hqFIHvj8a

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 26, 2021

Staten Island is the Trumpiest of all the boroughs by a long shot and even there 70% of adults are fully vaccinated. This isn't a movement, you're just spoiling the Saturday night of all the people who actually gave a fuck about your health. https://t.co/S0yqmtl6n3

— zeddy (@Zeddary) September 26, 2021

Saturday Evening Open Thread: Not Lazy, Just… Uninspired

by Anne Laurie| September 25, 20216:19 pm| 127 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Open Threads

Lazy Caturday.. pic.twitter.com/531PzT2MtI

— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden_) September 25, 2021

Anybody else suddenly feeling like taking a nap?

Our grey bicolor cat Piper does this when he’s feeling playful… he wants to be repeatedly ‘nudged’ out of the way, but since he’s a big solid dude (15lbs) it’s a bit of a workout for his human partner!

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The Pandemic Will Remain A Hot Topic for the Foreseeable Future, Unfortunately

by Anne Laurie| September 25, 20214:41 pm| 130 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Excellent Links

At this point in the pandemic, this is what vaccine hesitancy looks like for a lot of people and @elspethreeve got to the heart of it in Missouri. Very worth the watch. pic.twitter.com/poubh6gpdV

— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) September 9, 2021

Think about it: That CNN piece about the Ozarks and the vaccine is heavily about peer pressure and community norms. If you *mandate* it, you might finally create an out for people who secretly want it to say: "Look, I'm with you, I don't want it, but it's required, so…"

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) September 9, 2021

======

A quick thread:

⁰It’s hard to explain just how radicalized ivermectin and antivax Facebook groups have become in the last few weeks.

They’re now telling people who get COVID to avoid the ICU and treat themselves, often by nebulizing hydrogen peroxide.

So, how did we get here?

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) September 24, 2021

Facebook bans explicit antivaxx groups, but they don’t ban groups for quack “cures” that antivaxxers push instead.

So in the last couple of months, Ivermectin groups have become the new hubs for antivaxx messaging.

But there’s a problem: Ivermectin, by itself, isn’t working.

The number of people in these ivermectin groups have exploded.

So has the number of people in the groups who have contracted COVID, since the groups are largely filled with unvaccinated people seeking “alternative therapies.”

So they developed a makeshift “protocol.”

Obviously, keep taking the ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, the ivermectin groups say.

But also gargle iodine. Buy a nebulizer and inhale food-grade hydrogen peroxide.

Anything but the vaccine. pic.twitter.com/66ArbDcBXO

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) September 24, 2021

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They’ve developed elaborate conspiracy theories about doctors and nurses in the process.

They believe ventilators and remdesivir are secretly drowning patients’ lungs, not COVID itself.

QAnon boards have begun calling hospitals to harass workers for not prescribing ivermectin. pic.twitter.com/LysnALGTsm

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) September 24, 2021

Here's the full story about "vigilante medicine" on ivermectin Facebook.

Antivaxxers are starting to wrap doctors and ICUs into their dark conspiracy theories, as they suffer at home with ad-hoc COVID treatments that don't work.

I hope you read it.https://t.co/pgghH6WrBu

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) September 24, 2021

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From a long, heavily annotated thread:

This is yet another game-changer in understanding origins of covid-19! https://t.co/DXhPae9Qhr

— Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) September 18, 2021

Since the outbreak, & especially in the last few weeks/months after the @WHO origins report, there’s been a series of significant new papers/preprints/analyses supporting a “natural” origin of wildlife spillover, possibly via an intermediate mammalian host as per SARS. 3/

— Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) September 18, 2021

2nd, new evidence that live animals of the type that carry CoVs were present in the Wuhan markets (including Huanan). Evidence not available at time of WHO report, but thankfully published here https://t.co/lFA3ueSjTr 5/

— Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) September 18, 2021

….

In my opinion, the scientific evidence coming through is exactly what most of us in the field expected. We need to continue the hard work on all sides, but at the same time it should be “science not speculation” that leads us! https://t.co/Jw3aB4elcu 19/

— Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) September 18, 2021

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my latest—this ain’t “vaccine hesitancy”; https://t.co/w8OZCTSlAM

— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) September 22, 2021

… The number of Americans who are dying every 36 hours from Covid now surpasses the total number of U.S. soldiers who were killed during 20 years of fighting in Afghanistan. It’s an entirely preventable crisis, yet it rages because we have people like the red state restaurant owner who is kicking out patrons if they refuse to take off their masks. It’s pure nihilism.

The mindless behavior is hard to describe, and the rest of the world must be looking on in slack-jawed astonishment as Trump voters lead a mad movement powered by Fox News. The network is doing what no other outlet has done in the history of television news — it’s deliberately getting people killed during a public health crisis by feeding eagerly gullible red state viewers a mountain of lies.

From PizzaGate, to QAnon, to the current anti-vaccine and anti-mask hysteria, the GOP has been brainwashed. It’s no secret — lots of victims openly admit it. Still, the press shies away, nervous about offending conservatives by portraying them as mindless zombies being easily duped about a miraculously safe and effective vaccine. (It’s the same reason news outlets refused to call Trump a “liar.”)

Instead of calling out the Covid zombies, the press coddles them, especially white, Southern ones, depicting them as merely “vaccine hesitant,” “vaccine-reluctant,” or “vaccine skeptics.”…

Within the media, there’s lots of tsk-tsking commentary about vaccine “misinformation.” But the press continues to look away from the consequences of mass brainwashing —millions of Americans believe the vaccine is more dangerous than the virus. And they’re lashing out in public, staging deranged acts of civil disobedience, often inside restaurants and at local school board meetings, where the white-rage screaming and name-calling commences…

Brainwashing itsn’t typically a topic that’s covered when dissecting mainstream American politics. Sadly, it needs to be. And fast.

======

COVID Update: How big a problem will future variants be?

I got an update from several top scientists. 1/

— Andy Slavitt 🇺🇸💉 (@ASlavitt) September 7, 2021

Quick review. Viruses continually mutate but can only mutate when they replicate. And so far we’re giving SARS-CoV-2 plenty of opportunities to replicate. 2/

Most mutations aren’t worth noting. They don’t increase hospitalizations. They don’t increase infectiousness. And they don’t cause problems for prior immunity. 3/

A fallacy pushed by anti-vaxxers is that vaccinations cause mutations.

It’s false. The more unvaccinated people, the more replication within cells as people mount a slow immune response— the more chances for the virus to mutate. 4/

So far the variants of concern that have taken hold in countries around the world have followed 1 of 2 paths for more cell replication— either evading vaccines or spreading more easily.

But so far none of these variants have combined both problems— evasiveness & contagiousness.5

Think of one path as going broad to more people (a more contagious variant is harder to catch) and another path as going deep (within a single individual to more cells).

One that had mutations to be the most rapidly growing & most evasive would be the most concerning. 6/

The vaccines that have caused the most trouble for vaccines in vitro & in reality (Beta, Iota, Delta+, Mu) have so far been outcompeted by the variants that spread more rapidly (Alpha and now Delta). 7/

Problematic variants that can’t grow as fast as Delta will be only a limited problem.

When we read about a Mu (0.1%) being a problem for vaccines, if it can’t outcompete Delta, it won’t take hold. 8/

So Delta, oddly, is defeating variants that would be more challenging for vaccines (and also monoclonals).

And until a variant that causes problems for the vaccine also spreads faster than Delta, it won’t become dominant. 9/

As an aside, Delta causes some problems for the vaccine but in a different way— because it replicates more virus so quickly that w/ lower antibody levels, immune response often isn’t fast enough to prevent symptoms. Cellular immunity does kick if to prevent hospitalizations. 10/

So why hasn’t a variant come along that has both negative characteristics? Will it?

The answer to the first question is largely randomness. There’s no reason why both types of mutations can’t exist in the same virus variant. 11/

The more opportunity, the more random things will happen. So it’s also the length of time of the pandemic, the spread & the too slow, too low vaccination rates that increases the odds. 12/

Will it happen?

We don’t know but we do know that vaccinating the globe and the US more quickly will reduce the odds.

In the scheme of viruses Delta already replicates very fast. Not close to measles, but arguably comparable to chicken pox. That’s a tall order for a mutant. 13/

So we could expect to see a lot of “problematic” mutations for the vaccines that never amount to much because Delta crushes them.

But what happens if we do see one that’s vaccine evasive that Delta doesn’t outcompete— or at least leaves room for it in some regions? 14/

There are a few key ingredients that must be ready: surveillance, vaccine development, regulatory & scaled manufacturing/distribution. 15/

We’ve taken a big step forward in surveillance with the CDC’s new forecasting center. Genetic sequencing need to occur however in many more regions of the US than it does now.

Countries around the world are also improving their ability to spot variants quickly. 16/

Once we identify a new variant, we can test its effectiveness against vaccines in the lab. If one is an evasive mutation, within 100 days we should have the capability to develop a new specialized booster.

By that time we should know if the variant is outcompeting Delta. 17/

Over the course of the year the Biden Admin has put together a pandemic resiliency plan that should allow for the rapid production & distribution of vaccines for new variants & new viruses.

The aim is 100 days for a vaccine & 100 days for full production. 19/

200 days sounds like a long time but if we have good surveillance & begin right away, remember how long it could be before a mutation is discovered & its proliferation depending on the origin. 20/

If the original COVID started circulating in China in the 4th quarter last year, it months before it started to spread significantly around the Earth globe asia-australia .

If we are developing vaccines at pace, it could end up being only a short spike in most countries before a vax is ready. 21/

This will undoubtedly mean suffering in the place of the variant’s origin. And a lot of logistics (imagine a whole new global rollout). We will need to get better & better at it.

And of course each time face anew the challenges of vaccine hesitancy. 22/

Along with the development of an oral anti-viral, we are building the arsenal as a globe & as individuals to manage new variants but we have to use them.

Right now Delta is the devil we know. And while not our friend, it is at least the enemy of our enemy.

If we don’t want to deal with worse variants we know how to reduce the odds. Slow the spread. Accelerate global vaccinations. Take its potential seriously. /end

Saturday Morning Open Thread: The Politico Cartoon Universe

by Anne Laurie| September 25, 20217:50 am| 207 Comments

This post is in: GOP Death Cult, Popular Culture, Our Failed Media Experiment

(Nick Anderson via GoComics.com)

Josh Holmes has literally no opinions or values besides what or who Mitch McConnell currently supports

— Regina ?????? (@regwag2003) September 24, 2021

I was defending comic books as a valid art form before some of y’all were born, but let’s be honest: Most of the ticket-buyers for tentpole movies in the MCU (Marvel Comics Universe) and DCU (DC Comics Universe) just want bright uniforms, exaggerated speeches, and plenty of explosions.

The sociopaths behind Politico — and too many of their ‘respectable’ media fellows, following them like ducklings — have decided that politics should be like this, too. And, unfortunately, the eternal middle-schoolers who find this plausible also believe that a really great supervillain is so much more fun than some boring do-gooder rattling on about Truth and Justice and the American Way.

Mitch McConnell as Lex Luthor / The Joker, but for (chronological) grown-ups! (He’d be honored, to be sure.)

was this you, two weeks ago, managing editor for politics at politico? https://t.co/vhhMKH49IN pic.twitter.com/S3mLogvNqW

— BESTCOASTMACHINE (@golikehellmachi) September 24, 2021

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COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday / Saturday, Sept. 24-25

by Anne Laurie| September 25, 20215:53 am| 47 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

Other 25% are still conducting research https://t.co/ldTuBv6Rz6 pic.twitter.com/97rBnt6y6P

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) September 24, 2021

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COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday / Saturday, Sept. 24-25Post + Comments (47)

very awkward situation on The View as Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro appear to have tested positive for COVID pic.twitter.com/gyBF3CFRwX

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 24, 2021

The Way We Live Now, per NYMag:

… On Friday’s show, hosts Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, and guest host Ana Navarro were set to interview Vice-President Kamala Harris. That is until a producer asked Hostin and Navarro to “step off for a second” in the middle of the show…

… When they returned, Behar said, “Okay, since this is going to be a major news story any minute now, what happened is, Sunny and Ana both apparently tested positive for COVID.” She added that both hosts are “vaccinated up the wazoo” and “probably have a breakthrough case.” …

To make matters more uncomfortable, Harris was backstage while all of this was happening. According to a tweet from NBC White House correspondent Monica Alba, Harris “had no contact with hosts prior to the show,” and they planned to conduct the interview with the vice-president in a different part of ABC studios. With about ten minutes left in the show, Harris appeared remotely, per USA Today. “Sunny and Ana are strong women, and I know they’re fine, but it really does also speak to the fact that they’re vaccinated,” Harris said, “and vaccines really make all the difference, because otherwise we would be concerned about hospitalization and worse.”…

The US had +131,006 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total to over 43.5 million. The 7-day moving average fell to 126,124 new cases per day. pic.twitter.com/gJPU1eiQ8z

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) September 24, 2021

The US reported +2,017 new coronavirus deaths yesterday, bringing the total to 703,021. The 7-day moving average stands at 1,706 deaths per day. pic.twitter.com/TXPvJd1VsR

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) September 24, 2021

The majority of Americans who were fully vaccinated with Pfizer can receive a booster shot at least 6 months after their second shot. This includes people over 65, those with underlying medical conditions, and those in frontline jobs.

— President Biden (@POTUS) September 24, 2021

Boosters for Moderna & J&J haven't come up for discussion by federal health agencies, but experts say plans are on the agenda to consider a 3rd shot for Moderna recipients & a 2nd for those who received a J&J shot https://t.co/P5xrQDBS3o pic.twitter.com/jxo1FJafI4

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 24, 2021

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India reports 29,616 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours https://t.co/G9dWgPqwEe pic.twitter.com/7Rp5ueYU6J

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021

S.Korea daily COVID-19 cases top 3,000 for first time after holiday https://t.co/z8QQsFaHQU pic.twitter.com/ORn84zMczl

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021

Australia's Victoria state logs record infections ahead of key sporting event https://t.co/9YMYwCJ5Vd pic.twitter.com/LnDG2BszRZ

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021

Australian rules:

… Authorities expect case numbers in the state to keep rising until mid November as it races to raise vaccination rates above the 70% double dose threshold, up from around 46% currently.

With the Australian rules football grand final, a major national sporting event, due to take place on Saturday evening, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton warned fans to stay home to avoid putting “you, your friends and your households at risk.”

The match, between two Melbourne teams, would usually be played in the city but has been moved to coronavirus-free Western Australia. However, authorities are still worried fans in Melbourne could gather in households to watch the broadcast game, breaching lockdown rules.

Anti-vaccination protests that hit state capital Melbourne this week spilled into the suburbs on Friday, with police arresting more than 30 people in the city’s inner north…

Elsewhere, New South Wales state logged 11 deaths and 1,007 new daily acquired coronavirus cases, government data showed.

Sixty people have died from the virus in the state this week, the highest weekly number since the pandemic began and more than the 58 deaths last week. New infections however show signs of stabilising at around 1,000 a day amid a state wide vaccination drive.

Around 85% of people over 16 years of age have had a first vaccination dose, while 58% of the population have had a double dose. Lockdown restrictions are set to ease when 70% and 80% of the adult population are fully vaccinated.

A doctor in Tahiti was arrested for attacking law enforcement officials, not for treating COVID-19 patients with ivermectin. Here are the facts. https://t.co/1Drsa5s446

— AP Fact Check (@APFactCheck) September 24, 2021

Israel is moving forward with its campaign to offer coronavirus boosters to almost anyone over age 12, even as some experts say more people in poorer countries should get their two doses first. By @IlanBenZion. https://t.co/rILsiRv3a1

— AP Middle East (@APMiddleEast) September 25, 2021

Russia posted an all-time record of 828 deaths from Covid-19 on Friday as hospitalizations shot up in Moscow and several regions began reimposing restrictions after nationwide elections last weekend https://t.co/bgKIGPBe2j

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) September 24, 2021

Covid vaccine booster programme to start in Republic of Ireland https://t.co/pbF6cFIp7v

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 24, 2021

UK's refusal to accept Covid vaccine certificates from Africa could increase hesitancy, says head of Africa's health agency https://t.co/qUvXyT0IMJ

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 23, 2021

El Salvador to begin giving third dose of COVID-19 vaccine https://t.co/5aQBLBlhx3 pic.twitter.com/r0ej89M2Hu

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021

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The CDC says studies bolster its recommendation for masks in schools and in-person classes. One study found coronavirus cases in children and teens increased more in U.S. counties where public schools had no mask mandates than schools with a requirement. https://t.co/SX0HNihGFR

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 24, 2021

Every region of the world, except South America, is now showing >94% #DeltaVariant in new #COVID19 cases. Even in SoAmer, it's more than 86% Delta. This virus is the super-spreader, out-competing all other forms of #SARSCoV2 .https://t.co/BWsAWwMCmw

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) September 24, 2021

Nasal spray: Llama & camel antibodies can be used in a nasal spray to treat coronavirus infection. New peer-reviewed research builds on previous studies that confirm nanobodies—antibody fragments—from llamas,camels & alpacas show promise against SARS2 https://t.co/A6a7wnG6SJ

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 24, 2021

A WHO panel has endorsed treating high-risk Covid patients w/ monoclonal antibodies. The panel cited 3 studies showing the therapy lowers hospitalization risk in patients likely to worsen. It also has captured attn as an alternative among anti-vaxxers https://t.co/t0CvrU9x28

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 24, 2021

No, vaccinated people are not ‘just as likely’ to spread the #coronavirus as unvaccinated people. This has become a common refrain among the cautious—and it’s wrong https://t.co/5NomK1oRH8

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 24, 2021

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When people tell me California is overreacting to the COVID-19 pandemic, I look at this data & think, "Maybe we're doing relatively well *because* of how we're reacting." https://t.co/tPoJ3noI6l pic.twitter.com/eh8OtIFRcj

— Dr. Janet D. Stemwedel, PhD 🏳️‍🌈 (@docfreeride) September 24, 2021

New York races to avoid hospital staff shortages ahead of vaccine mandate deadline https://t.co/dJT3tTeax8

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 24, 2021

U.S. court upholds hospital employee COVID-19 vaccine rule in test case https://t.co/RqGHz87YcK pic.twitter.com/KCNxbgcG6L

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021

… A federal judge on Friday ruled that a Cincinnati, Ohio-area healthcare provider could require its employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk losing their job, in what appears to be the first ruling of its kind for a private employer in the United States.

The employees of St. Elizabeth Healthcare failed to establish that their individual liberties were being violated by the vaccine requirement of the hospital operator, which has the right to set employment terms, said U.S. District Judge David Bunning in Covington, Kentucky.

St. Elizabeth employees must get vaccinated by Oct. 1…

Bunning’s ruling is the first involving a request for an injunction against a private employer’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, said Mark Guilfoyle, a lawyer who represented St. Elizabeth…

The class action on behalf of St. Elizabeth employees was based in part on concerns about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines, among other claims.

Those suspicions cannot override the law, said Bunning.

“If an employee believes his or her individual liberties are more important than legally permissible conditions on his or her employment, that employee can and should choose to exercise another individual liberty, no less significant – the right to seek other employment,” wrote Bunning.

Even here in the deep-blue Peoples’ Republic…

Horse-paste eaters live among us, like out in MetroWest https://t.co/I6Ycy1BUlM

— Adam Gaffin (@universalhub) September 22, 2021

Vaccine mandates are normal and good. A judge just slapped down a ludicrous effort by the State Police to delay their vax mandate. https://t.co/E0xku3pERp

— #AbolishICE #PassThePROAct (@joelpatt) September 25, 2021

Warriors' Wiggins denied religious exemption for COVID-19 vaccine https://t.co/MDHd26Xfjp pic.twitter.com/FoEJcLfXG4

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021

Sharing is caring! –

If you're claiming a religious exemption, what the chapter and verse? #p2 #tcot #prolife #Christian #Catholic pic.twitter.com/oTCIogZA5E

— Terrell D. Lewis (@TerrellDLewis) September 23, 2021

mrmoshpotato on Sunday Afternoon Open Thread (Sep 26, 2021 @ 3:07pm)

Damned_at_Random on Sunday Afternoon Open Thread (Sep 26, 2021 @ 3:07pm)

Steeplejack on Sunday Afternoon Open Thread (Sep 26, 2021 @ 3:06pm)

Ruckus on Trainwreck (Sep 26, 2021 @ 3:05pm)

Ken on Sunday Afternoon Open Thread (Sep 26, 2021 @ 2:58pm)

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

No one could have predicted…

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

I can’t take this shit today. I just can’t.

Militantly superior in their own minds…

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Americans barely caring about Afghanistan is so last month.

Women: they get shit done

All your base are belong to Tunch.

This blog will pay for itself.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

We can agree to disagree, but i’m right.

I’m going back to the respite thread.

I did not have this on my fuck 2020 bingo card.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

Everybody saw this coming.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

We are aware of all internet traditions.

‘Forty-two’ said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Sunday Morning Open Thread: Performance Art

Sunday Morning Garden Chat: Annual Review

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday / Sunday, Sept. 25-26

Saturday Evening Open Thread: Not Lazy, Just… Uninspired

The Pandemic Will Remain A Hot Topic for the Foreseeable Future, Unfortunately

Saturday Morning Open Thread: The Politico Cartoon Universe

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday / Saturday, Sept. 24-25