Balloon Juice | Anne Laurie, Author at Balloon Juice

Anne Laurie has been a Balloon Juice writer since 2009.

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Durga Puja

by Anne Laurie| October 22, 20207:04 am| 137 Comments

This post is in: Biden-Harris 2020, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Religion

“May these nine days and nine nights bring you and your family good health and fortune. Wishing you a very Happy Durga Puja.”

“May Goddess Durga bestow her nine forms of blessings on you and your family: Fame, Wealth, Prosperity, Name, Happiness, Education, Health, Power, and Commitment. Happy Durga Puja.”

Wikipedia tells me that “the festival epitomises the victory of good over evil, though it is also in part a harvest festival celebrating the goddess as the motherly power behind all of life and creation.” Politics aside, I am very much in favor of both harvest festivals, and the triumph of goodness.

"Just by virtual of one single election, things don't become perfect. But you get yourself on a pattern, on a habit, of being better represented and getting better served by your government." – @BarackObama

— Karine Jean-Pierre (@K_JeanPierre) October 21, 2020

Democrats to boycott committee vote on Barrett nomination to the Supreme Court https://t.co/HBdGxVZXPD

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 22, 2020

My father, @MelBrooks, is 94. He has never made a political video. Until now. #MelBrooks4JoeBiden #BidenHarris #GrassrootsDemHQ pic.twitter.com/yQZhopSbNV

— Max Brooks (@maxbrooksauthor) October 21, 2020

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Durga PujaPost + Comments (137)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday/Thursday, Oct. 21-22

by Anne Laurie| October 22, 20204:56 am| 16 Comments

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

NEW: CDC expands definition of who is a ‘close contact’ of an individual with covid-19, greatly expanding the pool of people considered at risk. This makes mask-wearing even more important for preventing transmission. My story. https://t.co/DNwy4V2eqD

— LenaSun (@bylenasun) October 21, 2020

Trump’s antibody ‘cure’ will be in short supply. All the weak points of American health care — testing delays, communication breakdowns, inequity — are working against this potential treatment. Here's what lies ahead for the Regeneron antibody cocktail https://t.co/nXdOYeeKLd

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 21, 2020

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COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday/Thursday, Oct. 21-22Post + Comments (16)

COVID-19 has cost Americans 2.5 million years of life and roughly half that loss has come from people who died in middle age, not their waning years. https://t.co/LFNesFisn6

— USA TODAY Health (@USATODAYhealth) October 21, 2020

The U.S. regulators who will decide the fate of COVID-19 vaccines are asking outside scientists if their standards are high enough. The Food and Drug Administration may have to decide by year’s end whether to allow use of the first vaccines. https://t.co/NoNZ2KRnZo

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 22, 2020

Terrific, important piece @BySheilaKaplan & colleagues about the efforts to safeguard #Covid19 vaccine trials from being cut short by a president intent on pre-election vaccine. https://t.co/JQIPNj2G1d

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) October 21, 2020

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Russia confirmed 15,700 new Covid-19 cases Wednesday, bringing its official number of cases to 1,447,335, and broke its record for coronavirus deaths with 317 fatalities in the past 24 hourshttps://t.co/H0ppXbrhb7

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) October 21, 2020

Sweden is tightening the reins. New guidelines, high schools are closed, restricted contact outside the family, new rules for buses, gyms & restaurants. All meetings now on zoom. From @ashoswai in Uppsala https://t.co/321qFMGOuP pic.twitter.com/1cMrDDQHUe

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 22, 2020

New German coronavirus cases rise by more than 10,000 for first time – RKI https://t.co/y9JRUuWWm7 pic.twitter.com/DbrGnMFmim

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 22, 2020

Amid a record surge of COVID-19 infections that's threatening the entire health system with collapse, the Czech Republic is adopting exactly the same massive restrictions as in the spring, a situation its prime minister kept saying wouldn't happen again. https://t.co/6iI1BcZts0

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) October 22, 2020

BREAKING: Spain has surpassed 1 million confirmed COVID-19 infections, the first country in western Europe to do so, health officials say. Spain’s health ministry attributes 34,366 deaths to the coronavirus. https://t.co/Q8KHjPeJx3

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 21, 2020

The tough decisions UK and all of Europe face. There are no easy solutions, every option has negative consequences & trade offs. But later actions are harder, have less impact & need to be deeper, wider geographically & last longer for similar impact. https://t.co/MKcKix6Be6

— Jeremy Farrar (@JeremyFarrar) October 21, 2020

Switzerland says coronavirus case numbers and hospitalizations are doubling every week, warning of the prospect of overburdened hospitals. The country has gone from one of least-affected in Europe to one of the worst-hit in just three weeks. https://t.co/YYHvOykpDE

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) October 21, 2020

Ireland: #Covid19 outbreaks in schools doubled again last week https://t.co/jITbziQqNt

— Crawford Kilian (@Crof) October 21, 2020

Pandemic in war: Heavy fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh has crippled efforts to combat the coronavirus in the separatist region and beyond. @AP gained access to a clinic where doctors and nurses keep working even when they fall sick. Full story: https://t.co/BTzCwYxjaN pic.twitter.com/KKrxvSXNoT

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) October 21, 2020

Asia Today: Sri Lanka’s main fish market has been closed after 49 traders tested positive for the coronavirus and a curfew is widened as a COVID-19 outbreak grows. https://t.co/b6cdrrzqYp

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 22, 2020

China says will maintain ban on outbound tours due to virus risk https://t.co/KtkIloUAjf pic.twitter.com/bHqTNbucpr

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 22, 2020

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been talking about the country's continuing battle against Covid-19

We fact-check some of his claims#BBCRealityCheck https://t.co/cn837AufDC

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 21, 2020

Melbourne suburbs on alert as new COVID-19 case sparks outbreak fears https://t.co/cpwzUwzQMP pic.twitter.com/T2cAFbikY8

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 22, 2020

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A volunteer in the Oxford Univ COVID vaccine test died in Brazil. Media reports say the volunteer was a 28-year-old doctor who died of complications from COVID19. It's the 1st death reported in the various coronavirus vax trials https://t.co/viqOQC6MRA pic.twitter.com/HLz0pfN1ia

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 21, 2020

As #Covid19 cases surge in a number of countries, 75% of critical drugs needed to treat Covid patients are already in short supply, a @CIDRAP report shows. And it's not even winter yet. From @pharmalot. https://t.co/yiekulBsdq

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) October 22, 2020

Britain partners with Oxford firm to assess coronavirus vaccine T cell responses https://t.co/6umEWbV99C pic.twitter.com/yFnHx3kvf6

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 22, 2020

Next up in the hunt for a #COVID19 vaccine: Testing shots in kids https://t.co/8WjODlYceD via @medical_xpress pic.twitter.com/p9ZaeUXe2l

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 21, 2020

Thorny, thorny issues ahead for regulators when the first #Covid19 vaccine is given a green light, @Dereklowe warns. https://t.co/tvvituNhwv

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) October 21, 2020

Most Americans have never heard of the two expert panels that review new vaccines, but their work is crucial to ensuring potential Covid vaccines are safe and effective, as @DrJulieMorita and @EdBelongia write. https://t.co/S7V5evm7iq

— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) October 21, 2020

Think “beyond six feet:" @cooney_liz interviews experts on their concerns about what winter weather will do to transmission of #Covid19. https://t.co/zByzdURLgn

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) October 21, 2020

Unchecked ivermectin use in Latin America is making it difficult to test the anti-parasite drug’s effectiveness against COVID19 in clinical trials. Ivermectin was developed in the 1970s. Theory holds it might work against the coronavirus https://t.co/cBM3vtjG17

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 21, 2020

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A leading health expert says US coronavirus cases will begin to rapidly accelerate in a week as the country topped 60,000 new infections Tuesday — triple what the daily average was in June, when restrictions had begun to ease. Dr. Jonathan Reiner explainshttps://t.co/la29L6b2VV pic.twitter.com/H41UVjv12E

— New Day (@NewDay) October 21, 2020

CDC officials warned that the pandemic is approaching a critical phase in the U.S. and that wearing masks is 'more important than ever' as the fall season continues https://t.co/3zmcmzNZdk pic.twitter.com/a1thipjPlZ

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 22, 2020

Hospitals around the U.S. are starting to buckle from a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, with several states setting records for the number of people hospitalized. Leaders are scrambling to find extra beds and staff. https://t.co/0H3ZLZCZSu

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 21, 2020

There has been a concerted political effort to downplay #COVID19 mortality, even claims that <0.02% of cases are fatal. Medical care has improved since NY's spring nightmare, but these numbers merit very serious attention. https://t.co/YuKO95uNsv

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) October 21, 2020

Alaska is seeing record coronavirus case numbers. At a time when Americans are growing fatigued by months of restrictions, the state's struggles provide a warning that winter could bring the most devastating phase of the pandemic. https://t.co/7tBGm7RPZc

— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 21, 2020

NEW: CEO group to Michigan leaders: Stop suing over COVID-19 restrictions, unite to fight second wave

“It's fair to say litigating and debating is not productive right now," said DTE Energy Executive Chairman Gerry Anderson to @ChadLivengood. https://t.co/AfZJamDOxc

— Mark Cavitt (@MarkCavitt) October 21, 2020

Repub Venality Open Thread: Strangling the Stimulus

by Anne Laurie| October 21, 202010:45 pm| 127 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., NANCY SMASH!, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Republican Venality

And there you have it. The real reason Mitch McConnell opposes another big stimulus:

"Above all, Republicans fretted that a vote on such a package could interfere with their hasty timetable for confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett by early next week."https://t.co/KDPvi78t7L

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) October 21, 2020

I keep starting threads about the stimulus talks, but #MoscowMitch and the rest of the GOP Death Cult keep shifting their goalposts. So the Repubs won’t negotiate and Squatter-in-Chief is worthless, but at least Speaker Pelosi and Money-Head Mnuchin are still talking, per Bloomberg:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin made further progress on a coronavirus stimulus package Wednesday, according to Pelosi’s office, but Senate Republicans continued to raise objections.

“Today’s conversation brings us closer to being able to put pen to paper to write legislation,” Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill tweeted after the two negotiators held a 48-minute call Wednesday. “With the exchange of legislative language, we are better prepared to reach compromise on several priorities.”

The two negotiators will talk again Thursday, Hammill said. With the timeframe becoming ever more compressed, both sides on Wednesday floated the potential for final votes after Election Day. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the economy and markets would still benefit from the announcement of a deal between the administration and the House in the next two weeks…

It’s still not clear whether a deal can be reached. Meadows complained that it’s the administration that’s “advancing this negotiation further and further to Nancy Pelosi’s side of the ledger.” The speaker has made only “small” concessions, he said…

“There will be a bill. The question is: is it in time to pay the November rent — my goal — or will it be shortly after,” Pelosi said on MSNBC. “I want people to know that help is on its way. It will be bigger. It will be better. And it will be retroactive.”…

Helping the most vulnerable members of our communities isn’t only the compassionate thing to do — it is the best way to protect the economy as the fight to defeat the coronavirus moves forward. #TheReidOut pic.twitter.com/FC2sOYH6MC

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) October 20, 2020

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Repub Venality Open Thread: Strangling the StimulusPost + Comments (127)

The Nation, supporting Pelosi’s “recalcitrance”:

… McConnell has decided that he will not allow a stimulus bill to pass unless it includes a “get out of jail free” card for employers who, through pure greedy negligence, allow their workers (or customers) to catch the coronavirus.

The issue of liability protection can be difficult to understand as a moral imperative worth fighting for, but it is. Put simply, the fact that companies and businesses don’t currently have the cover McConnell wants to give them is the reason a lot of people are currently alive.

Here’s how the system works right now: Employers and businesses must take reasonable care to make sure that people don’t get sick or injured on their premises. There are entire canons of law centered around what “reasonable care” looks like, and what steps businesses must take while workers or customers are on their premises. Lawyers call this “tort law.” Tort law is generally left to the states, so the principle of “reasonableness” is more-or-less tied to your community and can vary… But there are general principles. If I walk into a business and a piano falls on my head, I will most likely be able to sue that business, even if the business is called “Dangling Pianos Unlimited.”…

McConnell wants to change all of that. He wants to exempt businesses from state tort liability in cases involving the coronavirus, remove all coronavirus tort claims to federal courts (recently stacked with judges approved by McConnell), change the standard for liability from “reasonable care” to “gross negligence” or “willful misconduct” by business owners, and, critically, require people to somehow prove that they got sick from that business and nowhere else.

All of that would essentially exempt businesses from any coronavirus responsibility. It would make it almost impossible for plaintiffs to prove they contracted an airborne virus from a negligent business, particularly in a world where the government does almost no contact tracing. Even if they somehow could prove where they got sick, the willful misconduct standard would be nearly impossible to meet. Consider the case of a restaurant where a waiter tests positive for an asymptomatic case of the coronavirus. A “reasonable” standard would involve expecting the employer to tell that waiter to go home and take care of themselves for 14 days (with pay). A “willful misconduct” standard would require something like ordering the waiter to come to work, and then ordering that waiter to lick all the plates. If McConnell has his way, liability will be functionally out of reach.

That’s unacceptable, because that fear of liability is probably one of the only things keeping businesses from giving in to pure profit motive during the pandemic. If you give businesses liability protection, they will force their workers to come in sick. They will pack too many people inside their storefronts. Liability is pretty much the only thing that is keeping business self-interest and best public health practices aligned…

But then again, is it possible McConnell has more… personal… reasons to be in such a dire hurry over his legacy?

It's from yesterday pic.twitter.com/FuJyxEzqr8

— Annie Shields (@anastasiakeeley) October 21, 2020

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Avengers Assemble!

by Anne Laurie| October 21, 20207:11 am| 234 Comments

This post is in: Biden-Harris 2020, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat

“Joe Biden doesn’t need everyone in this country to always agree, just to agree that we all love this country” — narrator says in Biden’s World Series ad, a dramatically different two-weeks-out message than the one Trump’s been articulating https://t.co/vj7S8guZ5b

— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) October 21, 2020

I have been waiting for four years to be waiting for two weeks

— Count Erfactual ?? (@counterfax) October 20, 2020

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Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Avengers Assemble!Post + Comments (234)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Tuesday/Wednesday, Oct. 20-21

by Anne Laurie| October 21, 20204:55 am| 16 Comments

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

220,000 people dead, 8.2 million cases — worst outcomes on the planet https://t.co/1UQhjOEwDw

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 20, 2020

Nearly 300,000 more people have died in the United States in 2020 during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends, with two-thirds of the deaths due to COVID-19 illnesses https://t.co/Bj71nl6dyU pic.twitter.com/nVutZCZmKN

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 21, 2020

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COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Tuesday/Wednesday, Oct. 20-21Post + Comments (16)

Our #COVID19 ‘third wave’ is actually just a nonstop roller coaster of failure and complacency. https://t.co/KwR9GSud5x

— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) October 21, 2020

thread –

Rep. Clyburn, chair of the House S/C on coronavirus crisis, just released 6 weeks of WH Coronavirus Task Force reports obtained by the committee showing the WH was aware of an alarming rise in COVID cases as Trump publicly downplayed it and held crowded events.

— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) October 20, 2020

The director of NIH says it's very unlikely a vaccine will be approved before late November — and is urging people to trust health experts like Dr. Fauci who "don't really have an ax to grind."https://t.co/KpjVGtMieR

— NPR (@NPR) October 21, 2020

This gets to a core problem in this administration’s approach to crisis mgmt: the inability to acknowledge, learn from, and therefore fix, mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable in crises. But repeating them is not. https://t.co/MH7jYg7QUm

— Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk (@JeremyKonyndyk) October 20, 2020

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The rise of confirmed cases in Europe is very rapid.

– This is showing the 7-day rolling average. Over the last week 138,500 cases were confirmed every day.
– The doubling time of confirmed cases for Europe as a whole is two weeks.
[interactive source https://t.co/iv71Ipz3lb] pic.twitter.com/YIUHcZi3rl

— Max Roser (@MaxCRoser) October 20, 2020

New Covid-19 restrictions in Europe. Selected countries @AFPgraphics pic.twitter.com/SPrl4T2ciB

— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 21, 2020

Some countries that avoided initial coronavirus surge see first spike in cases https://t.co/hoBdQE3AQi

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 20, 2020

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 5,186 to 380,762: RKI https://t.co/GHJMsIHjrS pic.twitter.com/epkDc96V18

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 21, 2020

German Alpine region goes into lockdown – the first part of the country since initial Covid peak in spring https://t.co/Xjm9eoi1tC

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 20, 2020

Here is what the latest figures tell us about the pandemic in the UK:
✅The virus is spreading, but its pace is decreasing
✅North-west England and Northern Ireland have been hit the hardest
✅Younger people are spreading the virus to those over 60https://t.co/LKedKPO1To pic.twitter.com/5aVR3VbLoD

— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) October 21, 2020

⚡️ Russia confirmed 15,700 new Covid-19 cases Wednesday, bringing its official number of cases to 1,447,335, and broke its record for coronavirus deaths with 317 fatalities in the past 24 hours https://t.co/H0ppXb9Gjz

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) October 21, 2020

India's coronavirus tally climbs to 7.65 million https://t.co/QQnk50VbjD pic.twitter.com/U1JM9Dvj2q

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 21, 2020

India Covid-19: From losing loved ones to volunteering for a vaccine https://t.co/srfbEvhGJH

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 21, 2020

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Two new peer-reviewed studies show a sharp drop in mortality among hospitalized Covid patients. The drop is seen in all groups, including older patients and those with underlying conditions, suggesting providers are getting better at treating the illness. https://t.co/tAMGC5OsPM

— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) October 20, 2020

.@Flipboard asked me to curate some articles on #Covid19. The collection includes some of mine, some by my @statnews colleagues & Covid superstar reporters @kakape, @sciencecohen, @edyong209 & @apoorva_nyc. No paywalls. https://t.co/BghZi1WcLz

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) October 20, 2020

Sorry that this @cragcrest article debunking the 6% conspiracy came out after I put together this collection for @Flipboard ; I would have included it. Christie does such great work. https://t.co/W4uCPdbKcB https://t.co/ewEIED8zXa

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) October 20, 2020

In a pandemic, the need for speed challenges old standards of the scientific process https://t.co/mqFpZrXdUz

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 19, 2020

Let's say you're at high-risk for severe covid.
And in the weeks ahead monoclonal antibodies will get an EUA for early administration to prevent progression of illness.
You get a positive PCR test.
How and where do get an IV infusion?
There is no plan.https://t.co/iMnmx0JgiM pic.twitter.com/oGFWPEicKt

— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 21, 2020

U.S. CDC issues 'strong recommendation' for mask mandate on airplanes, trains https://t.co/ef8nHdBryN pic.twitter.com/eB88EgcwvS

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 20, 2020

Latest #Covid19 vaccine update from @WHO has 44 vaccines in clinical trials, 10 in Phase 3 studies.
Repeating myself here, but this is truly extraordinary. A revolution in outbreak vaccine design & production. https://t.co/Tcff0xs20T

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) October 21, 2020

U.K. researchers are preparing to infect healthy young volunteers with the virus that causes COVID-19. They plan to use the contentious technique to study the disease and potentially speed up development of a vaccine that could help end the pandemic. https://t.co/8OIjEGX2Mx

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) October 20, 2020

Covid: China's Sinovac vaccine to be included in Brazil immunisation plan https://t.co/Drwu4IhGUG

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 21, 2020

“Effective vaccination will be key to managing #COVID19 in the long-term, but we’ll need more than one safe and effective vaccine to achieve this goal” – Nick Jackson on @CEPIvaccines’ COVID-19 vaccine portfolio: https://t.co/3IxwvFfg7L

— Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (@gavi) October 20, 2020

The US sent Russia $5.6 million in COVID-19 supplies. It got $1 million worth of coronavirus aid from Russia, including 45 faulty ventilators that it has now tossed in the trash. https://t.co/Rtf5xvMJhn

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) October 19, 2020

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The pandemic has caused ~300,000 more US deaths than expected in a typical year. CDC reports Covid19 has disproportionately affected Latinos & African Americans. But it has also struck 25-to-44-year-olds very hard: Their “excess death” rate is up 26.5% https://t.co/6owxvZW6nr

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 21, 2020

New study in JAMA reports a 20% increase in excess deaths March-July 2020; #COVID19 was a documented cause in at least two-thirds https://t.co/gQSy3uvYn7

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 20, 2020

Disney says California rules will keep Disneyland shut for 'foreseeable future' https://t.co/jiprH7uW7M pic.twitter.com/9jG7v5xKQ5

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 21, 2020

Late Night Horrorshow Open Thread: Last Days of Sod’Em

by Anne Laurie| October 21, 202012:17 am| 94 Comments

This post is in: GOP Death Cult, Open Threads, Repubs in Disarray!, Trump Crime Cartel

The Grand Farewell Tour is… not as heartening as Lord Smallgloves and his minions expected:

Look Trump could still win but even the last hour of my Twitter feed give the impression of the wheels coming off his entire campaign. pic.twitter.com/3eNDHieoeI

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) October 20, 2020

In Erie, President Trump said that before the pandemic he was coasting to re-election and did not need to campaign. “There was no way I was coming to Erie. To be honest I didn’t have to. Then we got hit by the plague and we had to go back to work. Hello Erie!”

— Steve Holland (@steveholland1) October 21, 2020

No complacency before November 3rd, etc etc, but this is *not* a man who believes he’s gonna win. So, if nothing else, you can take consolation in the fact that we’re making him miserable. More miserable.

"People of tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots,” Trump says in campaign call that has become a longish rant in which he is trying to deny he is at risk of losing this election.

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) October 19, 2020

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Late Night Horrorshow Open Thread: Last Days of Sod’EmPost + Comments (94)

President Donald Trump lashes out at "stupid" critics from within his own party and calls for unity after growing Republican criticism and warnings of a "bloodbath" in the November 3 election https://t.co/n7jU6fIRbJ pic.twitter.com/xKuGRoX7Vc

— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 19, 2020

Note: Trump was trailing in the polls to Biden since the race began, long before covid was a thing https://t.co/oOII9qVdwq

— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) October 21, 2020

It’s always projection:

"If you want depression, doom and despair, vote for Sleepy Joe. And boredom," Trump says in Pennsylvania. pic.twitter.com/8cQrJsm61Q

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) October 21, 2020

Going through Trump's rally transcripts from this weekend and even I am mildly impressed at how dishonest he was.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 18, 2020

On the bright side, this should finally put an end to the whole "Master Race" thing. pic.twitter.com/QoRrStlsAo

— KevinlyFather ???????????????? (@KevinlyFather) October 17, 2020

Everyone is LOVING the Trumptanic’s fun-filled cruise.

People are laughing and drinking… and we have plenty of ice cubes! https://t.co/cAOOC0yElj

— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) October 19, 2020

"There's something about that, when you watched everybody getting pushed around, there's some very beautiful about it. I don't care what anyone says. Not politically correct." — Trump describes the National Guard getting into physical altercations with protesters as "beautiful" pic.twitter.com/04ax2wWKra

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 17, 2020

Call me conservative, but I prefer Presidents who don’t have to flee the jurisdiction if they lose a re-election campaign.

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) October 17, 2020

Trump is spewing hate at his MI rally & admitting he will lose. He will be crying onstage b4 his delusional, grievance-fest campaign ends.
"On January 1, I better damn well be president I'll tell you. Well I will be. I will be for 20 days. Don't do this to me. You can't do that."

— Tom Joseph (@TomJChicago) October 18, 2020

Some in the crowd, including GOP officials, head for the exits before Trump finishes his remarks. #gapol pic.twitter.com/SMwuKUcvAV

— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) October 17, 2020

Someone should do an analysis of how many words Trump was speaking per minute before being given dexamethasone, how many words per minute now, & how many words per minute 7 days from now.

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) October 15, 2020

Is he trying to pronounce “Burisma”? pic.twitter.com/f4veqoolC7

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) October 15, 2020

After complimenting Trump on his smile at Miami town hall, Paulette Dale plans to vote for Biden #BecauseMiami https://t.co/rB2QtewU0X

— Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) October 16, 2020

The fact that she's voting for Biden is better. https://t.co/5hhJTlpPoh

— Daily Trix (@DailyTrix) October 19, 2020

Trump on Florida: "If we don't win it, I'm blaming the governor. I'm gonna fire him somehow. I'll find a way."

— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) October 16, 2020

De Santis gambled his whole career on letting seniors die to not piss off Trump in April, and look where he's ended up in October https://t.co/iyblgMKnty

— antifa but spooky (@MenshevikM) October 16, 2020

We’re so inured to this now. And it’s so fucked up. https://t.co/tS02ENJ8j2

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) October 17, 2020

Trump rallies are a time suck, a money suck, which aren't being carried on national TV. And it's not clear that hosting large gatherings mid-pandemic doesn't hurt him with voters in the end.

But the adoring crowds keep the president happy.

— Annie Karni (@anniekarni) October 15, 2020

"January 1, I better damn well be president, I'll tell you. Well, I will be. I will be, for 20 days. Don't do this to me. You can't do that." — Trump pic.twitter.com/ru7xjzGifl

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 17, 2020

Promise? pic.twitter.com/Wbl86i8uYo

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 17, 2020

Tuesday Evening Respite Open Thread: Dogs: We Don’t Deserve Them

by Anne Laurie| October 20, 20206:16 pm| 67 Comments

This post is in: Dog Blogging, Nature & Respite

SOUND UP ???? pic.twitter.com/9O43bfCyJO

— Jay Arnold ?? (@jadedcreative) October 16, 2020

This is how tornadoes start.

📹: https://t.co/gyWCZaAi7i pic.twitter.com/zulVVPHpep

— Paul Bronks (@SlenderSherbet) October 14, 2020

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Tuesday Evening Respite Open Thread: Dogs: We Don’t Deserve ThemPost + Comments (67)

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Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…

The math demands it!

Not all heroes wear capes.

Shocking, but not surprising

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Just a few bad apples.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Naturally gregarious and alpha

Deploy the moving finger of emphasisity!

The house always wins.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

Verified, but limited!

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

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Let there be snark.

Almost as fun as hiking the Appalachian Trail

… makes me wish i had hoarded more linguine

Wetsuit optional.

Mission Accomplished!

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

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

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Durga Puja

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday/Thursday, Oct. 21-22

Repub Venality Open Thread: Strangling the Stimulus

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Avengers Assemble!

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Tuesday/Wednesday, Oct. 20-21

Late Night Horrorshow Open Thread: Last Days of Sod’Em

Tuesday Evening Respite Open Thread: Dogs: We Don’t Deserve Them