One World: At Home Together sent me down various YouTube rabbit holes, which I’m sure the experts would condemn as the Sub-Saharan equivalent of bubblegum pop, but I’m finding it all very soothing / energizing right now…
Anne Laurie has been a Balloon Juice writer since 2009.
Wednesday Evening Open Thread: To Repeat, These People Are Monsters
“N45 Mask” pic.twitter.com/Zf7yuYYVKt
— Edel Rodriguez (@edelstudio) April 20, 2020
there’s now a case to be made that if trump had done *absolutely nothing* in response to the crisis except enter a cone of silence and let people do their jobs we’d have this halfway under control already and be cruising towards resumption of most normal activities https://t.co/YVBTSf3O1R
— kilgore trout, compulsory consumer (@KT_So_It_Goes) April 22, 2020
was it jared and ivanka https://t.co/SOmWaHX3AA
— darth™ (@darth) April 20, 2020
And also idiots. Idiots can be monsters, too!
He's going to suggest that everyone buy rakes, isn't he? https://t.co/kVjJDwOOzT
— Dr. Tara C. Smith (@aetiology) April 21, 2020
Speaking of idiots — Visit Las Vegas, if the slots don’t get ya the coronavirus might!
Keep in mind that this assumed ignorance is a common ploy. It's the old, "if I didn't know I couldn't have done anything about it." It's CYA and implausible deniability. https://t.co/iyIZ4lCAuo
— Mig Greengard (@chessninja) April 21, 2020
Wednesday Evening Open Thread: To Repeat, These People Are MonstersPost + Comments (227)
Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Joe Biden for President, ASAP
This is fantastic. The new @MorningConsult poll shows Joe Biden jumping 9% in net favorability in one week after endorsements from Obama, Warren, and Sanders. 60% of Democratic primary voters between 18-29 now view him favorably. https://t.co/5UC32yb3JF
— Charlotte Clymer ?????? (@cmclymer) April 21, 2020
The office of the presidency comes with the ultimate responsibility for the biggest decisions in the world. Every great president throughout our history has met that duty with the leadership it demands. Donald Trump has not. pic.twitter.com/Dn9Gj50Dev
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 20, 2020
"Scientists and climate experts endorse Joe Biden for president" by @Ben_Geman for @Axios: https://t.co/nnKO8JLsT4
— Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) April 21, 2020
National @IpsosNewsPolls:
Biden 47% (+2 Since last week)
Trump 39% (-1)— Political Polls (@PpollingNumbers) April 21, 2020
Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Joe Biden for President, ASAPPost + Comments (270)
COVID-19 Coronavirus Update – Tuesday / Wednesday, April 21-22
Social distancing in Siberia: "please keep the length of one small bear from each other" https://t.co/H52cerWj8V
— max seddon (@maxseddon) April 20, 2020
US nurses protest outside White House to demand protective gear for medical staff https://t.co/mk05jDIk6s pic.twitter.com/xPOhtvlbdt
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 21, 2020
Where we stand w/#COVCID19 today:
Country trends show Europe & USA levelling off.
Disturbing upwards: Russia, Brazil, Turkey.
Global numbers top 2.5 million cases w/>176,000 deaths.The #pandemic is moving southward: next week you will see Africa & LAmerica rising caseloads. pic.twitter.com/JKHjiDh5iW
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) April 21, 2020
The coronavirus is far deadlier than official numbers show. A New York Times analysis of 11 countries found that at least 28,000 more people have died in the last month than is reflected in official Covid-19 death counts for those nations. https://t.co/2n8zkdx0Pa
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 21, 2020
U.S. coronavirus deaths top 45,000, doubling in little over a week: Reuters tally https://t.co/zfWlyOARA6 pic.twitter.com/JY5AFXF6Se
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 22, 2020
the rate of infection is slowing, and testing hasn't ramped up appreciably, so this is not terrible news: distancing measures are working https://t.co/5COhtxYvjs
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) April 22, 2020
Health officials are watching Iowa closely. Here’s why and some comps.
MN: 97 new cases today
IA: 482 news cases today (more than CA, FL and TX)Iowa’s expected peak is still 17 days away. That is the latest date of any of the 50 states. MN’s peak was a week ago.
— Seth Kaplan (@Seth_Kaplan) April 21, 2020
— Seth Kaplan (@Seth_Kaplan) April 21, 2020
I had a great conversation with @DrewQJoseph @statnews for this nice piece about #SARSCoV2 #HCoV19 #COVID19 #coronavirus immunity. Also featuring smart commentary from @stgoldst, @michaelmina_lab, @TheMenacheryLab, and @Jana_Broadhurst. https://t.co/kFp3wCx89y
— Dr. Angela Rasmussen (@angie_rasmussen) April 21, 2020
Autopsies reveal first confirmed U.S. coronavirus deaths occurred in Bay Area in February https://t.co/L9RR6FyWkg
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) April 22, 2020
“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 in an interview with The Washington Post's @bylenasun. https://t.co/ZNbRSuLXDP
— Robert Costa (@costareports) April 21, 2020
Coronavirus lingers for as long as three weeks in the bodies of patients with severe disease, Chinese researchers have reported. https://t.co/RfVEQb3IsL
— CNN International (@cnni) April 22, 2020
Big news on the Coronavirus testing front: FDA approves first at-home kit https://t.co/Z1FXXsI2vx
— Jayne Miller (@jemillerwbal) April 21, 2020
The newest test (Abbott) had greater than 15% miss rate on samples of actual virus. Those numbers were replicated.
This is the same test that is being widely deployed across the country and being touted as the major solution to allow for reopening. https://t.co/8ggTEyV4hr
— Ryan Marino, MD (@RyanMarino) April 22, 2020
We use this test in our centers and have been concerned from day one about sensitivity. We've tested in parallel with our central lab's Roche machine so far. Again another preprint and who knows the validity of the study, although the Cleveland clinic is reputable.
— Christian Molstrom (@cmolstrom) April 22, 2020
COVID-19 Coronavirus Update – Tuesday / Wednesday, April 21-22Post + Comments (43)
Late Night WTF Open Thread: Army Strong, From A Safe Distance
Reporter for Stars & Stripes:
This…is…a thing now. https://t.co/j1olzMM3bt
— Chad Garland (@chadgarland) April 21, 2020
To be fair, this is aimed at the kids in the military families on bases in Germany. But it’s gonna be an entry for the ever-popular ‘game of soldiers‘ memes…
… Dubbed Desse the Physical Distancing Fairy, the frilly and feathery character was the brainchild of Victoria Hanrahan and Kimberly Stockton. Hanrahan is entertainment director for Ansbach’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, and Stockton is the costume specialist for THEATRIX, Installation Management Command-Europe’s theatrical costume collection and workshop…
Stockton, dressed as the winged and bespectacled creature with a silvery bouffant, colorful cloth face covering and white gloves, visited places where people gather on base, such as the post office and dining facility, to remind them of disease prevention measures in a memorable way. She’ll continue to do so randomly, the command statement said.
“(The visit) truly brightened my day,” said Dina DeBoer, family advocacy program specialist with Army Community Service, quoted in the statement.
Hey, Skippy’s List is still on line!
Some claymores and surface trip flares may be unaccounted for from the armory soon.
— Sad about sports guy. (Pre COVID19) (@MattyMok) April 21, 2020
Well I for one am glad to see that Bagram Batman was able to find work.
— SecNAV Speechwriter (@WiseguySix) April 21, 2020
Late Night WTF Open Thread: Army Strong, From A Safe DistancePost + Comments (15)
Pandemic Open Thread: Trump Just Likes Killing People
The governor of Alabama is smarter than the ‘governor’ of Georgia:
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey told the state that it's not safe to reopen — not without more testing and better numbers — and she kept her stay-at-home order in place. It's like Seinfeld's bizarro world. I don't know what to think anymore. https://t.co/UKBNIGgsmn
— Josh Moon (@Josh_Moon) April 21, 2020
Oval Office Occupant is… not:
If Trump weren't already terrible, removing Bill Barr as AG would be reason enough to vote for the Democratic nominee. https://t.co/uKWvxbzqKM
— Andy (@trtx84) April 21, 2020
This is it. This is all that it is. Get sick, die, what do I care as long as I win. He says it out loud. And he is right. Nobody cares. America is past caring that literally the worst person in it is its president. https://t.co/xrM3nu5VQy
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) April 20, 2020
He can’t be a king, but at least he can have people killed for his whims!
I'm shocked, shocked that Trump killed people. https://t.co/Rk3nMfZzby
— Jeff Fecke (@jkfecke) April 21, 2020
Politico’s @owermohle and I first wrote a month ago about how Trump’s hunch on hydroxychloroquine was pulling health officials away from other, more promising drugs and raising concerns given lack of data. https://t.co/xxQzOqN6z8
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) April 21, 2020
And his party… is fine with that.
It’s not an exaggeration when I say that Republicans’ #1 priority is killing poor people. They literally say it out loud regularly. https://t.co/9f0wNNYaow
— Evan Robertson (@evanrobertsonDC) April 21, 2020
Pandemic Open Thread: Trump Just Likes Killing PeoplePost + Comments (63)
Repub Venality Open Thread: Brian ‘Coronavirus’ Kemp, Burning Through Georgia
Brian Kemp is giving a press conference wherein he is outlining how Georgia is going to reopen its economy (despite the fact that we are testing a TINY speck of the population) and there is a loud ambulance siren in the background, which is just a little too on the nose
— Hannah Riley (@hannahcrileyy) April 20, 2020
Just call Covid19 “General Sherman” because it’s about to burn through Georgia again.
— RevDJEsq (@RevDJEsq) April 20, 2020
Governor Kemp announces gyms, barbers, nail salons and more will be allowed to reopen on Friday pic.twitter.com/zowGvQ2Fyb
— Justin Gray (@JustinGrayWSB) April 20, 2020
Houses of worship will he allowed to open to in person services
— Justin Gray (@JustinGrayWSB) April 20, 2020
IOW, lobbyists for gyms, salons, bowling alleys (?), & restaurants convinced Kemp to compound public heath risks & permit employers to force employees to expose themselves to coronavirus or be fired, so workers lose unemployment benefits & lower employers’ payments to the fund https://t.co/CF6QhKPxrT
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) April 20, 2020
I suspect there’s not much pressure on governors to “open the economy” coming from workers who’d potentially be exposed to coronavirus, but that there’s tremendous pressure from industries that want to expose their employees to coronavirus if it helps stave off bankruptcy.
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) April 20, 2020
I originally assumed that Kemp, having stolen his seat with the considerable assistance of the RNC, was just determined to smash’n’grab whatever he could reach before he has to flee for sanctuary to Mar-A-Largo and the full-time Trump-sycophant sinecure for which he’s been so publicly auditioning. But Georgia local & revered jackal Raven linked to a Decaturish letter from public policy advocate George Chidi, which supports Dana Houle’s tweets:
… Kemp is looking forward to the fiscal discussion in 2021 and 2022, when all of this really starts to hit. He got elected by out-yahooing the field. His base has been trained to view government spending as a crime, and he knows that he becomes politically vulnerable to an attack if he raises taxes. He is not capable of delivering a nuanced message around necessity, because his base doesn’t know how to hear it.
The state is staring at one million unemployment applications. It probably cannot pay those over six months. The unemployment fund has a reserve of about $2.6 billion. Last week it paid out about $42 million — which is about three times as much as it usually does. That figure will double in two weeks, give or take. Maybe more.
At that rate, the fund is empty in about 28 weeks. Probably less. Even if things improve later, that fund will run dry in a year, because unemployment isn’t going to return to 5 percent for a long time…
If there’s no state order calling for businesses to be closed, the people who are unemployed can no longer claim that their unemployment is involuntary, even if it would be utter idiocy for them to return to work. A hairdresser or a massage therapist cannot maintain social distance. But they can certainly file for relief … unless the law says they can work.
“Gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians, their respective schools & massage therapists.”
Not banks. Not software firms. Not factories. Not schools.
It is no coincidence that the businesses on this list are staffed by relatively poor people. Because that’s who he wants off the unemployment rolls. And if they die … well, they’re mostly black people, or Asian, and poor, and an acceptable political loss for a Republican governor…
Repub Venality Open Thread: Brian ‘Coronavirus’ Kemp, Burning Through GeorgiaPost + Comments (298)