— The Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare
Something not talked about, mainly because SFB is being covered, is that in many locations around the country the virus is still on the up slope of the bell curve. In many areas, including where I live, this is approaching the highest risk of infection period. I do not want to go outside for more than picking up the newspaper and mail or a quick drive to the liquor store for more critical supplies.
No walks right now, unless the weather is cold, wet and very windy. I am in the high risk category for being old, having a compromised immune system, pneumonia a couple times and other issues. Am I afraid? No. I am looking at risk, at the odds, at what things I can do to minimize infection with this beastie.
We live in a very different world then we did in January. This world is nasty. It might not kill everyone, but it is doing serious damage to some. Health decisions will be made now that were not on the table a month or two ago.
We are essentially in an economic depression. As many, or more, people are out of work and businesses shut down as during the Great Depression. The people of these United States will be making a decision about the direction of America this fall.
Do we go to a dictatorship, the Constitution be damned? Or do we clean out the dregs of republicanism and move to a more modern form of being a republic?
Will we be more like Finland than Russia? There is a stark difference between them. One is almost a dictatorship, the other is run by women and is capitalistic. Do we get an FDR or a Putin?
“I will then be authorizing each individual governor of each individual state to implement a reopening,”
and after that I, that’s ME the great and grand IMpotus (aka poutus), will authorize the earth to circle the sun and the moon to circle the earth
above cartoon was titled “the divine reopening”.
the Cuomo boys helping us to know what it’s like for a family getting COVID
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWFpGduWNcU
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/16/profit-over-people-cost-over-care-americas-broken-healthcare-exposed-by-virus
the hill about the above:
I think it’s fair to say unemployment is up in the US. From WaPo:
Now in fairness, many jobs will eventually come back (which IMHO that is the reason SFB is so desperate to “open up” the country), but many will not. Restaurants and other marginal service industry employers and smaller retailers will fail and their employees will be looking elsewhere for employment. And where will they look? Demand drives our economy, and with unemployment so high there will not be enough excess money beyond basic consumption needs to fuel demand in the service and retail sectors. The small business loan program is out of money already, and there are some reports out there that money was not necessarily going to the restaurants and other small businesses for whom the money was intended. Another monumental fuckup by SFBCo.
new ad by the Republicans for the Rule of Law
huffpo about the above:
A conservative group is calling out President Donald Trump’s claim of “total” authority over America’s governors amid the coronavirus pandemic in a new ad to run on Fox News later this week.
[…]
Republicans for the Rule of Law communications chief Carson Putnam said in a news release that Trump had claimed new authorities for himself while denying all responsibility for his administration’s flawed response to the crisis.
“His job is to be a leader,” Putnam said. “Not a king, not a commentator, not a rabble-rouser, but a responsible leader in a time of crisis.”
[…]
The ad will run Friday morning in Washington, D.C., on “Fox & Friends,” known to be one of the president’s favorite shows.
Blue Bronc:
You have chosen a good topic for discussion.
Everything I have read recently indicates that in every nation the Covid-19 pandemic is (right now) triggering social and political unrest which will lead to dramatic changes in the nature of each individual government and in the relations between the various governments on Earth.
In any particular nation the people and their leaders could move to the right or they could move to the left. At this time it impossible to predict which way they will move. But they will move.
In the USA we could see the rise of a 21st century “FDR” who will dedicate the government’s energy to helping the workers who built this nation or we could see the rise of a 21st century “Hitler” who will find internal racial scapegoats to blame for all of our problems and then lead the nation into a devastating global war.
I would say our chances of moving in either direction are 50%.
patd:
It would be wonderful if conservative ideological “purists” could create some opposition to Trump within the Republican party. I am amazed Fox would carry that ad.
Lindsey Graham is about to go on TheView to lie for a prez who is perfectly capable of telling lies for himself. Lyin’ Suck-Up Lindsey. What’s it gonna get him? A special place in Hell.
Whoopi brought up a good point: Why isn’t Sleepy Ben Carson doing anything to give relief to those in section 8 housing, etc.?
Lindsey just went after Fauci and China to protect Trump.
If the fire started in China and the flames then jump onto your house, it does NO good to blame China. Trump was responsible for putting out the fire here.
We need testing!
A good country comparison, IMO, is Denmark (who shut down the borders, schools, etc.) and Sweden (social distancing) because of their proximity, weather, similar diet and lifestyles.
Denmark: 6,879 cases 309 deaths
Sweden: 12,540 cases 1,333 deaths
Closing down worked, but now Denmark is starting to open things up (schools).
We need testing to open things up.
Linsey has no clue about what it’s like to live in the world. If unemployment is more than what someone normally makes (which is unlikely), it doesn’t make up for benefits like health insurance. I’m waiting to find out how much COBRA will cost next month; I’m OK for April, since I was in the payroll part of the month. My employer didn’t kick me off of insurance in April. If I don’t get to go back in May, I will have to pay it.
We need testing to see who has been sick, who is sick. C’mon!
I want to go back to work before I forget how to do my job. And, I’ve been so bored that I have no intention of ever retiring entirely. The shutdown has had the opposite effect on me. I doubt that I’m alone. Wake up, Lindsey! Stop thinking everyone on the dole now is lazy. I’ve been working since I was 13!
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/small-business-loan-fight-congress-negotiations/index.html
OK, Senators! Get back to work!
This booming economy we HAD was made of balsa wood and spit.
Go, Jamie R. Harrison!!!!
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/world/coronavirus-response-lessons-learned-intl/index.html
Taiwan – Iceland – South Korea – Germany
What they did right and the lessons the rest of the world (that means the US, too) can learn.
So lardbutt thinks he can send Congress home. Who talks to him. Where does he get the idea he can do whatever he wants because he is president.
Can you imagine the snacks when he and Bill Barr meet?
I wonder what Moscow Mitch thinks about that.
NY in coordination with other states extending stay at home to may 15th
take that IMpotus (aka poutus)!
also UK is extending their lockdown til at least may7
good one bronc. I could see the upshot of this experience raising popularity of universal health care, guaranteed wage and a wealth tax
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/entertainment/michael-che-paying-rent-grandmother-coronavirus-trnd/index.html
There should be a moratorium on public housing rent, at the very least.
This morning, Lindsey put for that we don’t want socialism. Well, the Republicans want everyone not rich enough to hole up for months to just do the economy a favor and die. Republicans are NOT pro life. They are for the deaths of any animals who are less equal than other animals. Disgusting!
It will be interesting to see if Denmark’s deaths tick up in about 2 weeks of their soft opening.
On the other hand. How many people did jar jar send eviction notices to.
Great column, Blue Bronc!
I’ve spent the day so far talking on the phone…. 3 friends decided it was a good day to call me. It was wonderful to hear their voices. Everyone here in NH is anxious to hear what our governor will do. Now that NY is continuing their stay at home thingy until May 15th, it’ll probably happen here too. Massachusetts is looking at what NY does because they don’t want NYers coming across the border. NH is looking at what Mass. does because we don’t want Massachusettians coming over the border. I wonder if trump gets this… I wonder if trump gets anything.
BID
Have you applied for the stimulus supplement to unemployment insurance payments?
Is anyone here on SS without having to file and income tax return? I get direct deposit the third of every month, but no stimulus payment so far. Nervous.
Thank you. I was listening to all the talking heads guessing about infections, deaths and vaccines along with breathlessly covering SFB as a normal thinking human. Sometimes we talk about being a first or second generation American of immigrant parents or grandparents. Sometimes it is that along with another experience of life. My parents survived the Great Depression and WWII, my grand-parents survived those plus WWI. Those experiences were important in shaping the voting in 1932, the election that swept FDR into the White House.
FDR had to fight left over republicans in the Congress and the Supreme Court. But, he did things to help unemployed people survive the Great Depression. Quite a few of the programs his administration tried failed or were declared unconstitutional. But, he kept trying. It was the failure of churches to help the poor that brought Social Security. That is the program republicans hate the most. Any health care program is second. Right now SFB and his cult are trying to destroy both. Having the Dems in the House is why SS will survive. I expect there will be a new program, probably similar to the Finnish program of a minimum support payment to low income families. Already Speaker Pelosi has brought up the two thousand dollar per month payment while this terrible event continues. If that or something similar goes through expect to see that continued under Biden.
Jaime
I read the non-filing social security recipients will begin to receive payments next week
KGC TY
Oh, for crap’s sake! Trump didn’t “negotiate” with the docs for a May 1st re-start date! He’s been pushing that date for weeks. TRUMP WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE DEATHS! We need testing!!!
Someone needs to have a 99.6 temp to get tested for Covid in one of the few testing centers scattered around Dallas county. I think there are now 4 sites. Someone with a fever is to drive themselves there? C’mon!
Jamie – Texas is one of the three states (I think it’s three) that have instituted the federal unemployment supplement. As of yesterday, they still haven’t gotten me verified. It’ll take awhile; there were many, many in line ahead of me. I will be fine. I feel for those who have to have it now. The SBA money is gone! CONGRESS! Please get back to work and fund this, again!
For Covid-19 I’ll get a “one-time” check for $1,200.
But I get $1,500 a month from Social Security.
Thanks, FDR.
So, now the Dallas county judge says we DON’T need a face covering out on the trails/parks or around the neighborhood, but we MUST cover our faces in the grocery store. (Waiting for MAGA folks to start whining about sharia law in the grocery stores. It’ll happen. Just wait.)
Nash, Great point!!!
So after the bluster SFB does what the Constitution says he must- practice federalism.
Yesterday: I can do it and we’ll give governors hell if we don’t agree with what they do.
Today: Here’s a printed PowerPoint presentation. Read it and do whatever you think is best.
Chickenshit.
Today’s lie fest Q&A should be interesting.
~Congratulations to Michigan. You’ve made news on BBC.~
When talking about the outrages caused by the low intelligence freak in the WH, SFB, watch his pattern. A few things to consider, he is not smart enough to think of any, repeat that, any of the idiotic actions he is spewing. He has many white supremacists and far right anti-America types feeding his peanut.
It is his bang the drum loudly and pronounce some idiotic statement one day to get the stupid media scrambling for shiny pennies. Oh they spend a lot of time yacking about how bad and unconstitutional his statement is. A few days later we get a light statement that he has walked back something. It is always “what can I get away with” crap. The general media gets all excited and “oooo and aaahh” and never goes “what the hell are you trying to do?” There are a few more trying to get answers to real questions, but not enough.
Trump’s hair is edging toward Flock-of-Seagulls today. He’s definitely packed on the Covid 19. The “most advanced testing” —BS! If we had testing, some of us could think about going back to work. If “one person is too many,” then don’t do anything else stupid that will get folks killed.
Well, I missed SFB. Got home as he was handing the podium over to the white angel of death. I was up to six shots when I called it a day. Now it’s Birx. She’s gone over. BTW the power point presentation is a fucking joke. Good reputation you had there, babe. Sorry you hitched your wagon to the wrong star.
What fools these mortals be.
A glass of grog raised to Franklyn Delano.
I’ll have to print and read the guidelines in detail before ridiculing them. Since it’s an 18 page PowerPoint it shouldn’t take long.
Kansas gov pushing decisions down to mayors. Very republican (little “r”) of her. Of course she’s a Dem, so, yeah.
Play of the Trilennium:
”The Frogs” by Aristophanes.
Brekekekèx-koàx-koáx
Hurray For FDR !
Trump lies. It’s what he does. He claims he negotiated w/’the doctors.’ Insane. Viruses don’t negotiate. Doctors don’t speak for viruses. trump doesn’t listen to doctors. It’s all a vast nebula of lies.
Save lives. Lock trump up ! Lock all the rippers up !
KC, I know that you have been very dismissive of Erin Burnett in the past. I suggest that if you’re watching any of this shit on cable, or satellite, you take a look CNN and her coverage after each of these stupid fucking life fests. She gets it. She actually seems to really get it. Her guests contribute- particularly Sanjay Gupta, who calls a spade a spade, and John King, who calls out SFB and his idiocy.
XR, damn skippy.
Oh, and RIP Brian Dennehy. I always enjoyed his work. Wish I’d caught him in Death of a Salesman on Broadway, but alas, no.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/roger-stone-trial-gag-order/index.html
And the jurors are afraid of Trump and his cronies.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/roger-stone-jury-privacy/index.html
They talked about the protest in Michigan yesterday. But, one of the former newscasters from Michigan who is in Tennessee said that there were protests held in many states yesterday. Not sure why Michigan’s protest gets so much coverage.
Maybe the MI protest was bigger? Were there any arrests? The still pics I saw showed MAGA hats, so maybe that drew attention. After all, Faux Noise is telling Trump’s lemmings how to behave and they haven’t been able blow off any steam at one of his Nazi rallies.
What are the chances media paying attention to MI shenanigans because the governor is 1) a Democrat and 2) in the Veep sweepstakes? TN governor has an R after his name so that doesn’t contribute to the drama.
Remember how the repubes howled at the moon and made fun of Obama when the “Obamacare” website didn’t work well? Well, let’s howl and denigrate the dictator in like kind for the screw up of big, beautiful check he’s giving everyone…who haven’t received it yet!!! Make it LOUD!!
I tried to avoid coverage of the protest, but from what I read today, a lot of armed people showed up looking like militia. The people that protested in cars ended up blocking the road leading to the area hospital. True heroes, those protesters were.
One of the reasons for so many nursing home deaths, besides close quarters, is that nurses works at more than one facility to equal a full time job. The daughter of a friend works at THREE nursing homes in Florida. Now they’re saying that the nurses will work with the same patients when they return to that nursing home.
It’s too bad that Chris Cuomo’s wife is in the hospital with Covid-19. All along I though his three kids were young like 5, 7, and 9 or something. Turns out they’re 11, 14, and 17!!! They aren’t little kids.Feels like they’re pampered.
Long ago, I heard the question of job importance put like this: Who will you miss first, the priest or the garbage man? I’ve always hated it when folks working honest jobs get looked down on. I’ve cleaned houses and buildings and worked in restaurants and a nursing home. My grandmother waited tables and my grandpa worked as a hired hand on farms and in a lumber yard when he finally found a full time job. Not only does the minimum wage need to be increased, but we need universal healthcare (CARE) because one of the reasons employers don’t want to offer more hours to one employee is that they don’t want to offer benefits like health insurance. That’s how you end up with one nurse or nurse’s aid working in multiple facilities. That nursing home has to have 24-hour coverage. They could hire folks for full-time positions instead of splitting jobs and hiring more folks for fewer hours/shifts. Also, since everyone with kids has had to homeschool their kids, folks seem to be in agreement that teachers need raises.
I feel like I have woken up inside a science fiction movie.
At his farcical “press conferences,” Trump reminds me of Doctor Evil in the Austin Powers movies.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/michael-cohen-to-be-released-prison-coronavirus/index.html
Mickey C goes home and gets ankle jewelry, I suppose.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/gileads-stock-drops-after-china-halts-second-remdesivir-trial-2020-04-15
If the Remdesivir trial is going well here, why would China stop the trial? Did they want the stock to tank? So they could then get a deal on the stock? Because they’re figuring out a way to reformulate it/steal it?
https://youtu.be/Bh7bYNAHXxw
BiD, I agree. That’s what happens to nurses.
What I did today. I took the 2 plastic chairs from my porch & a small table to a field. On the way, I picked up lunch and met a paraprofessional I’ve worked with for 10 years. We had lunch in the field with a strong wind blowing…germs away from up. Lovely. We were many feet apart screaming at each other. She has no teeth! She’s late 60’s and missed only 1 day of work in all that time. She has no car, takes buses, and walks miles to get to the school. She has a bad knee and hip and kind of limps along. She’s now living in a long term stay motel with her 2 adult daughters and granddaughter. The field is next to the motel. At the end, I gave her $500 which I wish I could have done years ago. She’s still getting paid as is one of her daughter’s who works at a food store. At least they benefit from the daughter’s discount. She was widowed when her daughters were young. As a para she works with multi-handicapped kids and does their diapering and feeding.
When I read that the head of Boeing, whose planes break apart, makes $30 MILLION a year, I always think of Susannah who has no teeth. And no, she’s not a fan of the dictator.
Kumcho was a professional hospital germ killer. She was usually responsible for a ward. She would have a partnership with the ward’s head nurse. Together. they won awards.
I’ll never cease to be amazed–my $1,200 arrived
Demonstrators in Michigan block capitol traffic protesting lock down with their ignorant mouths open! YES! They’ll get Covid-19, and there’ll be FEWER of them around! Good!
Tiptoe – That was a lovely, lovely thing to do. I’m sure you’ve seen the lines at the food banks on TV here. This virus has outed our economy/way of life. Many have no safety net. And, yes, it’s disgusting when someone with a defective product makes an obscene amount of money. One can only hope that he’s signed a giving pledge to give away his wealth. Doubtful, but one can hope. Here’s the other thing Trump is missing with regard to getting our economy up and running. Folks aren’t going to spend money like they used to, even when it’s OK to go out and travel, again. Having been raised by grandparents who lived through the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, and, WWII, I see where I will be even thriftier than before; living more like the way I was raised.
Thanks, BiD. If I had the money, I’d see to it that she got teeth. Yes, the food lines! I did donate to Minnie’s Food Pantry. If we each do a little, that equals a lot.
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