Tuesday, March 31, 2020

And another day of projections, threats, congratulations, gaslighting, environmental consequences, heat waves, anti-transgender legislation, and Zoombombings comes to a close:

“If a severe pandemic materializes, all of society could pay a heavy price for decades of failing to create a rational system of health care that works for all of us.” -- Irwin Redlener

Deaths
US: 3,889 (+724)
World: 42,151 (+4336)

White House projects 100K to 240K US deaths from virus.

Should Americans be prepared for the possibility of 100,000 deaths from coronavirus? Fauci: "The answer is yes."

Hospitals Tell Doctors They’ll Be Fired If They Speak Out About Lack of Gear. Hospitals are threatening to fire health-care workers who publicize their working conditions during the coronavirus pandemic -- and have in some cases followed through.

If impeachment really had prevented McConnell from taking action on coronavirus, you'd expect him to deal with the issue immediately after the trial concluded on February 5. The first thing senators did after acquitting Trump was take a five-day weekend.

Trump insists on congratulations while America braces for the worst.

GOP Plows Forward on Plans to Kill Obamacare, Pandemic Be Damned. -- Healthcare is right, not a privilege.

In unusually blunt memo, captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt warns top Navy leaders most of his ship's crew needs to be quarantined ashore in Guam due to concerns that keeping them aboard would continue the spread of coronavirus.

As Spain records its deadliest day, lockdown stirs unrest. Accusations of police using violence to enforce the strict movement restrictions grow amid coronavirus lockdown. A video has also surfaced.

Consumer confidence nosedives as Americans begin to grasp the magnitude of the social and economic disruption caused by the coronavirus. “The consumer confidence survey was just before we got the really massive layoffs. Next month, it’s going to plummet.”

The Trump administration is planning to finalize a rule that will loosen tough fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, a move that will have large environmental consequences and weaken former President Obama's efforts to combat climate change. -- Of course they are.

As the nation worries about coronavirus, the Trump administration is rolling back environmental rules.

Climate scientists have recorded the first heat wave at a research base in East Antarctica, warning that such "unprecedented" temperatures could impact animals and plantlife in the region.

As the coronavirus was emerging as an international concern, a U.S. government agency sold 80 cases of protective masks that are now in high demand.

McConnell: Impeachment trial 'diverted' attention from coronavirus crisis in China. -- Shut up, Mitch. As is the Repbublican way, he is trying to scapegoat others for his party’s complete incompetence and lack of responsibility. He’s caused more damage to America than any other person over the past 15 years. Vote that fucker out.

The internet made trans people visible. It also left them more vulnerable.

Idaho governor signs into law anti-transgender legislation. One bill prohibits trans people from changing the sex on their birth certificates, and the other bans trans girls and women from competing in women’s sports.

Almost a quarter of U.S. children live in single-parent homes, more than in any other country.

FBI issues warning, NY attorney general makes inquiry after wave of Zoom hijackings. They’re called Zoombombings.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Monday, March 30, 2020

And another day of stay-at-home orders, makeshift hospitals, the elderly, the young, arrests, and MyPillow talk comes to a close:

“Once we start believing that the apocalypse is coming, the amygdala goes on high alert, filtering out most anything that says otherwise.” -- Peter Diamandis

Deaths
US: 3165 (+681)
World: 37,815 (+3839)

Note: More people have died in the US from the Coronavirus than died on 9/11.

This Is Not the Apocalypse You Were Looking For. If you find yourself eager to see the whole species punished, that’s not a fetish, that’s fascism...Instead, the world feels larger, not smaller. Right now, with over a third of the world on some sort of lockdown, with the entire world going through some version of the same crisis at once, we are suddenly frantic to touch one another. It seems more important to reconnect with friends. It seems more important than ever to be sweet and silly. We all know someone who’s stuck in a house by themselves, trying not to go bonkers. We all know someone who’s stuck in a house with someone awful, trying to survive the hotboxing of an already toxic relationships. And many of us, by now, know someone who’s sick.

78% of Americans are under stay-at-home orders.

Coronavirus job losses could total 47 million, unemployment rate may hit 32%, Fed estimates.

CBS News obtained audio of a call Monday between Pres. Trump and rural state governors about coronavirus. After Montana Gov. Steve Bullock discusses difficulty getting testing equipment, Trump says, "I haven't heard anything about testing being a problem". -- He must go.

Trump says guidelines to slow coronavirus spread may get tougher.

New York's Central Park and harbor are now home to makeshift hospitals.

Trauma physician treating coronavirus patients worries ''we are slowly descending into chaos”.

Inside a Brooklyn hospital that is overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients and deaths. At Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in New York, the ICU is at capacity, patient beds line the hallways of the emergency department, and the morgue is overflowing.

Illinois governor says feds sent the wrong type of protective medical masks.

Trump administration in talks with India to avoid U.S. drug supply shortage.

They did it right.

Coronavirus: U.S. Still Seeing Thousands Of Flights, Despite A Drop In Air Travel.

Number of long-term care facilities with COVID-19 cases tops 400 nationwide.

Getting old has often meant loneliness. It’s about to get worse. Isolation can have serious health effects for older people.

Kids are losing their childhood to the coronavirus pandemic. This is what it feels like for them.

No evidence for Trump's suggestion that masks are 'going out the back door' of New York hospitals. -- When has Trump ever needed evidence?

Inslee Outlines Enforcement Measures for "Stay Home" Order.

Arizona governor enacts stay-at-home order over coronavirus.

Portugal has temporarily given all migrants and asylum seekers full citizenship rights, granting them full access to the country's healthcare as the outbreak of the novel coronavirus escalates in the country.

MyPillow founder uses coronavirus briefing to urge Americans to focus on religion. -- Um, yeah...no. Religion isn’t going to get us out of this thing,

Trump has been nudging MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to run for office.

On Monday, Hungary’s parliament awarded its nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban, the power to rule by decree until his government decides the coronavirus crisis has passed. The move effectively eliminates any democratic opposition. -- Don’t think this isn’t on The Orange One’s wish list.

A Florida pastor was arrested after he held service for his 4,000-member church — in defiance of a county ban on gatherings of 10 people or more to curb the spread of the coronavirus. -- Good.

Group of Spring Breakers Test Positive for COVID-19 After Visiting Alabama Beach. -- Yeah, we’re all shocked by that.

How to access reproductive healthcare during a pandemic.

Vincent van Gogh painting stolen from shuttered Netherlands museum.

Performing arts online: Bringing theater to socially-distancing audiences.

Cooped up at home? You can help scientists spot penguins from space or seek out new galaxies.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

And another day of plagues, extensions, recommendations, broken ventilators, a lost deal with the Devil, sexual assault allegations, and warm baths comes to a close:

“Let’s be honest. We have come to tolerate an infantile person in a grown man’s job, a baby in a suit.” - Mitch Albom

Deaths
US: 2,484 (+257)
World: 33,976 (+3097)

The plague of Donald Trump. “This is who Mr. Trump is, who he always was. In a time when everything is changing, you can rely on Mr. Trump’s apathy to suffering.”

The exponential growth in U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths falls in line with some predictive models that suggest that in the coming weeks, it could begin to see death tolls in the thousands every day.

White House extends social distancing guidelines to April 30. According to Fauci, the US could see up to 200,000 deaths.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's government prepared Italians for a "very long" lockdown Sunday that would only be lifted gradually despite its economic hardship and traumatic impact on daily lives.

Coronavirus task force has received proposed recommendations on reducing social distancing.

America is ramping up Covid-19 testing, but a shortage of basic supplies is limiting capabilities.

California governor: 170 ventilators sent from Trump administration were 'not working'. — Highly doubtful this was accident.

Healthcare workers at the Miami VA hospital are being told to reuse one surgical mask for a week at a time starting Monday.

Louisiana governor calls on feds to send ventilators as coronavirus spreads.

Some governors have stepped up during coronavirus crisis, others not so much.

Liberty University, which partly reopened its campus amid the coronavirus pandemic, confirmed they now have almost a dozen students sick with potential COVID-19 symptoms. — Jerry Falwell, Jr. made a deal with the devil. And lost.

For some, the last opportunity to visit loved ones will be behind glass.

Bored shoppers crowd 'essential' stores for nonessentials.

We’re the makers, they’re the takers: Billionaires only exist because we let them.

State data indicates we’re headed for another record unemployment week. From Pennsylvania to Oklahoma, things are getting worse.

Minnesota and Vermont have classified grocery workers as emergency personnel, which allows them access to free child care. Now grocery workers are demanding that California do the same.

While you were distracted by Covid-19, States Quietly Pass Laws Criminalizing Fossil Fuel Protests. Over the past two weeks, Kentucky, South Dakota and West Virginia approved new laws meant to discourage Dakota Access-style protests. More are on the way.

Why has the media ignored sexual assault allegations against Biden? Conservatives who didn’t care about the multiple sexual assault allegations against Trump have seized on the accusations while liberals turn a blind eye.

This giant glacier in Antarctica is melting, and it could raise sea levels by 5 feet, scientists say.

Indie bookstore Powell’s Books rehires more than 100 employees as online orders soar.

A daily hot bath is associated with a 28% lower risk of heart disease and a 26% lower risk of stroke, a new study finds — likely because taking a bath is also associated with lowering your blood pressure.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

And another day of genocide, compliance, misinformation, people with intellectual disabilities, disestablishing a Native American reservation, travel advisories, and sex education comes to a close:

“You will be judged in years to come by how your respond to genocide on your watch.” -- Nicholas Kirstof

“As long as your ideology identifies the main source of the world’s ills as a definable group, it open the world up to genocide.” -- Steven Pinker

Deaths
US: 2,227 (+526)
World: 30,879 (+3620)

Blueprint For A Genocide: A President At War With His Own Country. “Our myths about authoritarians have left us unable to recognize one in our very midst. Our devotion to the myth of leadership and the solidity of American government has prevented us from seeing Donald Trump as a despot-in-the-making. And our misplaced optimism and faith have allowed creeping authoritarianism to destroy our institutions one at a time. Now, as we stand on the precipice of what could be a historical atrocity, we rely on dated and limited definitions of genocide to hide our fear of a storm that is set to rage and kill an untold amount of Americans.” — There’s much more. Go read it.

I’m Talking to Americans From Six Feet Away; Why Isn’t the Task Force? “Tents have been seen outside the White House main gate to ensure only healthy reporters can get inside to visit Commodus. I mean Caligula. I mean Trump. The remainder of the press corps is shut out of the White House complex. Trump is talking in the Brady Briefing Room to mostly empty seats on a daily basis. The folly cannot be overstated. I repeat: The president of the United States, during a time of national crisis, is conducting daily briefings to a mostly empty room. He tells us to practice social distancing while cramming a small stage with 10 health experts who don’t follow their own advice. Alice in Wonderland on purple windowpane acid would make more sense...The virus is real. The threat is real. The existential threat from Donald Trump is real...And here we are—the eyes and ears of the American people—stuck in a room with a madman if we’re among the few left at the White House, or working from home trying to make sense of a world turned upside down.”

Trump says he won’t comply with key transparency measures in the coronavirus stimulus bill. The administration says it won’t provide documentation for audits into $500 billion in corporate bailout funds. — And the coverup begins.

Questioning authority in times of crisis is not unpatriotic. It's critical.

Trump asks CDC to issue strong travel advisory for New York, New Jersey, Connecticut.

Here's how to debunk coronavirus misinformation and conspiracy theories from friends and family.

What it's like for health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. "I don't have the support that I need, and even just the materials that I need physically to take care of my patients," Smith said. "And it's America and we're supposed to be a first-world country."

People With Intellectual Disabilities May Be Denied Lifesaving Care Under These Plans as Coronavirus Spreads. Disaster preparedness plans in Washington and Alabama say people with cognitive issues are a lower priority for lifesaving treatment. Disability advocacy organizations have asked the federal government to clarify the plans.

States and hospitals are preparing to convert anesthesia machines for use on COVID-19 patients in need of breathing assistance.

Watch New Orleans. With the country’s attention turned north, the coronavirus pandemic is exploding in Louisiana.

The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak first emerged, began lifting a two-month lockdown by restarting some metro services and reopening borders. — I doubt Americans have the stomach for a two-month lockdown.

Reporting on Covid-19 in Italy: 'Life as we've known it has stopped'.

Shellshocked Spain reports record 832 new coronavirus deaths.

Coronavirus forecast: Deaths could peak in Washington state by mid-April.

‘Not just a big city issue': Coronavirus cases soar in rural America popular with tourists.

“At 4:00 pm today -- on the very day that the United States has reached a record 100,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and our Tribe is desperately struggling with responding to this devastating pandemic -- the Bureau of Indian Affairs informed me that the Secretary of the Interior has ordered that our reservation be disestablished and that our land be taken out of trust. Not since the termination era of the mid-twentieth century has a Secretary taken action to disestablish a reservation.”

Merkel thanks compliant Germans, shutdown to continue until at least April 20.

Coronavirus: India defiant as millions struggle under lockdown.

Fort Wayne, Indiana, is urging people to fight the loneliness of isolation by going out at 7 p.m. and waving to their neighbors.

GameStop to employees: wrap your hands in plastic bags and go back to work. The company has instructed employees to wrap one hand in a plastic bag to accept payments at the door. — Weel, no more shopping at GameStop.

Rightwing thinktanks use fear of Covid-19 to fight bans on plastic bags.

Inslee signs bill mandating sex education in Washington schools. — This is a very good thing.

Tornado tears through Arkansas city, prompting curfew and National Guard response.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Friday, March 27, 2020

And another day of the President of the United States favoring some Americans over others comes to a horrendous close:

“If anyone’s going to bring about mass extinction, it’ll be Donald Trump.” -- Nikki Glaser

Deaths
US: 1,701 (+406)
World: 27,359 (+3286)

US coronavirus cases reach more than 101,000 as reported deaths hit new daily high.

“Don’t call the governor of Washington.” — Donald Trump. — “Trump Says That Due to the Democratic Governors of Washington (3,369 Coronavirus Cases) and Michigan (3,657 Cases)—the Latter of Whom He Calls "the Woman in Michigan"—Not Being "Appreciative" Enough of Him, He Has Told the Coronavirus Task Force Head "Not to Call Them"”. — Seth Abramson. — He’s playing with people’s lives in “blue states” and many are okay with that.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says shipments of medical supplies were "canceled" or "delayed" and sent to the federal government.

Beyond Narcissism, Trump’s Other Personality Flaws Are Putting Americans at Risk. His obsession with revenge and his fatalism are endangering the nation. — These are not the qualities of a good leader. The things he’s said regarding revenge (and some of them are in this article) are just not what this country ever needs from its leaders.

Coronavirus modelers factor in new public health risk: Accusations their work is a hoax. This is why epidemiology exists. Its practitioners use math and scientific principles to understand disease, project its consequences and figure out ways to survive and overcome it. Their models are not meant to be crystal balls predicting exact numbers or dates. They forecast how diseases will spread under different conditions. And their models allow policymakers to foresee challenges, understand trend lines, and make the best decisions for public good...In recent days, a growing contingent of Trump supporters have pushed the narrative that health experts are part of a deep-state plot to hurt Trump’s reelection efforts by damaging the economy and keeping America shut down as long as possible. — America: 2020.

FDA authorizes 15-minute coronavirus test.

Coronavirus: Teenage boy (17) died after being turned away from urgent care for not having insurance. “The Friday before he died, he was healthy,” the mayor said about the teenager. “By Wednesday, he was dead.”

US private health insurance companies clog system amid Covid-19 pandemic. Patients left waiting in beds until private insurance companies authorize next steps, which can take days.

Boris Johnson and UK health secretary Matt Hancock have tested positive for coronavirus.

Citing virus, EPA has stopped enforcing environmental laws.

Coronavirus Just Took an Entire U.S. Aircraft Carrier Out of Commission.

Unemployment reaches historic highs in Washington state.

People Are Using More Wipes Because Of Coronavirus, Clogging Sewers. — Don’t flush them down toilets.

Temperature in the contiguous U.S., excluding Alaska and Hawaii, was 3.8 degrees above normal this year.

Female Genital Mutilation is about men. They must help end it. The minute a girl is born into a society that accepts female genital mutilation (FGM), her life is mapped. Her right to marry, her right to education, her right to explore, is decided for her. Why? Because she is an asset, a commodity. And like any other asset or commodity, she can be profitable, or she can be disposable. FGM, also called "cutting", happens when she is treated as both. — This is not a cultural practice, it’s a human rights issue.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

And another day of timelines, inconsistencies, threats, trash bags, assigned shopping days, unemployment, and a host of other fun activities comes to a close:

“A lot of equipment is being asked for that I don’t think they will need.” — Donald Trump

Deaths
US: 1,295
World: 24,073

US Has Most Cases in the World

"You don't make the timeline, the virus makes the timeline." Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, had a straightforward message about how long the novel coronavirus could affect daily life in the US.

“Medical professionals around the US told BuzzFeed News that the official numbers of people who have died of COVID-19 are not consistent with the number of deaths they’re seeing on the front lines.”

UW researchers find self-collection makes COVID-19 testing safer. Based on these findings, the FDA will now allow patients nationwide to self-collect nasal swabs for COVID-19 testing.

Trump campaign demands halt to Coronavirus ad. — There is nothing misleading about the ad. He said all of it.

The Trump campaign told TV stations they could lose their licenses for airing an ad criticizing the president’s actions in the coronavirus crisis. — Inching closer to fascism.

The lockdown in the Chinese outbreak city of Wuhan brought the COVID-19 epidemic crashing to a halt, giving health systems crucial breathing room to deal with serious cases, new research showed Thursday.

Trump tells governors he is setting new coronavirus social distancing guidelines.

Worker at NYC hospital where nurses wear trash bags as protection dies from coronavirus. — You read that correctly. Nurses are wearing trash bags.

Lake Stevens assigns shopping days by last names.

Los Angeles mayor threatens to cut power and water for businesses violating coronavirus orders.

Trump looking to put troops near Canadian border amid coronavirus fears. — WTF? Is he trying to keep people in the US, because why would a Canadian want to come here?

Canada attacks 'damaging' Trump plan to deploy troops at border.

More than 3 million Americans filed for unemployment claims last week.

30,000,000 people in the US are living without insurance. America's working poor face a pandemic without any aid.

This is what Trump is doing in the Middle East while you're distracted by coronavirus.

Trump administration to designate Venezuela as a state sponsor of terrorism and charge the country's President Nicolás Maduro.

Joe Arpaio, who was pardoned by Trump over two years ago, says he has officially filed election papers in a bid to win back his former position as sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona.

UK police record 51% rise in modern slavery offences in a year.

Now Is Not the Time to Assess Online Learning.

RIP Fred ‘Curly’ Neal. He was 77.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

And another day of insanity comes to a close. Wow.

“Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it.” -- John Lennon

Deaths
US: 1027
World: 21,283

Follow The Doctor’s advice.

More than 200 deaths from Covid-19 were reported Wednesday in the United States — a new high for coronavirus fatalities recorded in a single day.

The arc of coronavirus cases in Italy is frightening, continuing to jump by hundreds each day. But charted in another way, you can see definite signs that the nationwide lockdown is working.

New York City has bought 45 refrigerated truck trailers as city morgues and hospitals become overwhelmed with number of dead.

US medical staff beg for masks on social media amid coronavirus crisis.

'That's when all hell broke loose': Coronavirus patients start to overwhelm US hospitals.

Medical device manufacturers are asking the Trump administration to step in and centralize the distribution of ventilators — which it has the authority to do under the DPA. But the president has yet to enforce those powers.

Handful of GOP senators threaten to delay Senate coronavirus bill over unemployment payments.

Canada to pay $2,000 monthly to those out of work. — And they have healthcare!

Trump Said Democrats And The Media Want To Keep Businesses Closed To Hurt His Reelection, Not Protect From The Coronavirus. Public health experts say it’s vital that people stay home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

G7 nations were unable to agree on a formal joint statement on the coronavirus because the Trump administration wanted to call it the “Wuhan virus”.

NBC and CNN producers say they're through airing Trump's virus pressers. “We might take it from the top and then cut away after the first lie, and return when the lies stop.” — Don’t even do that much. Keep that shit off the air.

Seattle NPR Station Says It Will No Longer Carry Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Briefings Live Because Of Misinformation. — Please let this snowball and have his propaganda network, the one that rhymes with “socks,” be the only network to air this shit.

US military is not conducting civilian coronavirus tests despite offering to more than a week ago.

In coronavirus pandemic, Trump allies say they're ready to die for the economy. — No one’s stopping them.

As Bolsonaro flouts warnings, coronavirus spreads in Brazil.

Bolsonaro calls coronavirus lockdown in Brazil's major cities a 'crime'.

Trump commits to helping blue states fight the coronavirus — if their governors are nice to him. — He is such an asshole.

Trump’s Bible teacher says gays among those to blame for COVID-19. Environmentalists and people with “depraved minds” are also guilty, says Rev. Ralph Drollinger, who leads a Bible study group for Trump and his Cabinet. — Christ on a cracker these people.

The Cheesecake Factory tells landlords it will not be able to pay rent on April 1.

The NRA Is Stoking Coronavirus Panic to Boost Gun Sales.

A Side Effect of Remote Teaching During Covid-19? Videos That Can Be Weaponized. “Now is the time to document & expose the radicalism that has been infecting our schools,” he tweeted. — For those in academia, know those who may try to harm you.

Some South Florida police agencies are giving people the option of filing their own reports online, without ever having to come in contact with an officer.

It's feelgood. It's camp. It's cheesy. The US Library of Congress has also now decided it is historically important. The Village People's YMCA is preserved for posterity.

Sex toy sales are skyrocketing because of social distancing.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

And another day of watching all the covidiots comes to a close:

“One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.” -- Niccolo Machiavelli

Deaths
US: 775
World: 18,892

Let’s be clear: Trump can’t “reopen the country.” But his words are dangerous and his followers are gullible and many people will die following his advice.

The US has seen its deadliest day since the coronavirus pandemic began, with more than 160 deaths.

FL Gov. DeSantis pushes back against calls for statewide stay-home order.

Fed up with social distancing's hit to the economy, Trump goes back to minimizing the coronavirus threat.

Coronavirus cases increasing at a slower rate in hardest hit part of Italy. — It’s almost like the lockdown is working. Strange.

An ice rink in Madrid has been turned into a temporary morgue as Spain tries to cope with the fallout from its rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak.

New York is experimenting with splitting one ventilator between two patients.

U.S. hospitals brace for another challenge — an unprecedented shortage of nurses.

Death of juvenile in California from coronavirus believed to be first in US of someone that age.

New Orleans-area coronavirus cases see alarming spike as governor requests major disaster declaration.

Over half the US population will be ordered to stay at home.

“A Fake Pandemic”: Antivaxxers Are Spreading Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories. In recent weeks, Facebook groups that oppose mandatory vaccination have turned their attention to the coronavirus. Their feeds are full of posts that downplay the risks of the COVID-19, promote discredited conspiracy theories, and criticize efforts to control the spread of the virus. Here are a few of the ideas they’ve been spreading: — Some people are whacked.

White supremacists encouraging their members to spread coronavirus to cops, Jews, FBI says. -- And the whackedness continues.

Liberty University students to return to campus amid coronavirus outbreak. Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr., one of Trump's earliest and most ardent supporters, has speculated on Fox News that coronavirus may have been the work of North Korea. — As I said, some people are whacked.

Ohio stops daily reporting of new unemployment claims at request of Trump administration.

Fears mount of a coronavirus-induced depression. Forecasts of doom for the American economy are quickly turning from gray to pitch black.

The people who can least afford to lose their jobs are the ones who’ll be hit the fastest and the hardest by the coronavirus recession.

Great Barrier Reef hit by third major bleaching event in five years.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Monday, March 23, 2020

And another day where we learn the President of the United States and many Republicans believe some Americans are expendable comes to an unbelievable close:

“Today was a very long year.” -- John Pablovitz

Deaths
US: 579
World: 16,550

The worst possible president for this crisis. He is making it worse, not better. So it couldn't be more clear: Winning the "war" on coronavirus will happen despite Trump, not because of him.

Trump is itching to scale back social distancing after a 15 day-period, aides say. But realistically there are few health experts who think that's enough time to know whether the measures he announced last week will suffice. — He will kill us all.

Trump Toys With a Let-Them-Die Response to the Pandemic. Goaded by the right-wing media, the president is arguing for a dangerous strategy of letting the virus run wild in order to save the economy.

“Our country wasn’t built to be shut down.” -- Donald Trump

Editorial: Profits and the economy don’t matter if we’re dead. And he’s right: our country wasn’t built to be shut down. Covid-19 has shown that the country needs to be built differently.

With his “wartime president” posture failing to stop the slide and his presidency in the balance, Trump toys with reopening the economy early. “Jared is bringing conspiracy theories to Trump about potential treatments.” “Trump is like an 11-year-old boy waiting for the fairy godmother to bring him a magic pill.” — We are so screwed.

Donald Trump Signals He Might Sacrifice Thousands of Americans to Restart the Economy.

Coronavirus pandemic 'accelerating', WHO warns.

At least 15 US states have issued stay-at-home orders.

Hoping to stem the toll of the state’s surging coronavirus outbreak, New York health officials plan to begin collecting plasma from people who have recovered and injecting the antibody-rich fluid into patients still fighting the virus.

Gov. Inslee issues "stay-at-home" order for Washington state.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Says Old People Are Willing To Die For The Economy.

Developmentally Disabled New Yorkers Stuck in Hospital After COVID-19 Recovery. Because the residential programs that care for them are not equipped to bring them home safely.

CDC says coronavirus survived in Princess Cruise ship cabins for up to 17 days after passengers left.

Crowds packed California beaches despite shelter in place order.

Trump Wouldn’t Rule Out Sending Coronavirus Stimulus Cash to His Own Properties. — He’s always only about the money...and young girls.

British Columbia launches app for coronavirus info, news.

Coronavirus anxiety has exes sliding into the DMs. When something of this magnitude happens, we have the desire to cling to what we know.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others. And don't listen to Trump.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

And another day in the coronapocalypse comes to a close:

Before reading today’s cesspool of incompetence and devastation, lower your blood pressure with a message from Neil Diamond. He tweeted this out today.

"Trump didn’t deceive anyone. I blame the voters who elected him — and the senators who refused to impeach him. They should have known better. Because they didn’t, we will all pay a fearful price." -- Max Boot

Deaths
US: 419
World: 14,647

U.S. Hospitals Prepare Guidelines For Who Gets Care Amid Coronavirus Surge. As COVID-19 spreads rapidly through the United States, many American doctors could soon be making the decisions that overwhelmed health care workers in Italy are already facing: Which patients get life-saving treatment and which ones do not?

“What’s scary about Italy’s experience is that Italy wasn’t exactly passive in its response to the virus.”

Several months before the coronavirus pandemic began, the Trump administration eliminated a key American public health position in Beijing intended to help detect disease outbreaks in China. “If someone had been there, public health officials and governments across the world could have moved much faster.”

A top NY surgeon warns that the coronavirus has 'breached' hospital walls and infections could peak in 22 to 32 days.

Mayor Bill de Blasio criticized the federal government's response to the novel coronavirus pandemic on Sunday, saying New York City is "about 10 days away now from seeing widespread shortages of really fundamental supplies."

Trump says he's activated the National Guard in New York, California and Washington state.

Ignoring years of warnings, Trump falsely claims 'nobody in their wildest dreams' predicted a ventilator shortage.

“In Italy, we are painfully living out an alternate reality in which a vibrantly liberal state unexpectedly became authoritarian overnight.”

DOJ Wants to Suspend Certain Constitutional Rights During Coronavirus Emergency. While the asks from the Department of Justice will likely not come to fruition with a Democratically-controlled House of Representatives, they demonstrate how much this White House has a frightening disregard for rights enumerated in the Constitution.

Team Canada Won't Send Athletes to 2020 Tokyo Olympics Due to COVID-19.

German leader Angela Merkel in quarantine after her doctor tests positive for virus.

Rand Paul is 1st senator to report positive test for virus. — He was at the Senate gym and pool just this morning.

Trump: “Romney’s in isolation? Gee, that’s too bad.”

Anthony Fauci’s Plan to Stay Honest. He’s never seen a disease quite like COVID-19, nor has he ever worked for a president quite like Trump.

North Korea says Trump offered country help to fight coronavirus pandemic.

Trump criticizes Illinois Gov. Pritzker and "a very small group" of other governors for "blaming" his admin. for its response to the coronavirus pandemic. — Such a fucking snowflake.

Lupus Patients Can’t Get Crucial Medication After President Trump Pushes Unproven Coronavirus Treatment. Trump’s unproven claim that hydroxychloroquine could be used to treat COVID-19 has led to hoarding, putting Lupus patients and others at even greater risk. — He’s a danger to people every time he speaks.

At least four state pharmacy boards took steps to limit prescriptions of potential coronavirus treatments touted by President Donald Trump that are in short supply as demand surges with the spread of the outbreak.

At New York prison, Harvey Weinstein put in isolation after contracting virus. — Even in prison old white guys are heavily privileged. How’d he get tested when sick people in our communities can’t?

College students in Florida test positive for coronavirus after spring break trip. — Shocking, I know.

CDC: What people should know if they have asthma during COVID-19 pandemic.

There’s a Huge Disparity in the Number of Available Hospital Beds. See Your County’s Capacity. In the West, nearly 100,000 people over 65 years old live in counties without a hospital bed. — Holy cow that map of the western states.

How not to be a jerk while ordering groceries during a pandemic.

What it means to love a dead child. "Forget everything you think you know about grief - the rules do not apply when it is your child that dies." — Beautiful.

Drive-in movie theaters are seeing an uptick in business across the country as audiences practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Scientists discover ice age structure made from bones of 60 mammoths.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

And another day of literally watching Darwinism in action comes to a close:

“You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.” -- Don Schlitz (but was made famous by Kenny Rogers)

An American Catastrophe. The scale of death and economic damage that the coronavirus is bringing to the U.S. could have been avoided—if only we had started testing for the virus sooner.

There Isn’t Going to Be an All-Clear Signal. The shutdowns happened remarkably quickly, but the process of resuming our lives will be far more muddled.

Fox News Has Always Lied to Old People. This Time It May Kill Them. The pandemic makes obvious what has long been true: Fox News is dangerous.

Experimental drug holds promise for treating the coronavirus. At least two hospitalized patients who got the drug remdesivir started to feel better the next day. Clinical trial results expected in late April.

Italy closed all parks and is banning its citizens from venturing outdoors except for essentials such as food. This comes after the country recorded 627 deaths in a single day, the biggest 24-hour spike of any country.

More than 300 people in the US have died from coronavirus, and there are more than 23,000 cases nationwide. — And it’s about to get worse.

Biden, who has held several briefings over the past week about the coronavirus and whose campaign created its own coronavirus public health advisory committee, also said he had been in personal contact with Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, as well as a number of Democratic governors to help them “coordinate” their responses to the pandemic. -- He’s not even President and he’s doing what a President should.

World leaders are fighting the virus. And each other. — Because that’s what the world needs right now.

Mexico confirms total of 251 coronavirus cases, up 48 from prior day.

While there's concern for the elderly catching coronavirus, there's another high-risk group that has nothing to do with age. People with underlying medical conditions are also more likely to become seriously ill if they get it.

COVID-19 mortality twice as high for men in Italy as women. "While we do not know the causes of increased mortality in men, we do know that being male, much like being older, is a risk factor for more severe outcomes from COVID-19.”

Coronavirus: UK government to pay 80% of wages for those not working during crisis. -- How a government should actually help its citizens in such a crisis.

Coronavirus restrictions put extra burden on the blind community: Experts.

How to not kill your kids during coronavirus lockdown. Parents may be joking on social media about their childcare hell as more countries go into lockdown with the coronavirus. But child protection professionals have real worries about the risks with families locked up 24/7 for an indefinite period.

Chefs across the US are transforming their restaurants into relief centers for laid-off restaurant workers.

77% of Republicans who get political news exclusively from outlets with right-leaning audiences say they are very confident that Donald Trump is doing a good job in responding to the coronavirus outbreak. -- Goebbels would be so proud of Republicans.

RIP Kenny Rogers. He was 81.

“I’ve always said music should make you laugh, make you cry or make you think.” -- Kenny Rogers

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Friday, March 20, 2020

And another day of the President of the United States displaying the worst of humanity comes to an agonizing close:

“No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot” — Mark Twain

Trump doesn’t give a shit about scared Americans. He’s a fucker.

Trump rips reporter who asked him to calm scared Americans. “I say that you’re a terrible reporter. That’s what I say. I think it’s a very nasty question.” -- And many Americans love this man. Fucking cultist sheep.

CNN's Kaitlin Collins follows up: "Do you really think going off on Peter, going off on a network is appropriate when the country's going through something like this?"
Trump responds: "I do."

Donald Trump’s Cult of Personality Did This. The autocratic political culture that has propped up the Trump administration has left the nation entirely unprepared for an economic and public-health calamity.

Restrictions on social contact in the United Kingdom will need to be in place for “at least most of a year” to ensure the coronavirus outbreak is kept under control, the government’s scientific advisers have said.

Fauci predicts Americans will likely need to stay home for at least several more weeks.

Look at the graph again. See where the U.S. is? This is about to get real ugly.

Alabama's governor activates its national guard.

Italy called in the military to enforce coronavirus lockdown after 627 people died in 24 hours. -- America's time is coming.

Northern Italy sends patients to other regions of the country as hospital ICUs reach capacity.

More men than women in Italy are dying from coronavirus, says White House's response coordinator.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has issued a stay-at-home order for all state residents. The rule takes effect tomorrow and is expected to last until April 7.

Bats are not to blame for coronavirus. Humans are.

Wall Street is pressuring key healthcare firms to hike prices over the coronavirus crisis. Audio here of bankers asking drug companies, firms supplying N95 masks & ventilators, to figure out how to profit from the Covid-19 emergency. — Lives don’t. mean shit to the almighty dollar.

Staff member in Vice President Mike Pence's office tests positive for coronavirus. -- It’s only a matter of time, Mike.

Kansas official: Pandemic isn’t a problem here because there are few Chinese people — Yeah. WTF?

Why We Don’t Name Diseases After Places Anymore. Anybody who is arguing, today, in 2020, for a geographical name for a disease is either naive of this history (send them this article!) or is trying to deliberately stir up xenophobic sentiments. — I’m going with option B.

White House pushes back tax day to July 15.

U.S. Orders Up To A Yearlong Break On Mortgage Payments.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

And another day of realizing we were all screwed and now we’re going to get screwed some more comes to a close:

“Welcome to the jungle. It gets worse here every day.” — Guns N’ Roses

In a secret recording, Senate Intelligence Chair Richard Burr is heard 3 weeks ago warning a group of well-connected constituents to prepare for dire effects of the coronavirus. The remarks were much starker than any Burr had delivered in public at the time. — Trump knew. They all knew. And they lied to us. Now we all will pay the price.

Senator Dumped Up to $1.6 Million of Stock After Reassuring Public About Coronavirus Preparedness. — Burr received highly classified information about Covid-19 and publicly downplayed the danger it posed, then dumped stock before it began to crash. He purposely misled Americans to make a shitload of money.

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) Dumped Millions in Stock After Coronavirus Briefing.

California’s governor has issued a statewide order for people to stay home amid the virus outbreak. -- That’s 40 million residents.

Photo of Trump remarks shows 'corona' crossed out and replaced with 'Chinese' virus. -- Because he’s a racist fuck.

The first coronavirus case in the U.S. and South Korea was detected on the same day. By late January, Seoul had medical companies starting to work on a diagnostic test — one was approved a week later. Today, the U.S. isn’t even close to meeting test demand. How Korea trounced U.S. in race to test people for coronavirus. It’s a problem many Americans, accustomed to hearing they have the most advanced medical care in the world, find hard to fathom. — Sometimes one just lives in the wrong country at the wrong time.

Italy has a world-class health system. The coronavirus has pushed it to the breaking point. -- And the U.S. health system will fare much worse.

Up to 20% of people hospitalized with coronavirus in the United States are young adults ages 20 to 44.

Trump embraces fight with "invisible enemy" only days after dismissing the virus. — Never forget. 

Young people can more easily spread the virus without having symptoms — and new evidence shows the potential for some younger people to fall seriously ill.

Compassion is alive and well as the world navigates the pandemic. -- We’re all in this together. In the U.S., vote Republicans out of office if you have compassion for the human race.

Asian countries face second coronavirus wave, fuelled by people importing it from outside.

Shoreline soccer field re-purposed into hospital to battle coronavirus.

"Minnesota and Vermont have now officially designated another group of workers as emergency personnel: grocery clerks. This means the workers hurrying to stock shelves and check out customers in those states will also receive free child care."

The entire Trump stock rally is gone: Dow erases all its gains since Donald Trump took office.

Best Buy Tells Employees Work Is Now Voluntary, Everyone Gets Two-Weeks Pay.

Fish are visible in Venice canals amid covid-19 lockdown.

Coronavirus: Premiership clubs to ask players to take considerable wage cuts.

Add condoms to the list of things that might be harder to find as more Americans shelter in place amid the coronavirus outbreak. There may even be a “coronavirus baby boom,” some experts say. — Like the planet needs that.

Ghislaine Maxwell says she was Epstein’s employee not his madam. She wants part of his estate.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

And another day of exponential growth comes to a close:

“Hello darkness my old friend.” -- Paul Simon

US coronavirus cases soar past 8,500 as officials try to head off overwhelming effects. -- It’s called exponential growth. And it’s going to get worse.

Italian doctors hope for a sign the coronavirus lockdown is working, because there's no plan B.

Surgeon general: 15 days of social distancing 'likely not going to be enough' to halt coronavirus.

U.S. virus plan anticipates 18-month pandemic and widespread shortages.

Trump claims he always took coronavirus seriously, but the record says otherwise. — He’s such a waste of flesh.

Coronavirus: Trump says it may be 'the story of life' that well-connected get testing first. -- Yeah, he really gives a shit about you.

More than 250m in lockdown in EU as Belgium and Germany adopt measures. — A preview of what’s to come here.

Scientists say mass tests in Italian town have halted Covid-19.

Trump's administration is pushing to use the coronavirus pandemic to accomplish some of the tough immigration restrictions hardliners have struggled to put into practice since Trump took office, including blocking entry to asylum seekers, US officials say. — Because Trump is a horrible person.

In recent years, the world has been trying to move past racist disease-naming conventions of the past. So it's all the more telling that Trump has revived them in a moment of crisis. And it's dangerous. — As I said.

Two members of House test positive for COVID-19.

The US-Canada border will close to nonessential travel to slow the spread of coronavirus, President Trump announced.

American Airlines is asking workers to take unpaid leave and early retirement. The Fort Worth-based airline is already planning reduced flight schedules through summer.

Coronavirus shutdowns have unintended climate benefits: cleaner air, clearer water. -- The planet doesn’t need us. We need the planet.

Some schools closed for coronavirus in US are not going back for the rest of the academic year.

Amid Coronavirus, San Francisco, New York, Deem Marijuana Businesses 'Essential'.

Idaho legislation banning transgender people from changing the sex listed on their birth certificates despite a federal court ruling declaring such a law unconstitutional headed to the governor's desk on Tuesday. — Because some people just feel a need to control other people—especially other people they don’t understand.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

And another day of waiting until the shoe drops comes to a close:

“This is the greatest failure of American government in my lifetime.” — Director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness Irwin Redlener, MD

On Lockdown in Rome: A Preview of American Life in 11 Days. To slow the spread of the coronavirus, Italy has ordered its entire population to stay home. To leave, you must carry a document that says who you are, where you live, and your purpose for being outside. This is a preview of what may come to the US.

Nearly 8 million Northern California residents asked to shelter in place.

Coronavirus lockdowns: 24 hours of confusion around the world.

UK warns coronavirus outbreak spreading faster than expected.

U.S. hospital association warns of ventilator shortage if coronavirus proliferates. -- It’s not going to be pretty.

A video has emerged of Donald Trump talking about cutting the US pandemic response team in 2018 – days after claiming that he knew nothing about the disbanded White House unit. — He hopes you’re stupid.

Fact check: Trump tries to erase the memory of him downplaying the coronavirus.

The Kushner Kingpin and His Corona Conflicts. “This ultimately means that we are not able to formally confirm that the Trumps or Jared Kushner are completely divested of any personal stake in any of the companies that are set to benefit greatly from the disbursement of private coronavirus contracts from the federal government...If all of these deals are happening out in the open and in plain sight, what deals are being made behind closed doors and who will those deals really profit? Who stands to make the most from the delay in testing and the impending death of Americans from this virus?”

White House eyes giving Americans checks to combat economic impact of outbreak. -- Yeah, I don’t think it’s going to be enough. We look to be in this for the long haul.

A National Day of Prayer During a Mishandled Pandemic Is a National Day of Distraction. "If we continue to equate prayer and patriotism—and confuse the pageantry of prayer with meaningful action—the loss of life will continue, long after this particular contagion is gone."

US and Canada preparing to suspend non-essential travel between the two countries.

Not just older people: Younger adults are also getting the coronavirus. Simply looking at the age ranges of the infected, however, doesn't provide any insights into the severity of the illness.

Seven Ways to Be a Good Citizen in the Time of Coronavirus.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Monday, March 16, 2020

And another day of rooftops, tours, lockdowns, tolls, and admissions comes to a close:

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you cannot help them, at least do not hurt them” -- Dalai Lama

View from Rome's rooftops: Singing offers hope but it doesn't hide fear and frustration. In the space of a few nights, 6pm has become my favourite time of day. — Read. Just read.

People all over the world are staying put to fight the spread of the coronavirus. Here are six virtual tours you can take if you are stuck at home.

Spain becomes the fourth most virus-infected nation in the world, surpassing South Korea, as the number of cases jumps by roughly 1,000 in one day to 8,744.

France orders people to stay at home for 15 days due to pandemic.

Trump admits that coronavirus crisis could stretch into July or August.

U.S. Health Department hit by a cyberattack.

Worried you have the coronavirus? Here's exactly what you should do. Don’t panic.

'It's okay to feel scared': countries across globe tighten steps against Coronavirus.

The mental health toll of the coronavirus epidemic. The mental health impacts of the outbreak will vary among individuals, but experts say the most pervasive issues are anxiety and loneliness.

"Was the swine flu response in 2009 a 'disaster' as President Trump said?" (No) But those remarks, made as the president declared coronavirus a national emergency, seem to go against what the record shows.

Norway College Urges Students To Return From ‘Poorly Developed’ U.S. Amid COVID-19. We’re not as great a country as many think we are. We must do better.

Seattle to give $5 million in grocery vouchers amid coronavirus outbreak.

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson released from coronavirus treatment.

Telling students and professors to work remotely, while demanding that all academic staff members come in, sends a clear message about whose health matters.

Scholastic offers free online classes for your kids to learn during school closures.

Soccer stars in Brazil wore face masks in protest of having to play a match while the South American country battles with the novel coronavirus outbreak. — Seriously? Someone told them they had to play? WTF?

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.