COVID-19 – Page 10 – Politics Plus

Open Thread for September 22, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:28 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 222021

Yesterday, I observed that, although a high on 90°F had been forecast, it never actually made it above 66°F. Forecasts for the rest of the week have also been lowered around 10°F. So maybe it will cool off before the end of the month. Not that I’m really mentally ready for that, but it’s not my decision. My next visit is scheduled for October 1, and I’d be happy with cool weather for that day.

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Short Takes –

Crooks and Liars – Five Oregonians Hospitalized After Taking Ivermectin For COVID
Quote – The Oregon Poison Center has managed 25 cases involving Oregonians intentionally misusing ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19 between Aug. 1 and Sept. 14. Five of those cases involved hospitalization, and two people were so severely ill that they had to be admitted to an intensive care unit. Although the Oregon Poison Center also serves Alaska and Guam, the vast majority of ivermectin cases it has managed this year have come from Oregon.
Click through for stats. Sadly no state – and no county – and no town – and even no nation is idiot-free

The Hill – Five things to watch as Biden heads to the UN
The five are: 1. Do France tensions carry over
2. How does COVID-19 loom over the event
3. Do leaders announce any new climate initiatives
4. What is the Afghanistan fallout?
5. Biden looks for reset on foreign policy priorities
Click through for reasons. The missing question marks on #1 through #3 are The Hill’s omission, not mine.

Tampa Officials Shocked To Learn Evicting Black People For Basically No Reason Miiiiight Be Considered Racist
Quote – So it turns out the Tampa, Florida, police department has been encouraging landlords to evict their [usually Black] tenants, in the name of “crime prevention.” Because, as we all know, making people homeless is a great way to reduce crime.
Click through for complete story, in Wonkette’s inimitable style. You might consider cushioning your head first, since you may feel like hitting it against the wall.

Food for Thought –

Open Thread for September 21, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:29 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 212021

Yesterday, I slept in a couple of hours – no cool dreams, but I awoke to a day cool enough to shut off all the fans again. Of course. I surely could have used that kind of weather Sunday. Today is supposed to stay cool-ish, and then back to the fans for another week. Of course that’s not carved in stone. Incidentally, today is the day the US celebrates the Chinese Moon Festival (China celebrates for 3 days). If there is an Asian grocery near you, you might want to see whether they have any extra Mooncakes. Yum.

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Short Takes –

Crooks and Liars – Eric Trump Has A Fit On Fox News Over Getting Subpoenas ‘Every Single Day’
Quote – Eric Trump complained on Sunday that the Trump Organization and the Trump family is facing an onslaught of investigations and that they are forced to respond to subpoenas “every single day.”
Click through for complete whine. No extra charge for projection. But, if he’s telling the truth about receiving tham, that os good news indeed.

The Hill – Drug companies on verge of sinking longtime Democratic priority
Quote – The bill at the center of the fight, H.R. 3, would allow Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs by tying them to the lower prices paid by other high-income countries. The measure is projected to free up around $700 billion through the money it saves on drug purchases — covering a big chunk of the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending plan.
CLick through for background. This is the kind of story that often geets overlooked, but shouldn’t.

The 19th – ‘We’re seeing shock.’ Texas abortion clinics are now operating as trauma centers
Quote – When patients arrive at [Whole Woman’s Health in Fort Worth], she said, they are aware of the realities of the new law: Abortion past six weeks is now illegal, with no exceptions for rape and incest. Still, they can hardly process that there’s little the clinic can do to help them…. For patients they can’t treat, clinic staff offer to schedule appointments with providers out of state. To date, not a single patient at Whole Woman’s Health in Fort Worth has taken them up on it. Most are taken aback by the offer, Sadler said. They’ve already had to take time off of work, find child care and transportation, even leave meals for family at home just to make it through the door at her clin
Click through for more. The 19th is (as you might guess by reading the 19th Amendment) woman-centered, and this article puts a face on the issue which most publications don’t.

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Video Thread 9/20/21

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:43 am Open Thread, Politics

Sep 202021

Glenn Kirschner – 60-Second Clip: It’s the Department of “Justice” not the Department of “Just Move On.”

Don Winslow Films – #McCarthysPlanToAttackBiden

The Lincoln Project – Abbott’s Wall

Franklin Project – Teachers are Civic Superheroes

Colorado Turnout Project – Crickets From Rep. Doug Lamborn (no CC)

Really American – Tuckers Newly Obsessed With Testicles (It is also possible the dude’s testicles are swollen, from some other cause, which he is too embarrassed to admit to [or doesn’t know why.])

Beau – Let’s talk about AOC’s dress…. (As a fabric artist [OK, technically a fiber artist, but still], I love it that he managed to get in the word “fabricate.”)

Video Thread 9/19/21

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:56 am Open Thread, Politics

Sep 192021

Glenn Kirschner – Why Was the J6 Rally a Spectacular Flop? Here are the Two Big Takeaways from Today’s Failed Rally

Meidas Touch – Scoop: DeSantis staffers MOCK him behind his back, call him WRONG DeSantis

The Lincoln Project – Democracy is Under Attack. No surprises, but TLP style is pungent.

Don Winslow Films – #FloridaIsVietnam

Really American – Madison Cawthorn Threatens Civil War if Democrats Keep Winning Elections

Colorado Turnout Project – Lauren Boebert: American Terrorist (made months ago but being resurrected for the “rally”

Beau – Let’s talk about comedians and journalists…. I’m sure there’s not a sould here who isn’t aware of this (most of us have been since George Carlin, or even before.)

Video Thread 9/18/21

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:58 am Open Thread, Politics

Sep 182021

Glenn Kirschner – If the J6 Rally on 9/18 is Relatively Peaceful, What Will That Tell Us About the Violence of 1/6?

Meidas Touch – Governor Newsom gives his victory speech after defeating the recall.

The Lincoln Project – The Fox Virus

MSNBC – State Republicans Seek Voters’ Personal Info As GOP Vote Count Stunts Threaten Security

Don Winslow Films – #TexasWarOnWomen

Parody Project – WITH THIS CREW

Beau – Let’s talk about General Milley’s actions….

Open Thread for September 18, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:26 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 182021

Yesterday, it was cool enough for me to turn off all the ceiling fans. Unfortunately, the same cannot be predicted for tomorrow. All protections against destruction by overheating of electronic, food, and whatever are go. Ironically, the visitation room itself is kept so cold all year round that I will still need a winter sweater inside (as well as a tank top under it to drive home in.) Good times.

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Short Takes –

Wonkette – Philly Cops Beat A Woman And Stole Her Kid For An Insipid Photo-Op — Now She Gets $2 Million
Quote – Philadelphia police have never even attempted to justify or explain their actions that night, which they normally do. They normally at least make up some kind of story about how they were frightened for their lives, how they thought the person they assaulted was someone else. But they didn’t, which sure does make it look like these cops were just enraged by the protests over another horrific police shooting and decided to take that out, violently, on a random Black woman, teenager, and toddler who were just trying to get home.
Click through for the story. This takes me back five years to when I started doing “Everyday Erinyes” and could easily find up to three stories like this every week (without the settlement) – except that this one is uglier than most. I guess I’ll seriously start calling it Phobadelphia, PA

The Hill – Pandemic frustrations zero in on unvaccinated Americans
Quote – Experts support stricter actions like mandates to boost the vaccination rate and protect the public, although several also encourage patience while acknowledging the increased irritation. President Biden and others, however, have indicated their “patience is wearing thin.”
Click through for advice which may be good but is virtually impossible to folow. Turns out sane people do not like people who willfully endanger them and their loved ones. Who knew.

Crooks and Liars – Dirty Trickster James O’Keefe Loses $165K To ‘Fraudsters’
Quote – Take a deep breath. Try not to laugh. Remember, this is an exercise in pretending to care, or at least giving the impression that you could be convinced to give a s!@#. Project Veritas has been had! They’ve been took! Hoodwinked! Bamboozled! Led astray! Run amok! They’re out $165,000 due to what O’Keefe calls an “attack” by “fraudsters.”
Clck through for details. (File this under “karma”)

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Open Thread for September 17, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:52 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 172021

Yesterday was another quiet day – and also cooler, which was nice. I pulled together what I’ll be wearing Sunday

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Short Takes –

HuffPost – Militia Leader Gets 53 Years In Minnesota Mosque Bombing
Quote – Hari made a brief statement before she was sentenced, saying, “For how blessed my first 47 years of life were, I can’t complain about what the last three have looked like … considering my blessed and fortunate and happy life, I can’t ask the judge for anything further.” She also said the victims who testified during Monday’s hearing have been through a “traumatic ordeal” and she wished them “God’s richest blessings in Christ Jesus.” Frank said he was prepared to recommend Hari, who is transgender, go to a women’s prison, but said the Bureau of Prisons would decide.
Click through for story. Long in coming … but it looks like justice. 47 + 53 = 100, which is a healthy expectancy even for someone who is not trans.

ProPublica – THE SECRET IRS FILES
Quote – Taken together, [the collection of documents] demolishes the cornerstone myth of the American tax system: that everyone pays their fair share and the richest Americans pay the most. The IRS records show that the wealthiest can — perfectly legally — pay income taxes that are only a tiny fraction of the hundreds of millions, if not billions, their fortunes grow each year.
Click through for lots more. The link I’ve provided takes you to the cover page with a list of – and links to – all the articles that are related. The quote is from the lead story.

The Hill – How lawmakers aided the Afghan evacuation
Quote – The Hill spoke to nearly 20 lawmakers and staffers in both parties about what their offices went through over the fraught two weeks between when Kabul first fell, on Aug. 15, and the last U.S. military flight, just before midnight Aug. 30. The mission was personal for many of them: Some are veterans, or relatives of veterans, of the 20-year war, and some had even worked with local interpreters whom they considered key to their survival.
Click through for more. Traditionally, a part of every Congressperson’s job is to step in like an ombudsman for oppressed constituents. This is what that can look like. And, yes, it can be heart-wrenching. But it could also have been so much worse.

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