[johnu]

Apparently the Manchurian President was blinded by UV light and feeling under the weather after drinking a bleach smoothie.

Furious Trump Strikes Wildly At Fox News And Other Media, Insists Reporters Return ‘Noble’ Prizes

Quote

Trump also called on reporters who wrote about Russia’s interference in the U.S. presidential election to return their “Noble” prizes. There are no Noble prizes for reported stories, nor are there Nobel Prizes. There are Pulitzer Prizes for journalism; there is a Nobel Prize for literature.

That particular three-tweet rant about Noble prizes subsequently vanished. But hours later, Trump called his comments “sarcasm” — insisting he meant to say “Noble” prizes all along (even though he had earlier called on the “Noble Committee” to rescind the awards).

The Clown in Chief should stick to press conferences about the Noble (sic) Coronavirus where he continues to scoop the news with statements that anybody else would be embarrassed to be associated with.

[kenberg]

 Chas_P, on 2020-April-26, 18:37, said:

Opinions are just like assholes. Everybody has one.

I can take pleasure in seeing the opinions of others. Often they are interesting, some are memorable. Sometimes I want to examine their opinions closely. So the analogy has gaps.

But I have to ask. Are you still comfortable with Trump as president? No need to explain why you are or are not, but I have been expecting for quite a while that people will change on this, and I am now thinking it is happening, so I am curious.

[cherdano]

I think the bleach episode could be a bit of a turning point. It obviously doesn't matter to Trump when what he says is enraging people. In fact, he seems constantly looking out for it. If you are enraging others, you are the one in the position of power.
But with the bleach comments, the only sensible reaction is to make fun of him. Trump doesn't want to be made fun of.

[kenberg]

 cherdano, on 2020-April-27, 06:47, said:

I think the bleach episode could be a bit of a turning point. It obviously doesn't matter to Trump when what he says is enraging people. In fact, he seems constantly looking out for it. If you are enraging others, you are the one in the position of power.
But with the bleach comments, the only sensible reaction is to make fun of him. Trump doesn't want to be made fun of.

I was just remembering that in 2016 Trump's supporters claimed he should be taken seriously but not literally. It's hard to believe they could still say this.

Birx says social distancing could last for months. Trump says, well, who knows or cares? It changes daily or hourly, and previous statements are dismissed as fake news or sarcasm. It appears that almost no one now takes Trump's words either seriously or literally. Supporting someone who has become irrelevant, except as a totally unpredictable menace, must be tough. Change will come and I think/hope it has started.

[y66]

George Russell and Mamta Badkar at FT (yesterday) said:

Donald Trump has pulled the plug on daily White House press briefings just as the number of US deaths attributed to coronavirus neared 50,000, accusing the US media of asking hostile questions and inaccurate reporting.

[barmar]

 kenberg, on 2020-April-25, 09:09, said:

Are we at a transition?

My understanding is that there are now quite a few Trump supporters who think he is doing a lousy job with covid and certainly listen to local advice or medial advice and ignore the t=president. They will not be injection bleach, but they also will continue social distancing, wear masks, and take care.

The strange thing is that Trump's approval rating is not currently at its lowest place. According to https://projects.fiv...proval-ratings/ it was at its worst in late 2017. Another trough was in January, 2019, and has been worse than now for all of 2019 and 2020. For some reason his approval rating peaked at the beginning of April (was that when he finally admitted that this was a national emergency?), and has been on a decline since then, but it's still better than much of his term so far.

[hrothgar]

 Chas_P, on 2020-April-26, 18:37, said:

Opinions are just like assholes. Everybody has one.

Newsgroups are just like people

Both are blessed with assholes
Ours is named Chas

[Winstonm]

 barmar, on 2020-April-27, 08:40, said:

The strange thing is that Trump's approval rating is not currently at its lowest place. According to https://projects.fiv...proval-ratings/ it was at its worst in late 2017. Another trough was in January, 2019, and has been worse than now for all of 2019 and 2020. For some reason his approval rating peaked at the beginning of April (was that when he finally admitted that this was a national emergency?), and has been on a decline since then, but it's still better than much of his term so far.

I think the article that y66 linked to from the Irish Times spelled it out. These two paragraphs, especially:

Quote

There are very powerful interests who demand “freedom” in order to do as they like with the environment, society and the economy. They have infused a very large part of American culture with the belief that “freedom” is literally more important than life. My freedom to own assault weapons trumps your right not to get shot at school. Now, my freedom to go to the barber (“I Need a Haircut” read one banner this week in St Paul, Minnesota) trumps your need to avoid infection.

Usually when this kind of outlandish idiocy is displaying itself, there is the comforting thought that, if things were really serious, it would all stop. People would sober up. Instead, a large part of the US has hit the bottle even harder.

These people who are displaying "outlandish idiocy" used to be a quiet minority who held their tongues due to an outpouring of public shaming and humiliation if they dared share the nonsense; somehow, that nonsense has been proclaimed valid because it is now considered "opinion", and as everyone has a right to his or her opinion, all opinions are equal, no matter how bizarre or non-evidence based.

That is basically the argument used by the "Intelligent Design" desciples - that theories are only unproven "opinions" and thus ID is every bit as valid as evolution. How did we get to the point that crazed is normal? More importantly, can we escape to a predominantly fact-based culture?

[y66]

Jill J. Karofsky at NYT: I’m the Judge Who Won in Wisconsin. This Principle Is More Important Than Winning.

Quote

On April 7, I was on the ballot in an election that should not have happened.

I was running for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court against an appointed incumbent. I came to find out after the election that incumbents in Wisconsin have lost Supreme Court elections only twice in the last half-century — had I known that when I started, I might never have run.

The central theme of our campaign was a message of restoring the public’s trust in the judicial system. It was a winning message: We pulled in a resounding 55 percent of the vote.

And it will guide me as a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. I will make decisions based on the law — we must get away from a partisan view of the law.

The election was a good example of what should not happen. Gov. Tony Evers had formally called on the Legislature to postpone it. Deadlines for returning ballots were extended.

But in a mad flurry of activity the day before the election — probably never seen before and hopefully never seen again — partisan court majorities in cases at the Wisconsin and U.S. Supreme Courts reinstated the election and removed the deadline extension for absentee ballots to be returned.

Scant hours before the polls opened, the people of Wisconsin were confused and worried: On one hand, their government was telling them clearly to stay away from one another. On the other, they were being told that if they wanted to continue having a democracy, they had to show up in person, stand in long lines and vote.

In cities like Milwaukee and Green Bay, the wait ended up being as long as three hours. And because the U.S. Supreme Court majority created — just hours before the polls opened — a new “postmark” requirement for ballots that in actuality probably wouldn’t be postmarked because of the type of mail they were, even those who voted on time were concerned that their votes wouldn’t count.

Now, over two weeks later, we have an uptick in Covid-19 cases, especially in dense urban centers like Milwaukee and Waukesha, where few polling places were open and citizens were forced to stand in long lines to cast a ballot. It will take time to compile and analyze the data, but the number of people who voted in person and have tested positive is growing.

It’s important to note three significant facts. First, both court decisions — from the U.S. and Wisconsin Supreme Courts — are seen as being along partisan lines, with allies of Republicans refusing to delay the election. Second, because of the pandemic, the justices of neither of those courts actually met in person when discussing and voting these cases — but they forced many people who wanted to vote, to vote in person. And third, every member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court had already voted early. They weren’t putting themselves at risk.

It’s my view that these decisions were wrong on the law, and they were wrong on process. We shouldn’t legislate from the bench. There was no time for full briefs or oral arguments and no time to fully examine the issues. The U.S. Supreme Court especially erred by writing into law a postmark requirement that they didn’t have the time to think through and that caused tremendous confusion in my state.

Most observers assume these last-minute decisions not only contributed to chaos, but also weren’t respectful of the law or a deliberate process. Even if one believed that the governor’s moves to postpone the election were wrong, it was incumbent on these courts to take the time to review the situation completely — instead of granting the governor only minutes to file a response to a lawsuit the day before an election.

I find it unconscionable that Wisconsin voters were forced to choose between their safety and having their voices heard in our democracy. The right to vote is fundamental to the American creed. Courts making partisan decisions, sending people out to vote in the middle of a global pandemic, is exactly what’s wrong with a judiciary that has become too political, and I think a deliberate attempt to suppress the vote in Wisconsin.

On Election Day, my daughter and I set up on our back porch to field phone calls and text messages and to monitor the in-person voting. The pictures we viewed from across the state were gut-wrenching. Usually Milwaukee has 180 polling places, but because of the pandemic causing a lack of poll workers, only five were open. The entire City of Waukesha had one polling place. These consolidations meant thousands of voters were funneled into a handful of sites, some in masks, some wearing gloves, standing a few feet apart for blocks and blocks.

As we started to field calls and text messages a common theme appeared. People who had requested absentee ballots days and weeks earlier had not received their ballots. Because of the court rulings, each and every one of these voters had to make the excruciating decision between staying safe at home or voting amid a global pandemic.

People were frustrated and outraged. The calls and the texts did not stop. My daughter cried.

In the end, my campaign was rewarded for our persistence and patience. But victory is bittersweet. It was unacceptable to hold an election under circumstances in which people were forced to choose between their safety and voting. It disenfranchised countless people and raised serious concerns for the future of our democracy.

It can never happen again. Now, more than ever, we need to instill confidence in our institutions. I hope I’ll be judged on following the law, not the party line.

[johnu]

The Narcissist in Chief needlessly endangers West Point grads and anybody who comes in contact them:

President Trump's West Point Commencement Speech Will Require 1,000 Cadets Return to Campus

Army brass kowtows to the Grifter in Chief's every whim and fancy. After being informed by the press that Pence was going to deliver a commencement speech at the Air Force Academy, the Manchurian President made a split second announcement that he would be giving a speech at West Point. Army brass felt obliged to recall 1000 cadets back to New York which is the state with worst coronavirus situation in the USA.

Quote

According to the New York Times, 1,000 West Point cadets are being summoned to return to the New York-based university from across the country for Trump's commencement speech during graduation, now planned for June 13.

Officials and cadets from West Point were previously sent home once graduation was initially postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. But on April 17, Trump confirmed the event was back on — for now.

These cadets must make round trips from every part of the country just to satisfy the mega ego of the Narcissist in Chief.

[johnu]

Grifter in Chief raises estimate for COVID-19 death toll

Trump raises his virus death toll projection to up to 70,000 in U.S.

Quote

Trump had previously seized on the estimate of 50,000 to 60,000 because of his administration's preference for a model developed by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The latest forecast from that model showed a much lower death toll than earlier projected, as well as a much lower number of fatalities than many other epidemiological models.

Just covering his ass-hat so that he can point to his accurate projection later this summer and fall during the presidential campaign. When the death toll approaches 70,000, the Grifter in Chief will revise his estimate to 70-80,000 deaths, and will continue raising his estimates throughout the summer and fall as each previous estimate becomes obsolete. No matter what, the Clown in Chief will claim that he did a simply "marvelous" job in keeping the death toll low.

[Winstonm]

I seem to recall some old admonition about "when they find out they can loot the treasury"...

Quote

$500 billion bailout plan for large companies has no requirements to preserve jobs or limit executive pay
The Federal Reserve’s coronavirus aid program lacks restrictions Congress placed on companies seeking financial help under other programs.

Oh, yeah, this one:

Quote

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury...”
― Alexander Fraser Tytler

[y66]

Jonathan Bernstein @jbview said:

Boing! Trump just dropped below 43% approval via 538's estimate - now at 42.6 - and down to a full -10.0 net approval. His pandemic bounce is gone.

[Trinidad]

I know, I get it... When Mike Pence visited the Mayo clinic in Minnesota and said that he didn't need a mouth mask because he was tested often... he was using sarcasm.

Rik

[Winstonm]

As advertised, he got us to 4%:

Quote

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy shrank at a 4.8% annual rate last quarter

[johnu]

Another day, another couple of dozen lies by the Grifter in Chief

Trump backtracks after saying U.S. would "very soon" hit 5 million tests a day

Quote

On Tuesday when a reporter asked in an East Room event whether the U.S. would surpass 5 million coronavirus tests per day, the president said that's coming "very soon." But on Wednesday, the president claimed he never said that, blaming a "media trap."

By soon, the Liar in Chief really meant by 2030 or 2040. And by 5 million a day, he really meant 5K a day. Oh you say, we are already doing more than 5K? The Grifter in Chief accepts your adulation for doing such a great job in getting testing up to lightning speed.

Of course on the same day

Quote

On Tuesday, Admiral Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary of health who is the coronavirus testing director, said in an interview with TIME Tuesday, "There is absolutely no way on Earth, on this planet or any other planet, that we can do 20 million tests a day, or even five million tests a day." By May, Giroir said the U.S. would be testing 8 million per month.

Many knowledgeable epidemiologists and health experts have estimated that the US needs to do a minimum of 5 million (some estimates up to 20 million) tests a day in order to reopen the country.

Trump’s COVID-19 Testing Claim Is Way Off

Quote

The United States has not done more COVID-19 testing than “every country combined,” as President Donald Trump claimed in remarks during a recent press briefing.

In fact, three countries alone — Russia, Germany and Italy — have done more combined testing than the U.S., according to a reference website tracking global testing for the disease.

The president most recently made the false statement at an April 28 White House event highlighting the federal Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak. But he has been making a version of the claim for more than a week. (We’re not the first to point out he’s wrong.)

In fairness to the Grifter in Chief, he really meant that we had done more testing than “every 3rd world country combined” which is a standard we all can be proud of.

[shyams]

 shyams, on 2020-April-26, 08:02, said:

When I checked this morning, it had widened to 12.3%. Now, this is a British/European betting website but the market is deep (£22.7 million has been traded on this specific outcome -- of which approx. £1.5m of trades occurred in the last 10 days).

Currently at 13.0%. Approx £300k traded in the last four days.

Here is something that made me wonder/chuckle. So Biden is naturally the most likely Dem nominee for President (87.0% implied probability). Who is the next most likely? As per the betting odds, it is not Andrew Cuomo (2.6%) or Bernie Sanders (0.9%).

Instead, the second highest implied probability goes to Hillary Clinton (4.3%). And her % probability increased (slightly) after she did her video conference to endorse Biden.

Maybe the betting markets are flawed, but these are money-making opportunities. And (full disclosure) I am currently trading this market, hoping to make some money!

Edit: Some eight hours later, Hillary's odds have improved to a new probability of 5.5%

This post has been edited by shyams: 2020-April-30, 15:13

[y66]

Jonathan Bernstein at Bloomberg:

Quote

With the economic fallout from the coronavirus likely to worsen in the months ahead, and Republicans in Congress apparently disinclined to take further bold action, now’s the time when decisive presidential action could really make a difference. Unfortunately, it’s increasingly clear that President Donald Trump is in over his head.

Watching Trump take questions Wednesday afternoon, it was apparent that his recovery plan … well, “plan” is too strong a word. What he said will happen is that government-imposed restrictions will soon come off, the economy will start up again, the coronavirus will disappear and “pent-up demand” will kick in to make the economy stronger than ever.

There are some obvious problems with this scenario, not least that the virus is unlikely to simply go away on its own any time soon. Trump did refer to the possibility of “embers” flaring up, but dismissed it as a complication that we know how to deal with. This seems fairly optimistic given that the original outbreak is still killing thousands of Americans every week despite extreme and economically disastrous interventions.

Even if we grant his wishful thinking, Trump’s oft-repeated claims about pent-up demand seem divorced from reality. It’s true that some people have continued to work as usual while sheltering at home during the lockdown, and may be eager to spend like sailors once it’s possible. But millions of others have lost their jobs, watched their businesses fail, or had their hours and wages cut back. Even if they got some relief from previous aid packages, they’ve still taken a significant blow. They may want to rush out to dinner and a movie, but they don’t have the cash to do so.

Nor is it plausible that all of those millions will be back to work on day one, which means many will be falling deeper into the hole until there’s another round of significant government action — something Trump is downplaying and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell seems to oppose outright.

If consumer demand is in fact restricted rather than “pent-up,” then instead of some grand reopening we’re likely to see cascading bouts of trouble throughout the system. And the budget disasters that state and local governments are already experiencing will likely worsen. Huge government layoffs have already begun, with “millions” of more jobs at risk.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday urged Congress to do more. But this is a case where Republicans in Congress are unlikely to feel a sense of urgency — after all, most of them have safe seats and may get pressure from ideological party actors to avoid additional massive spending packages for things that Republicans don’t typically like. That’s exactly the scenario where forceful party leadership from the White House can make a difference. But if Trump is at least publicly living in a fantasy world in which viruses just disappear and the economy comes roaring back for no particular reason, then congressional Republicans may well decide to sit on their hands. And everyone will suffer if they do.

[shyams]

Dark clouds on the horizon for Biden?

Why Won’t TV News Book Tara Reade?
NY Times article by Ben Smith (link here)

Quote

The fast-moving news site Business Insider reported other details that gave further weight to Ms. Reade’s story. The reporter, Rich McHugh, had taken the story to Vanity Fair first, which declined to publish it, a spokesperson for Vanity Fair confirmed. The broadcast television networks, CNN and MSNBC have covered the story on their websites, while Fox News has covered developments breathlessly on air and online.

There’s still no clear explanation, however, for why Ms. Reade hasn’t been on mainstream TV. Representatives for CNN and MSNBC declined to explain why they haven’t booked a woman who is, whether you believe her or not, one of the few newsmakers right now who could cut through the pandemic.

Their posture is all the more strange because, at this point, it’s essentially symbolic. In 1999, you could argue that NBC’s decision to hold back Lisa Myers’s interview with Ms. Broaddrick had real political consequences: Taped in January, as the Senate took up impeachment charges against Mr. Clinton, it did not air until after the Senate voted not to convict the president in February. (Curiously, the only version online now is on the website of a conservative group.) Back then, the only way Americans were going to hear her voice was on television.

But these days, if you want to judge Ms. Reade’s story you can listen to her original podcast interview with Ms. Halper, or watch her on the populist Hill.TV online show “Rising,” or the leftist news program “Democracy Now!”

So the decisions by networks of how and whether to cover her have fewer consequences for how she’s viewed, or even how Mr. Biden is viewed, than they do for how Americans view the media.

[johnu]

We have nothing to fear but the Grifter in Chief and FEMA

Maryland’s GOP Governor Hid COVID-19 Test Kits So Feds Can’t Take Them

Quote

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he’s been forced to resort to drastic measures to protect nearly 500,000 COVID-19 test kits from the federal government.

The state bought the test kits from South Korea earlier this month, and the state’s National Guard is guarding them in a secret location to prevent them from being commandeered by the Trump administration.

Quote

The federal government has left states largely on their own when it comes to testing their citizens and securing critical equipment during the pandemic. But when it comes to those supplies, Hogan’s concern appears to have been warranted: There have been numerous reports of the Federal Emergency Management Agency hijacking desperately needed protective gear for first responders and health care workers.

“We wanted to make sure that that plane took off from Korea safely, landed here in America safely,” Hogan said. “And that we guarded that cargo from whoever might interfere with us getting that to the folks who need it.”

It's bad enough that the Incompetent in Chief refuses to take the lead in supplying the nation with protective gear and test kits, but the Criminal in Chief has resorted to stealing form hospitals, cities, and states after they were forced by federal incompetence to go out and get materials on their own.