59% of COVID transmission asymptomatic: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/public-health/nearly-60-of-covid-19-spread-may-come-from-asymptomatic-spread-model-finds.html . We have been saying this for a very long time. When transmission is asymptomatic or presymptomatic, there must be regular, accurate, rapid testing. We continue to have woefully inadequate testing. So people die. We will have more casualties from COVID than from World War II.
CDC projects 430,000 deaths by end of January: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2021-01-07/while-all-eyes-were-on-washington-daily-coronavirus-deaths-set-another-record . WWII US deaths were 405,000, so we could reach that number around January 20, as predicted a month ago. And that’s in one year; our WWII involvement was 1941 – 1945.
UK COVID variant now identified in 8 states: https://bestlifeonline.com/new-covid-strain-states/ . CDC believes UK strain in most states: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/01/cdc-variant-covid-19-strain-likely-circulating-many-states . As stated two days ago, assume it’s everywhere. We just don’t do the needed genomic testing.
South African COVID variant may reduce some vaccines’ effectiveness: https://www.statnews.com/2021/01/07/coronavirus-mutation-vaccine-strength/ . If this is true, the pandemic may be prolonged. The adjustability of mRNA vaccines should help, although revaccinations would be necessary.
Sinovac vaccine 78% effective in Brazilian trial: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sinovacs-covid-19-vaccine-is-78-effective-in-brazil-late-stage-trials-11610032825 .
Pfizer study indicates vaccine effective against UK and South African variants: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-pfizer-vaccine/pfizer-biontech-vaccine-appears-effective-against-mutation-in-new-coronavirus-variants-study-idUSKBN29D0DX .
WSJ: Doctors having difficulty getting vaccinated: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-vaccines-remain-elusive-for-many-doctors-health-care-workers-11610046715 .
Loss of taste and smell a reliable marker for COVID: https://www.foxnews.com/health/loss-of-smell-taste-mild-coronavirus-infection-study . The symptom is found in 86% of mild COVID cases.
WSJ: Bayer helps CureVac with vaccine development: https://www.wsj.com/articles/another-covid-19-vaccine-developer-gets-help-from-big-pharma-11610026758 .
Rural Americans and Republicans have highest vaccine hesitancy: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-01-07/covid-vaccine-hesitancy-highest-in-rural-america-survey-shows .
WSJ: Pharmacy visits drop during pandemic: https://www.wsj.com/articles/walgreens-says-pandemic-hurting-visits-to-pharmacies-11610036987 .
WSJ: United Healthcare hit with antitrust action: https://www.wsj.com/articles/unitedhealth-group-indicted-over-alleged-no-poach-accord-with-rivals-11610034521 .
Louisiana and Mississippi struggle with food insecurity: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2021-01-07/the-states-struggling-the-most-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic .
US Treasury opens $25 billion program for rental assistance: https://thehill.com/policy/finance/533116-treasury-launches-25b-coronavirus-rental-assistance-program .
Europe passes 25 million cases: https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-europe-cases/europe-coronavirus-cases-surpass-25-million-reuters-tally-idUSFWN2JI0XH .
WSJ: Europe’s vaccination campaign lags: https://www.wsj.com/articles/europes-covid-19-vaccination-campaign-off-to-slow-uneven-start-11610015400 .
Israel tightens lockdown, forges ahead with rapid vaccinations: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-01-07/israel-tightens-nationwide-coronavirus-lockdown .
WSJ: Deals in healthcare industry: https://www.wsj.com/articles/health-care-companies-shake-off-disrupters-make-deals-11610032701 .
WSJ: Why Haven failed: https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-amazon-jpmorgan-berkshire-venture-collapsed-health-care-was-too-big-a-problem-11610039485 .
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
White House counsel advising staff to avoid Trump: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/01/after-a-day-of-violence-and-25th-amendment-chatter-trumps-allies-jumping-ship . “He turned a Lamborghini into a lawn mower.” That couldn’t happen without the Quislings dominating Republican politics. The entire executive branch has to be rebuilt. Many positions were intentionally left vacant. Many more career civil servants have departed rather than be complicit in the Trump enterprise. The State department and EPA are two painful examples.
And we have a Supreme Court which is screwed up for at least 40 years. Thomas, Alito and now Barrett are widely understood in the legal profession to not be worth reading: https://abovethelaw.com/2016/10/judge-richard-posner-corrects-the-record-regarding-his-supreme-court-comments/ . Thomas and Alito are rarely assigned opinions to write, which tells you all you need to know. Barrett will end up in the same category.
Deplatform Trump: https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/6/22217894/deplatform-trump-twitter-ban-facebook-youtube-congress-capitol-riots . More: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/facebook-bans-donald-trump-zuckerberg_n_5ff72fa9c5b665581f68f140 . What has been going on over social media is way beyond free speech, or even “shouting fire in a crowded theater” (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., in Schenk v. US, 1919: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shouting_fire_in_a_crowded_theater#The_Schenck_case ). It is “a clear and present danger” to the Republic (also Schenk).
Trump’s behavior and speech yesterday meets the higher standard for limiting speech adopted by the Supreme Court in 1969 [inciting “imminent lawless action” (a riot)], Brandenburg v. Ohio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_v._Ohio . Note the years of these decisions – World War I and Vietnam.
These two legal cases are among the most famous ever written by the Supreme Court. What famous opinions have we had in the past 30 years? Bush v. Gore? The conservatives disgraced themselves in that case, using 14th Amendment precedents they had rejected through their careers. Scalia in particular demonstrated that he was a strict constructionist only when it suited his desired result: https://newrepublic.com/article/106441/scalia-garner-reading-the-law-textual-originalism .
Deplatform Hawley: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/533267-simon-schuster-cancels-publication-of-hawleys-book . The publisher said it was part of its larger duty of citizenship in the wake of Hawley’s role in yesterday’s insurrection. Senator “You Must Be Joshin’” Hawley threatened legal action. You would think their contract spells out the company’s right to cancel. Hawley’s ambition looks to be the iceberg that sinks him. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/publisher-simon-schuster-cancels-publication-of-sen-josh-hawley-s-book-11610062566 .
Danforth backs away from Hawley: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ex-senator-who-endorsed-josh-hawley-regrets-support-after-capitol-riots/ar-BB1czraV?li=BBnb7Kz . This is a big deal in Missouri. So is this: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/533285-donor-who-gave-millions-to-hawley-urges-senate-to-censure-him-for .
A sane voice: Michelle Obama: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/michelle-obama-calls-on-social-media-companies-to-permanently-ban-trump-225013429.html .
World reacts with horror at Trump’s mob: https://www.yahoo.com/now/how-newspapers-around-the-world-covered-the-deadly-violent-riots-at-us-capitol-153353376.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/capitol-riots-hurt-image-of-u-s-democracy-allies-fear-as-rivals-gloat-11610042467 .
White House still leaks: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/aide-describes-the-president-as-a-total-monster-who-refused-to-act-as-congress-was-stormed/ar-BB1cy3HA?li=BBnb7Kz .
Woman shot at US Capitol: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-news-shootings-san-diego-veterans-e8c7563ff4cce671a2b52a8e7645945c . There were reports last night that none of the people arrested yesterday were from the DC area. Pretty clearly, they were rabid followers who came from across the country to answer the call of Orange Julius.
Trump’s mob shows white privilege: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/joy-reid-us-capitol-rioters-siege-race-black-lives-matter-protests-033329713.html . I agree that a black group would have been gunned down for the Trump mob’s behavior. However, please remember how violently the BLM protesters were treated in Portland – and they were predominantly white here.
Poll: Majority of Republicans unable to process reality: https://thehill.com/homenews/news/533171-poll-majority-of-republicans-blame-biden-for-mob-storming-the-capitol . If you can find any logic in the idea that Biden is responsible for Trump’s mob, Fox News is hiring.
A powerful viewpoint from the NAACP: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-rioters-colin-kaepernick-naacp_n_5ff627c3c5b6ef6b1582d4a6 .
There are 2300 Capitol Police – how did the mob meet so little resistance ENTERING THE US CAPITOL? Some allies think Trump had law enforcement help for his mob: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/some-among-americas-military-allies-believe-trump-deliberately-attempted-a-coup-and-may-have-had-help-from-federal-law-enforcement-officials/ar-BB1cypbi?li=BBnbfcL .
Heads must roll: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/capitol-police-chief-steven-sund-resigns_n_5ff760cec5b6c0ae2e737470 . And: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/533279-mcconnell-ousts-senate-sergeant-at-arms-after-capitol-riots . And: https://www.rollcall.com/2021/01/07/mob-fallout-pelosi-calls-for-capitol-police-chief-to-be-fired-house-saa-to-resign/ .
Capitol Police officer dies from injuries: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/us-capitol-police-officer-dead-riot_n_5ff7a13ec5b63642b6fa27ca .
DC Statehood: https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/532991-dc-statehood-advocates-sound-off-as-national-guard-is . As you probably know, DC already votes in Presidential elections. 435 representatives + 100 senators + 3 for DC: 538 electors/2 = 269 + 1 = 270 to win. Puerto Rico, however, is completely screwed – no Presidential vote and no representation, even though they are US citizens. Puerto Rico has 5 times the population of DC.
States also face risks: https://www.koin.com/news/civic-affairs/speaker-kotek-ore-rep-nearman-let-right-wing-protesters-in-oregon-capitol/ .
Republicans who held their noses and their tongues: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/republicans-warned-day-would-come-then-they-forgot-n1253394 .
Rats flee the sinking ship of state: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/betsy-devos-resigns-trump-education-secretary_n_5ff7bc76c5b6567198842ed2 . Good riddance is an understatement. Public servants should work to improve public education. The resignations also remove these rats from the 25th Amendment discussions, dimming chances for that approach. More: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/01/capitol-riots-who-has-quit-the-trump-administration.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/top-trump-economic-adviser-resigns-following-capitol-riots-11610039679 . And: https://www.wsj.com/articles/betsy-devos-resigns-as-education-secretary-11610077449 . And: https://www.wsj.com/articles/heres-who-resigned-from-trumps-administration-after-riot-at-the-capitol-11610061311 .
The weaker rats who continue to salute the Orange Furor: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/here-are-the-republicans-to-voted-to-contest-the-electoral-college-votes-showing-biden-beat-trump-183653431.html .
More pardons are coming: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/talk-of-trump-family-pardons-swirls-as-washington-debates-removing-trump/ar-BB1czpBw?li=BBnb7Kz . As stated repeatedly here, the rule of law collapses if Trump could successfully pardon himself. “No man is above the law”.
More on Trump pardoning himself: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-mulling-pardon-sources/story?id=75117589 . Professor Turley should pardon himself from the GW faculty. The framers didn’t have to say the sun will come up tomorrow, either. They have the right to assume the obvious remains obvious. Turley taught both Kellyanne Conway and Michael Avenatti, so he’s not very good at his job. Still, Trump will try this stunt. What does he have to lose?
CNN may be in shock: https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/08/politics/donald-trump-impeachment-capitol-riot/index.html . The facts reported here are of interest. Same for CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/08/trump-is-a-danger-to-the-country-and-needs-to-go-ex-us-diplomats.html .
More on getting rid of Trump before January 20: the Senate is currently 50-48 Republican. Warnock and Ossoff will be sworn in as soon as they are certified by Georgia, which could occur anytime from tomorrow to January 19. When they are sworn in, however, the Senate remains majority Republican until January 20 because Mike Pence remains the tie-breaker. As such, Mitch McConnell is the Majority Leader and decides what legislation will come to the floor. However, the Senate is forced by the Constitution to conduct a trial on any impeachment.
Impeachment would occur in the House, with trial and conviction in the Senate. Republicans are apparently warming to the idea of impeachment. As a consequence of conviction Trump would be barred from running for office. However, the House is not scheduled to meet again until January 19.
There is now discussion of whether Trump could be impeached after leaving office. This has never come up, but some believe it is possible. Biden’s preferences would presumably weigh into this calculus, even though he does not have an official role here. More: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-removal-explainer/explainer-can-trump-be-removed-from-office-before-his-term-ends-on-jan-20-idUSKBN29C01I?il=0 .
WSJ calls on Trump to resign: https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trumps-final-days-11610062773 . While there is virtually no mention of WSJ opinion in these reports, it is worth noting that the Editorial Board and I have come to the same conclusion on this monumental issue. A fitting close to today’s edition.