US hits 200 million shots: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/21/biden-announce-meeting-goal-200-million-covid-19-shots/7317454002/ . Remember when the 100 million goal was considered too aggressive? Or when the prior administration promised 20 million shots in December and delivered less than 4 million? Biden is right to call attention to the successes – there is an endless supply of problems.
Has the Michigan surge peaked?: https://apnews.com/article/health-government-and-politics-gretchen-whitmer-michigan-coronavirus-69429d66014b59a9e4b00c8ebf7c232d . A positivity rate of 13.4% is still ridiculously high. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/michigans-spring-covid-19-surge-is-close-to-previous-pandemic-high-11619039139 .
It emerges that Emergent is incompetent: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-finds-multiple-problems-baltimore-plant-ruined-j-j-vaccine-n1264830 (link replaced 5/29/21). No wonder the Biden administration ordered J&J to supervise this facility. The world has now chosen the path of rapid vaccination in the face of a raging pandemic. These mistakes cost lives. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-finds-poor-conditions-at-contractors-plant-for-making-j-js-covid-19-vaccine-11619013558 .
Study indicates mRNA vaccines safe for pregnant women: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/messenger-rna-covid-vaccines-safe-pregnant-women-study/story?id=77225525 . My expectation is that almost all vaccines will be examined for reformulation as mRNA vaccines rather than live or dead virus vaccines.
WSJ: Pfizer identifies vaccine scams in Mexico and Poland: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-identifies-fake-covid-19-shots-abroad-as-criminals-exploit-vaccine-demand-11619006403 .
India’s crisis deepens: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/22/worlds-worst-outbreak-what-indias-papers-say-as-coronavirus-crisis-toll-mounts . So the “world’s worst” comment is overblown. India has now had a day with more cases than the highest US number, but they have four times the population. Orange Julius has established a record for mass murder by incompetence that hopefully will never be equaled. More: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/22/worlds-highest-daily-rise-in-covid-cases-in-india-record-deaths .
US economy appears strong: https://www.reuters.com/business/us-economy-solid-footing-coronavirus-still-top-threat-2021-04-22/ (link replaced 12/19/21). I see the risk of coronavirus resurgence as significant both in the US and globally.
The conservative narrative, Part One: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/as-more-people-get-vaccinated-we-need-to-get-over-our-mask-obsession . Hell no. Masks have not always been political. They are a necessary public health measure. We are still in the throes of the pandemic – just look at Michigan, or Canada, or India. We also had essentially no flu season this year – masks. It isn’t just science, it isn’t just logic – it is results. That matters.
I’m fully vaccinated now. I don’t wear a mask at home, which is also my workplace. I wear a mask in the grocery store – it’s required here, and thank goodness for that. It’s a minor sacrifice to help end the pandemic.
MSN has been presenting Washington Examiner articles (and opinion) more prominently in the last 6 months or so. Apparently it is balance to present the “conservative narrative”. Hell no. Kimberley is free to drink the Kool-Aid – or Orange Julius – if she chooses. She can attempt to make her living peddling this manure. But it is wrong for media to broadcast this fact-denying narrative as if it somehow has a place in the public square. We do need to know what these dishonest people are peddling – but simply labeling this as “Opinion” is not enough. It is a lie which has killed, and will continue to kill, Americans.
The conservative narrative, Part Two: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nope-done-tucker-carlson-shuts-down-interview-after-guest-said-chauvin-used-excessive-force/ar-BB1fSn2P?li=BBorjTa . Tucker Carlson is just Kimberley Ross on steroids. Facts don’t matter on Fox – “fair and balanced” has always been political, Kimberley. One must hope the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuits will start to turn back this red tide of toxicity.
DOJ will investigate Minneapolis police: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ag-garland-announce-federal-probe-policing-practices-minneapolis/story?id=77213763 .
New insurrection commission proposal: https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-government-and-politics-0d6565ee3bea85daf597a8cdc233fb5f . This has nothing to do with Black Lives Matter. Get this done, Democrats.
Senate apparently has a bipartisan deal on AAPI hate crimes legislation: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/549646-senate-locks-in-hate-crimes-deal-setting-up-thursday-passage .
Democratic agenda narrows: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/21/progressive-agenda-congress-484080 . With a 50-50 Senate, the stimulus package plus the infrastructure bill is about as much as can be accomplished this year. It is actually a terrific achievement in comparison to the Orange Julius insanity.
Biden offers tax credit to employers allowing time off for their employees to get vaccinated: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/21/covid-vaccines-biden-announcing-paid-leave-tax-credit-for-businesses.html (link replaced 12/19/21). Employers with less than 500 employees qualify.
Biden to propose 50% emissions cut by 2030: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/biden-to-propose-cutting-us-emissions-in-half-by-2030/ar-BB1fTeoi?li=BBnb7Kz . The image (no kidding) that came to me reading this article was a gas chamber somewhere in Nazi Germany in 1944. The vents on the north wall are labeled China; the vents on the south wall are labeled USA. What matters is the amount of gas coming out of each set of vents – the labels do not matter to the occupants of the chamber. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-to-propose-cutting-u-s-emissions-in-half-by-2030-11619002815 .
What differs in 2021 is that the gas “chamber” is now our atmosphere. The occupants, and only the occupants, have the ability to address the gas in the chamber. Biden’s calculus is correct. We need to jump start the reduction of carbon dioxide in the US in order to lead the world back to health. Thursday, April 22 (the day you receive this newsletter) is Earth Day, 51 years on from its start in 1970.
WSJ: Examining the Sicknick autopsy controversy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/officer-brian-sicknick-what-we-know-about-his-death-11619010119 .
Insurrectionist with no remorse, and an FBI arrest: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/pro-trump-capitol-rioter-michael-timbrook-who-said-he-had-no-remorse-shame-arrested/ar-BB1fS7zc?li=BBnb7Kz . Again, Rule Number 1: Do not piss off the judge. Proud of your crime helps your chances of having “quiet time” to reflect on your judgment.
Another case of bad judgment: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/a-former-minneapolis-police-officer-called-derek-chauvins-guilty-verdict-a-tragedy-saying-he-fears-it-will-start-a-new-trend-of-sending-cops-to-prison/ar-BB1fTLP3?li=BBnb7Kz . Personally, I’m glad you left the Department. Did you watch the videotape of the murder? Cops who act like Chauvin do need to go to prison. And it was a fair trial – there just wasn’t any defense to Chauvin’s actions. This also tells you why every cop needs to be wearing a body cam that’s on all the time (although it was a bystander’s phone video that convicted Chauvin, which is also a good message for the cops).
The conservative narrative, Part 3: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/mark-mccloskey-gun-touting-lawyer-who-confronted-st-louis-protesters-considering-us-senate-run/ar-BB1fTqY1?li=BBnbfcL . Is being indicted for a gun felony now some kind of heroism in the conservative “movement”? This party feels like some sort of Asshole Parade. Actually: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/florida-county-sheriff-tells-new-residents-dont-register-to-vote-and-vote-the-stupid-way-you-did-up-north/ar-BB1fRiXs?li=BBnb7Kz . Even Governor DeMentis is laughing at you, bud.