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babylonsister
babylonsister's Journal
babylonsister's Journal
December 19, 2020
https://politicalwire.com/2020/12/19/london-locks-down-as-new-variant-of-virus-spreads/
London Locks Down as New Variant of Virus Spreads
December 19, 2020 at 12:15 pm EST By Taegan Goddard
London Locks Down as New Variant of Virus Spreads
https://politicalwire.com/2020/12/19/london-locks-down-as-new-variant-of-virus-spreads/
London Locks Down as New Variant of Virus Spreads
December 19, 2020 at 12:15 pm EST By Taegan Goddard
“Alarmed by a what he called a faster-spreading variant of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson abruptly reversed course on Saturday and imposed a wholesale lockdown on London and most of England’s southeast,” the New York Times reports.
“The decision, which Mr. Johnson announced after an emergency meeting of his cabinet, came after the government got new evidence of a variant first detected several weeks ago in Kent, southeast of London, which the prime minister asserted was 70 percent more transmissible than previous versions.”
“The new measures, which take effect at the end of Saturday night, are designed, in effect, to cut off the capital and its surrounding counties from the rest of England. They are the most severe measures the government has taken since it imposed a lockdown on the country back in March, and they reflect a fear that the new variant could supercharge the transmission of the virus as winter takes hold.”
“The decision, which Mr. Johnson announced after an emergency meeting of his cabinet, came after the government got new evidence of a variant first detected several weeks ago in Kent, southeast of London, which the prime minister asserted was 70 percent more transmissible than previous versions.”
“The new measures, which take effect at the end of Saturday night, are designed, in effect, to cut off the capital and its surrounding counties from the rest of England. They are the most severe measures the government has taken since it imposed a lockdown on the country back in March, and they reflect a fear that the new variant could supercharge the transmission of the virus as winter takes hold.”
December 19, 2020
Kiss The Ground
I haven't seen this yet but it was recommended by a friend.
Science experts and celebrity activists unpack the ways in which the earth's soil may be the key to combating climate change and preserving the planet. Narrated by Woody Harrelson.
https://www.netflix.com/title/81321999
December 19, 2020
America Is Coming Apart
December 18, 2020 at 10:50 pm EST By Taegan Goddard
America Is Coming Apart
https://politicalwire.com/2020/12/18/america-is-coming-apart/America Is Coming Apart
December 18, 2020 at 10:50 pm EST By Taegan Goddard
Derek Thompson: “People ask me if I’m optimistic about 2021, and the answer is that, in a way, I’m ecstatically optimistic. The economy will reopen, and life will reopen. People will come out of their homes; they will send their kids to school; they will hug and kiss and live. But underneath the high tide of economic growth and social normalization, I think we’ll feel something else, an eerie undertow of isolation and anxiety.”
“The definition of community is ‘where you keep showing up,’” said someone I met, whose name I’ve forgotten, back in the days when it was normal to meet new people whose names you could forget. I haven’t forgotten that line, though: Community is where you keep showing up. What a lovely idea. But where do people keep showing up, these days? Nowhere. Not the office, not the COVID-aerosolized bars and gyms. A lot of people have spent a year finding community via a glowing screen in a room they never leave.”
“The empty bowling alleys and movie theaters; the infinity buffet of entertainment and partisan media; the dissolution of a shared American reality—these are distinct yet connected phenomena. Digital technology has spawned a choose-your-own-adventure mediascape, which has flooded the electorate with alternate realities, at the same time that its community ties wither. America is coming apart, and these pieces will not be easily reassembled.”
“The definition of community is ‘where you keep showing up,’” said someone I met, whose name I’ve forgotten, back in the days when it was normal to meet new people whose names you could forget. I haven’t forgotten that line, though: Community is where you keep showing up. What a lovely idea. But where do people keep showing up, these days? Nowhere. Not the office, not the COVID-aerosolized bars and gyms. A lot of people have spent a year finding community via a glowing screen in a room they never leave.”
“The empty bowling alleys and movie theaters; the infinity buffet of entertainment and partisan media; the dissolution of a shared American reality—these are distinct yet connected phenomena. Digital technology has spawned a choose-your-own-adventure mediascape, which has flooded the electorate with alternate realities, at the same time that its community ties wither. America is coming apart, and these pieces will not be easily reassembled.”
December 19, 2020
The wealthy scramble for COVID-19 vaccines: ‘If I donate $25,000 ... would that help me?’
By Laura J. Nelson, Maya Lau
Dec. 18, 2020
5 AM
They’re offering tens of thousands of dollars in cash, making their personal assistants pester doctors every day, and asking whether a five-figure donation to a hospital would help them jump the line.
The COVID-19 vaccine is here — and so are the wealthy people who want it first.
With the first doses in short supply, California has laid out a strict order of vaccinations based on need and risk: Healthcare workers and nursing home residents, then essential workers and those with chronic health conditions, then, finally, everyone else.
But to those with power, money and influence, rules can always be bent. California’s stern messaging about serving the neediest first hasn’t stopped the rich from trying to leap ahead of teachers, farmworkers and firefighters.
Dr. Jeff Toll, who has admitting privileges at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, one of the first hospitals to stock the vaccine, recalled a patient asking: “If I donate $25,000 to Cedars, would that help me get in line?’” Toll said no.
more...
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-18/wealthy-patients-scramble-covid-19-vaccine
The wealthy scramble for COVID-19 vaccines: 'If I donate $25,000 ... would that help me?'
The wealthy scramble for COVID-19 vaccines: ‘If I donate $25,000 ... would that help me?’
By Laura J. Nelson, Maya Lau
Dec. 18, 2020
5 AM
They’re offering tens of thousands of dollars in cash, making their personal assistants pester doctors every day, and asking whether a five-figure donation to a hospital would help them jump the line.
The COVID-19 vaccine is here — and so are the wealthy people who want it first.
“We get hundreds of calls every single day,” said Dr. Ehsan Ali, who runs Beverly Hills Concierge Doctor. His clients, who include Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, pay between $2,000 and $10,000 a year for personalized care. “This is the first time where I have not been able to get something for my patients.”
With the first doses in short supply, California has laid out a strict order of vaccinations based on need and risk: Healthcare workers and nursing home residents, then essential workers and those with chronic health conditions, then, finally, everyone else.
But to those with power, money and influence, rules can always be bent. California’s stern messaging about serving the neediest first hasn’t stopped the rich from trying to leap ahead of teachers, farmworkers and firefighters.
Dr. Jeff Toll, who has admitting privileges at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, one of the first hospitals to stock the vaccine, recalled a patient asking: “If I donate $25,000 to Cedars, would that help me get in line?’” Toll said no.
more...
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-18/wealthy-patients-scramble-covid-19-vaccine
December 18, 2020
Trump Failed to Protect America
The president’s decision not to push back aggressively against Putin’s meddling seems only to have encouraged it.
2:10 PM ET
David A. Graham
As he accepted the Republican nomination for president in summer 2016, Donald Trump promised, “We will make America safe again.”
“The most basic duty of government is to defend the lives of its citizens,” he said. “Any government that fails to do so is a government unworthy to lead.”
This promise is worth revisiting as the nation tries to understand a massive hack, blamed on Russia, that affected many departments of the federal government and thousands of businesses. Yesterday, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency labeled the incident a “grave threat.” Although the scale of the intrusion is still difficult to grasp, President Trump’s approach to Russia has clearly failed to keep America safe.
Much about the hack is unknown. First, officials seem not to fully understand what was breached and what hackers acquired. Second, they are not forthcoming about what they do know, offering bland statements that suggest serious concerns but don’t outline them. Third, members of Congress have offered doomsaying interpretations but can’t divulge classified information. They might be exaggerating for partisan effect, or it could be a reprise of the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, when members frantically tried to warn the public but the administration paid no mind.
Regardless of the details, it’s hard not to see this hack as a fruit of Trump’s refusal to push back on Russian cyberaggression. The best defense against hacks is deterrence, but rather than deter the Kremlin, the president has repeatedly refused to even acknowledge previous Russian actions—basically giving Vladimir Putin an invitation to continue and amplify attacks, secure in the knowledge that whatever sanctions lower-level officials impose, Trump is uninterested in retaliating. The president has remained publicly silent about the new hack even now.
The problem is not that Trump is an active Russian agent. (There is no evidence that he is, despite some hysterical claims.) Nor is it that members of his campaign colluded with Russia in 2016 (though they did). Instead, as I wrote in April 2019, Trump refuses to protect the country from Russian hacking, “because it’s politically inconvenient and personally irritating to him.” The president is so furious over the implication that Russian assistance helped him triumph in 2016 that he has been unable to bring himself to acknowledge not only what happened then but anything that has happened since with regards to Russia.
more...
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/12/trump-failed-protect-america/617429/
Trump Failed to Protect America
Trump Failed to Protect America
The president’s decision not to push back aggressively against Putin’s meddling seems only to have encouraged it.
2:10 PM ET
David A. Graham
As he accepted the Republican nomination for president in summer 2016, Donald Trump promised, “We will make America safe again.”
“The most basic duty of government is to defend the lives of its citizens,” he said. “Any government that fails to do so is a government unworthy to lead.”
This promise is worth revisiting as the nation tries to understand a massive hack, blamed on Russia, that affected many departments of the federal government and thousands of businesses. Yesterday, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency labeled the incident a “grave threat.” Although the scale of the intrusion is still difficult to grasp, President Trump’s approach to Russia has clearly failed to keep America safe.
Much about the hack is unknown. First, officials seem not to fully understand what was breached and what hackers acquired. Second, they are not forthcoming about what they do know, offering bland statements that suggest serious concerns but don’t outline them. Third, members of Congress have offered doomsaying interpretations but can’t divulge classified information. They might be exaggerating for partisan effect, or it could be a reprise of the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, when members frantically tried to warn the public but the administration paid no mind.
Regardless of the details, it’s hard not to see this hack as a fruit of Trump’s refusal to push back on Russian cyberaggression. The best defense against hacks is deterrence, but rather than deter the Kremlin, the president has repeatedly refused to even acknowledge previous Russian actions—basically giving Vladimir Putin an invitation to continue and amplify attacks, secure in the knowledge that whatever sanctions lower-level officials impose, Trump is uninterested in retaliating. The president has remained publicly silent about the new hack even now.
The problem is not that Trump is an active Russian agent. (There is no evidence that he is, despite some hysterical claims.) Nor is it that members of his campaign colluded with Russia in 2016 (though they did). Instead, as I wrote in April 2019, Trump refuses to protect the country from Russian hacking, “because it’s politically inconvenient and personally irritating to him.” The president is so furious over the implication that Russian assistance helped him triumph in 2016 that he has been unable to bring himself to acknowledge not only what happened then but anything that has happened since with regards to Russia.
more...
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/12/trump-failed-protect-america/617429/
December 18, 2020
Kamala Harris to Campaign In Georgia
December 18, 2020 at 3:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard
Kamala Harris to Campaign In Georgia
https://politicalwire.com/2020/12/18/kamala-harris-to-campaign-in-georgia/Kamala Harris to Campaign In Georgia
December 18, 2020 at 3:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard
“Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will travel to Georgia on Monday to campaign for Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
“Her trip to Suwanee and Columbus is focused on turning out early voters and energizing the Democratic base.”
“Her trip to Suwanee and Columbus is focused on turning out early voters and energizing the Democratic base.”
December 18, 2020
A Christmas Like No Other
By Connie Schultz
December 17, 2020 5 min read
So, this is Christmas.
No travel, and no family or friends outside our secure little bubbles. If we are to take care of one another, this is what we must do, one household at a time.
snip//
We are also a nation in mourning. As of 5 p.m. on Dec. 17, more than 310,000 people have died from COVID-19-related illnesses. They leave behind millions who grieve. If you and those you love have managed to stay safe, you may be growing tired of my mentioning this. If you are someone who has lost a friend or loved one to COVID-19, you may feel we are failing to acknowledge the hole in your heart.
This, too, is Christmas.
For those who think it is a partisan statement or a lie to say it didn't have to be this way, I'm going to try my hardest to forgive you. Someday.
snip//
I've slowed down this Christmas. Instead of Christmas music being the backdrop of all my hustling and bustling, I sit opposite my husband in the living room and listen to the lyrics. It's been years since I've done that. So many messages of hope and joy, no matter where we are.
For the first time, the only people who will wake up here on Christmas morning are my husband and me. We have each other and a shared faith that better days are coming. If 2020 has taught me anything, this is more than enough. It is everything.
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. For all of you who are struggling, may the day land gently.
A Christmas Like No Other By Connie Schultz
https://www.creators.com/read/connie-schultz/12/20/a-christmas-like-no-otherA Christmas Like No Other
By Connie Schultz
December 17, 2020 5 min read
So, this is Christmas.
No travel, and no family or friends outside our secure little bubbles. If we are to take care of one another, this is what we must do, one household at a time.
snip//
We are also a nation in mourning. As of 5 p.m. on Dec. 17, more than 310,000 people have died from COVID-19-related illnesses. They leave behind millions who grieve. If you and those you love have managed to stay safe, you may be growing tired of my mentioning this. If you are someone who has lost a friend or loved one to COVID-19, you may feel we are failing to acknowledge the hole in your heart.
This, too, is Christmas.
For those who think it is a partisan statement or a lie to say it didn't have to be this way, I'm going to try my hardest to forgive you. Someday.
snip//
I've slowed down this Christmas. Instead of Christmas music being the backdrop of all my hustling and bustling, I sit opposite my husband in the living room and listen to the lyrics. It's been years since I've done that. So many messages of hope and joy, no matter where we are.
For the first time, the only people who will wake up here on Christmas morning are my husband and me. We have each other and a shared faith that better days are coming. If 2020 has taught me anything, this is more than enough. It is everything.
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. For all of you who are struggling, may the day land gently.
December 18, 2020
'Dems in Disarray' — the press targets Biden
Concocting controversy
Eric Boehlert
1 hr ago
Did you know President-elect Joe Biden has badly "botched" his cabinet picks? That a criminal probe "hangs over" his presidency, "potential family conflicts" may be a problem, and that party "factionalism" is threatening to doom his work? As Biden's orderly transition unfolds on track — in stark contrast to the previous four years of discord and confusion — most Americans wouldn't think that Democrats are in disarray. Yet that remains the press' preferred, long-running narrative about how Democrats are in a constant state of confusion and forever outsmarted by Republicans.
It's jarring that after covering the Trump White House for four years, where incompetence and lies were the hallmark, where staff turnover never paused and Trump tore up his staffing chart because he didn't like what someone said on Fox News, that the press is now leaning into the idea that the new Democratic administration is struggling to take shape, and that some kind of civil war has broken out inside the party.
The coverage clearly represents a desire by some outlets to create news; to create controversy where none really exists with the incoming administration. Addicted to the adrenaline rush of non-stop news during the Trump years, as he ransacked the White House and obliterated norms, the press seems hungry to continue that same news cycle pace. But Biden, like No Drama Obama, won't cooperate in terms of generating screaming headlines on a daily basis.
snip//
And there was this extraordinary Times passage [emphasis added]:
Talk about heads you lose, tails you lose. Trump's politicized Justice Department is investigating Biden's son, but even if no wrongdoing is found it's all bad news for Biden.
This is the kind of pretzel logic the press embraces when it's searching for Dems in Disarray storylines.
Eric Boehlert: 'Dems in Disarray' -- the press targets Biden
https://pressrun.media/p/dems-in-disarray-the-press-targets'Dems in Disarray' — the press targets Biden
Concocting controversy
Eric Boehlert
1 hr ago
Did you know President-elect Joe Biden has badly "botched" his cabinet picks? That a criminal probe "hangs over" his presidency, "potential family conflicts" may be a problem, and that party "factionalism" is threatening to doom his work? As Biden's orderly transition unfolds on track — in stark contrast to the previous four years of discord and confusion — most Americans wouldn't think that Democrats are in disarray. Yet that remains the press' preferred, long-running narrative about how Democrats are in a constant state of confusion and forever outsmarted by Republicans.
It's jarring that after covering the Trump White House for four years, where incompetence and lies were the hallmark, where staff turnover never paused and Trump tore up his staffing chart because he didn't like what someone said on Fox News, that the press is now leaning into the idea that the new Democratic administration is struggling to take shape, and that some kind of civil war has broken out inside the party.
The coverage clearly represents a desire by some outlets to create news; to create controversy where none really exists with the incoming administration. Addicted to the adrenaline rush of non-stop news during the Trump years, as he ransacked the White House and obliterated norms, the press seems hungry to continue that same news cycle pace. But Biden, like No Drama Obama, won't cooperate in terms of generating screaming headlines on a daily basis.
snip//
And there was this extraordinary Times passage [emphasis added]:
Even if Hunter Biden is ultimately not found to have violated any laws, the investigation could be problematic for a new president promising a clean break from the many conflicts of interest under his predecessor.
Talk about heads you lose, tails you lose. Trump's politicized Justice Department is investigating Biden's son, but even if no wrongdoing is found it's all bad news for Biden.
This is the kind of pretzel logic the press embraces when it's searching for Dems in Disarray storylines.
December 18, 2020
Doctor calls Trump's covid response criminal
Posted on Thu, Dec 17th, 2020 by Sean Colarossi
‘Enough To Actually Put Him In Jail’: Doctor Calls Trump’s COVID Response Medically Criminally Negligent
During an interview with MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Thursday night, Dr. Kavita Patel said that Donald Trump’s negligent response to the pandemic would be grounds for a malpractice lawsuit or even time behind bars if he were in the medical field.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1339737863001436161
Dr. Patel said:
The Trump administration was pushing for ‘herd immunity’
Dr. Kavita Patel’s criticism of the outgoing president comes after a report in Politico revealed that one of Donald Trump’s appointees called for millions of Americans to be infected with COVID-19 as a way to develop “herd immunity.”
Donald Trump seemed to agree with Alexander’s position because he repeatedly downplayed the virus, mocked the use of masks and urged his supporters to come to his rallies and other events where there was no social distancing.
Nearly a year into this pandemic, more than 317,000 Americans have died in no small part because of Donald Trump’s negligence.
'Enough To Actually Put Him In Jail':Doc Calls Trump's COVID Response Medically Criminally Negligent
https://www.politicususa.com/2020/12/17/enough-to-actually-put-him-in-jail-doctor-calls-trumps-covid-response-criminally-negligent.htmlDoctor calls Trump's covid response criminal
Posted on Thu, Dec 17th, 2020 by Sean Colarossi
‘Enough To Actually Put Him In Jail’: Doctor Calls Trump’s COVID Response Medically Criminally Negligent
During an interview with MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Thursday night, Dr. Kavita Patel said that Donald Trump’s negligent response to the pandemic would be grounds for a malpractice lawsuit or even time behind bars if he were in the medical field.
“If he were actually a clinician, his license would be taken away,” the doctor said. “He would be stripped of any privileges to do anything, not only sued for medical malpractice but enough to actually put him in jail.”
Dr. Patel called the “death and destruction” caused by the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic “mind-boggling.”
Dr. Patel called the “death and destruction” caused by the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic “mind-boggling.”
https://twitter.com/i/status/1339737863001436161
Dr. Patel said:
Honestly, [Trump] would be — if he were actually a clinician, his license would be taken away. He would be stripped of any privileges to do anything, not only sued for medical malpractice but enough to actually put him in jail. And why am I not surprised? We’ve now known, Joy, that it’s not just covid. He’s done this on the border where there was forced hysterectomies. Unfortunately, history will not look kindly on the president and the administration and the people that have kind of led this and that’s exactly where it deserves to be. But the toll of death and destruction on its way there is just mind-boggling.
The Trump administration was pushing for ‘herd immunity’
Dr. Kavita Patel’s criticism of the outgoing president comes after a report in Politico revealed that one of Donald Trump’s appointees called for millions of Americans to be infected with COVID-19 as a way to develop “herd immunity.”
“Infants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc. have zero to little risk … so we use them to develop herd…we want them infected…” former HHS adviser Paul Alexander said in an email, according to the report.
Donald Trump seemed to agree with Alexander’s position because he repeatedly downplayed the virus, mocked the use of masks and urged his supporters to come to his rallies and other events where there was no social distancing.
Nearly a year into this pandemic, more than 317,000 Americans have died in no small part because of Donald Trump’s negligence.
December 18, 2020
Trump Fights for a Job He’s Not Doing
December 18, 2020 at 6:38 am EST By Taegan Goddard
Trump Fights for a Job He's Not Doing
https://politicalwire.com/2020/12/18/trump-fights-for-a-job-hes-not-doing/Trump Fights for a Job He’s Not Doing
December 18, 2020 at 6:38 am EST By Taegan Goddard
Maeve Reston: “Trump ran for president pretending he was the consummate dealmaker, the chief executive who could make things happen with a snap of his fingers. He will go down in history as a president who worsened the grief and tragedy of the most consequential pandemic in 100 years by being contemptuous of masks and the safety precautions designed by his own administration — a man incapable of empathy, who chose to remain cocooned in his White House bubble at a time when leadership would have mattered.”
“For weeks now, Trump has spent most of his time plotting how to nullify the results of President-elect Joe Biden’s November victory as he has fleeced his supporters to pay for a string of ill-conceived lawsuits that were tossed out of court by some of his own judicial appointees. When those efforts failed, he began looking ahead to January 6 when a joint session of Congress meets to formally count the Electoral College results — seeing another opportunity to try and thwart the democratic process.”
“For weeks now, Trump has spent most of his time plotting how to nullify the results of President-elect Joe Biden’s November victory as he has fleeced his supporters to pay for a string of ill-conceived lawsuits that were tossed out of court by some of his own judicial appointees. When those efforts failed, he began looking ahead to January 6 when a joint session of Congress meets to formally count the Electoral College results — seeing another opportunity to try and thwart the democratic process.”
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