So you know that unproven drug the president has been urging Americans to take every day during his daily press conferences? The one the nation's medical experts are urging extreme caution on because there isn't enough data to prove that it's effective, and also because people rushing to stockpile this drug is causing people who actually need it for other conditions (like lupus) not to be able to get it, and also because it can kill you by causing fatal heart problems? Yeah, to the shock of absolutely no person ever, the New York Times is now reporting that the president directly invested in a French firm that makes that drug. There is no bottom to his grift.
A newly released memo shows that the White House knew by January 29 that millions of Americans could get sick and die from COVID-19, and that it would cost trillions of dollars to the economy. But they deliberately decided not to warn the American people or take any measures that could flatten the curve earlier. (Note that Trump was still saying at the end of March that the economy would reopen by Easter, and it was only two weeks before that when he decided to stop saying that the pandemic would miraculously go away and everything would be fine, like a miracle.) They knew. They let this happen. They made this happen.
The prime minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, has COVID-19. Yesterday he was hospitalized, and last night he was moved to the ICU and put on oxygen. As far as I know, he's the first head of state to become seriously ill as a result of the coronavirus. Let me be clear: I hope he recovers quickly and with no lasting effects. But I can't help but remember that in mid-February, he was taking a vacation with his pregnant fiancee. In early March, he was suggesting that it might be a good idea for the UK to "take it on the chin" so the country could develop herd immunity. By mid-March, he said, "I must level with you, level with the British public, many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time." I'm guessing his idea to take it on the chin feels a little different when he's the one in the ICU. But like I said, I wish him a full and speedy recovery, along with an epiphany that leads him to advocate for better policies for his country and around the world.
Wisconsin is holding its statewide primary today. Which is complete and utter bullshit. Governor Evers signed an executive order yesterday postponing the primary, but the Republican legislature contested it, and the Wisconsin State Supreme Court and eventually the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Republicans. This is despite the fact that Republicans at every level (including the president) are on record as saying that things like voting by mail can't be allowed because they give more people the chance to vote, and when voter turnout is up, Democrats tend to win. (Confidential to Republicans: Hey, just spitballing here, but maybe you should work on changing your garbage platform to win over more voters honestly, instead of holding on to power through voter suppression, voter roll purges, and gerrymandering. P.S. The reason you lose is that your policies suck, and if you can't win unless you cheat, you should think of a different strategy.) At the Supreme Court, the decision was, of course, 5-4. Justice Ginsburg completely nailed it in her dissent: “The majority of this court declares that this case presents a ‘narrow, technical question.’ That is wrong. The question here is whether tens of thousands of Wisconsin citizens can vote safely in the midst of a pandemic. ... Either they will have to brave the polls, endangering their own and others’ safety. Or they will lose their right to vote, through no fault of their own. That is a matter of utmost importance — to the constitutional rights of Wisconsin’s citizens, the integrity of the state’s election process, and in this most extraordinary time, the health of the nation.” Wisconsin is also suffering from an extreme lack of poll workers, because the majority of poll workers are older people, who are more at risk during this pandemic. This means that many polling places are shut down, and the lines at the open ones are unbelievably long (and dangerous to everyone who is in line). I read an account this morning that said the line was six blocks long 20 minutes after the polling place opened, and it's only getting worse.
Photo credit: Patricia McKnight/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Grocery store workers are starting to die from COVID-19. It's no surprise since they've been exposed repeatedly to people shopping. We've limited our shopping to once a week, but maybe we'll have to try to cut it back even further.
In short, everything is a nightmare and none of us can wake up. On the home front, Mike went back to work today and learned that 12 people on his shift had been laid off, along with even more people on each of the other two shifts. All employees are being "encouraged" to take unpaid days off Friday and Monday. My cousin works in the warehouse for the same company, and she reported that 11 people (including her) took voluntary "curtailment" until May 1, meaning they are laid off and will be able to get unemployment but are expected to be called back to work May 1. This option wasn't offered to people at the plant where Mike works. It seems like his job is secure *for now* but the unemployment line is becoming a real possibility for both of us.
Nationwide case: 402,383. Deaths: 12, 935. Note that 1,906 people died today alone, the worst single-day total thus far (but probably won't be the worst overall). It was a bad day for the state too, but we're not expected to hit our peak until later this month.
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