covid diary: day 31

As of this morning's report (updates happen every morning at 10), Indiana has nearly 7,000 cases of COVID-19, and 300 Hoosiers have died. Also in today's briefing, the governor announced that he's not sure the state will be able to continue testing, because the health department is running out of the swabs used to take samples for the tests, and the federal government is not coordinating procurement of even these essential supplies. So they're trying to MacGuyver the problem to see if there is some other tool they can use as a swab. Seriously. We can't test people because we're out of SWABS. In the "richest," "most freedom-est" country in the world. More than 2,100 Americans died today from COVID-19, but somehow we're the greatest. USA! USA!

So hey. Remember what I was saying the other day about the federal government ordering the states to source their own supplies, and then swooping in and taking those supplies? Yeah. Today the Denver Post is reporting that last week, Colorado had a commitment to buy 500 ventilators ... until FEMA stepped in and ordered the seller to cancel the Colorado contract and sell those supplies to FEMA. And today, lo and behold, the president announced that he was sending 100 ventilators to Colorado "at the request of Senator [Cory] Gardner," a Republican who is up for re-election this year and is trailing his likely opponent, former Gov. John Hickenlooper, in the polls. Read that again. The federal government interfered in state business during a pandemic, then turned around and used that interference as a way to influence the campaign of a senator who supports the president. It's so gross I don't even have the words for it. Luckily, Colorado Sen. Jessie Danielson (D-Wheat Ridge) is here to help:

“It’s a racket. This is literally racketeering. The White House is keeping 80% of the ventilators they stole from Colorado — and bestowing 20% of what they stole as a political favor.”

And what about the other 400 ventilators? Oh don't worry, the administration has a plan for those too. Another 100 ventilators went to Arizona, where Sen. Martha McSally (a Republican who was appointed to her seat after the death of John McCain) is losing in the polls to Captain Mark Kelly, an astronaut and the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords. It's curious, to say the least, that McSally and Gardner are widely perceived to be the two most vulnerable Republicans up for re-election this year.

So there you have it, another day in the dystopian hellscape America has become. Mike was home from work today because his company has started "encouraging" employees to take unpaid time off one day a week. Which ... I'm glad he still has a job, particularly since his job is the source of our family's health insurance. BUT this kind of "voluntary" (it's not really) reduction in hours is also a way for the company to have it both ways: reducing its outlay while not allowing employees to file for unemployment. It's a win for everyone but the employees, but it's presented as something they should be grateful for. Good times.

Nationwide cases: 505,931. Deaths: 18, 817.