alternet--2020-10-14--QAnon conspiracy theorists struggle to explain Trump taking a drug developed from fetal tissue

The far-right QAnon conspiracy cult not only opposes abortion — it also opposes the use of any type of fetal tissue for medical research .
But in Vice , journalist Anna Merlan notes a major contradiction : President Donald Trump , who QAnon idolizes , was recently treated with a drug that was `` developed using a stem cell line made from aborted fetal tissue . ''
When Trump was hospitalized at Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda , Maryland after testing positive for COVID-19 , he was treated with an antibody cocktail from the company Regeneron — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was developed using a fetal tissue cell line from the 1980s . ''
QAnon are n't the only anti-abortion extremists on the far right who oppose the use of fetal tissue in medical research .
But QAnon carries it much further , claiming that an international cabal of pedophiles and Satanists are making use of fetal tissue .
QAnon believes that the cabal/Satanic child sex ring has infiltrated the federal government in the United States and that Trump was placed in the White House to combat the cabal .
According to QAnon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is giving members updates on Trump 's battle .
The antibody cocktail that Trump received , Merlan points out , `` manages to slot with almost painful neatness into an ongoing storyline in the right-wing conspiracyverse : that powerful Democratic elites extract the lifeblood or some other vital force from children and feed on it .
It 's a trope with roots in the anti-Semitic medieval blood libel , and has recurred in various forms for hundreds of years . ''
`` Among QAnon fans , '' Merlan notes , `` that substance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' and the claim , more or less , is that the Satanic Democrat Illuminati elites extract it from children being tortured and killed and then inject it to maintain their youthful vigor .
Adrenochrome is a chemical compound that 's used mainly to slow blood clotting ; its mythology as a supposed intoxicating drug is almost completely derived from fiction .
It 's not , in any circumstances , necessary or possible to harvest it from tortured children . ''
Merlan observes that there is a major `` irony '' in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was treated with that antibody cocktail when the cult opposes using any type of fetal tissue for scientific research .
And she points out that Trump 's supporters , including QAnon extremists , have been looking for ways to rationalize the use of that antibody cocktail when he was hospitalized .
`` It 's virtually certain that in the coming days , the sentiments around Trump 's antibody cocktail will coalesce , and these divergent , competing points of view will be absorbed into a more dominant narrative — most likely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in what his followers so fondly call 'the Plan , ' '' Merlan writes .
`` By Tuesday , in fact , there were signs that the controversy , such as it was , was simply being allowed to die away , and that the details of how Trump was 'cured ' were less relevant than the fact that he 'd returned to public life… .
The future of QAnon , after all — a movement based on lionizing one man , putting him into the role of savior , leader of mankind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , extremely healthy strongman — depends on believing that to the bitter end . ''

The far-right QAnon conspiracy cult not only opposes abortion — it also opposes the use of any type of fetal tissue for medical research. But in Vice, journalist Anna Merlan notes a major contradiction: President Donald Trump, who QAnon idolizes, was recently treated with a drug that was "developed using a stem cell line made from aborted fetal tissue."
When Trump was hospitalized at Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland after testing positive for COVID-19, he was treated with an antibody cocktail from the company Regeneron — and that cocktail, Merlan notes, "was developed using a fetal tissue cell line from the 1980s."
QAnon aren't the only anti-abortion extremists on the far right who oppose the use of fetal tissue in medical research. But QAnon carries it much further, claiming that an international cabal of pedophiles and Satanists are making use of fetal tissue. QAnon believes that the cabal/Satanic child sex ring has infiltrated the federal government in the United States and that Trump was placed in the White House to combat the cabal. According to QAnon, an anonymous figure named "Q" is giving members updates on Trump's battle.
The antibody cocktail that Trump received, Merlan points out, "manages to slot with almost painful neatness into an ongoing storyline in the right-wing conspiracyverse: that powerful Democratic elites extract the lifeblood or some other vital force from children and feed on it. It's a trope with roots in the anti-Semitic medieval blood libel, and has recurred in various forms for hundreds of years."
"Among QAnon fans," Merlan notes, "that substance is commonly claimed to be 'adrenochrome,' and the claim, more or less, is that the Satanic Democrat Illuminati elites extract it from children being tortured and killed and then inject it to maintain their youthful vigor. Adrenochrome is a chemical compound that's used mainly to slow blood clotting; its mythology as a supposed intoxicating drug is almost completely derived from fiction. It's not, in any circumstances, necessary or possible to harvest it from tortured children."
Merlan observes that there is a major "irony" in the fact that Trump, QAnon's idol, was treated with that antibody cocktail when the cult opposes using any type of fetal tissue for scientific research. And she points out that Trump's supporters, including QAnon extremists, have been looking for ways to rationalize the use of that antibody cocktail when he was hospitalized.
"It's virtually certain that in the coming days, the sentiments around Trump's antibody cocktail will coalesce, and these divergent, competing points of view will be absorbed into a more dominant narrative — most likely, one that urges trust in Trump and in what his followers so fondly call 'the Plan,'" Merlan writes. "By Tuesday, in fact, there were signs that the controversy, such as it was, was simply being allowed to die away, and that the details of how Trump was 'cured' were less relevant than the fact that he'd returned to public life…. The future of QAnon, after all — a movement based on lionizing one man, putting him into the role of savior, leader of mankind, and, of course, tireless, extremely healthy strongman — depends on believing that to the bitter end."


alternet--2020-10-14--Schadenfreude over Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis was more about cosmic justice than joy in another’s pa

Schadenfreude over Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis was more about cosmic justice than joy in another’s pain

Lee M. Pierce , State University of New York , College at Geneseo After President Donald Trump announced his COVID-19 diagnosis , Merriam-Webster Dictionary reported a 30,000 % increase in searches for the word “ schadenfreude . ''
The German word , which is often translated as “ harm joy , '' or “ joy in someone else 's pain , '' instantly became a subject of debate .
GQ and Newsweek , along with Stephen Colbert of “ The Late Show , '' wondered whether schadenfreude was a morally defensible response to the president 's diagnosis .
MSNBC host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor Laurence Tribe went further , writing that this was no time for “ cruelty , schadenfreude , or any other form of small-mindedness . ''
I agree that cruelty is small-minded and indefensible .
But as a scholar of rhetoric , I have a difficult time looping schadenfreude in with small-minded cruelty .
One of the issues is that the common English translation of schadenfreude – “ harm joy '' – fails to adequately capture the nuances of the term , and misses what 's most poignant about it .
Perhaps the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Recent studies of schadenfreude have oversimplified it as the “ darker side '' of human emotion .
But at its best , schadenfreude is actually a recognition of ironic justice .
Irony is frequently misused in American political discourse as simply not meaning what you said .
However , irony is a very specific rhetorical device by which something returns as its opposite .
“ A returns as not A '' is the classic formulation .
In the case of Trump , he downplayed the seriousness of COVID-19 and ended up being diagnosed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself .
A returned as not A .
That is classic irony .
Then there 's the justice element .
Trump did n't simply downplay it in a vacuum .
He was in charge of the federal government 's response to a pandemic that has devastated thousands of families across the country .
To them , COVID-19 has been deadly serious .
So in this case , the irony doubles as a form of justice .
By justice , I do n't mean rule of law or a system of punishment .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divine symmetry .
The roots of the word “ justice '' have several potential origins , including the Latin ūstitia , loosely translated as “ equity , '' and the pre-Latin word “ jowos , '' loosely translated as “ sacred formula . ''
Schadenfreude is about appreciating that sacred formula at work in a secular world .
Maybe you observe with satisfaction as the person who mocked your weight in high school asks for diet advice on Facebook .
Or maybe you look on contentedly as your grandchild gives your child the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave you .
Is that small-minded cruelty ?
Or are you appreciating the cosmic irony by which a perceived wrong has been righted ?
Appreciation is not simply another word for happiness or glee .
Those are emotions that feel good , the way cuddles with loved ones and delicious desserts feel good .
A sense of appreciation or satisfaction after witnessing poetic justice at work is different , and schadenfreude is a milder experience that involves satisfaction .
To Sigmund Freud , satisfaction was best explained by the word “ befriedigung , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Ceasing displeasure is not the same thing as experiencing pleasure .
It 's about bringing things back into balance .
“ Befriedigung '' occupies an emotional middle ground that can be difficult to grasp in a culture that prefers extreme , binary emotions .
The president 's tendency toward hyperbolic and grandiose language is symptomatic of the country 's cultural preference for the huge emotions , such as anger , guilt , happiness and pleasure .
Schadenfreude is an emotional chisel in an internet and media landscape that prefers blunt rhetorical instruments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go too far .
Just a few decades before Freud , another influential German thinker , Friedrich Nietzsche , argued that schadenfreude , pushed to its limits , becomes another word : “ ressentiment . ''
In “ On the Genealogy of Morality , '' Nietzsche defined ressentiment as “ slave morality , '' a feeling of superiority derived from one 's own suffering .
Think of it like a sliding scale .
On the far end is simple justice : Someone in power does the right thing , like your boss approving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six months with no time off .
But let 's suppose your boss says no to the request .
And then no again two months later .
And then no again two months after that .
At that point , you might appreciate learning that your boss was denied a vacation request by headquarters .
That 's schadenfreude .
You might even point out this cosmic irony to your boss , hoping it will make a difference .
But when it does n't – and your boss continues treating you poorly – you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You take every chance you can to tell your co-workers that your boss is out to get you .
That 's ressentiment .
Ressentiment takes hold once the possibility for justice is no longer on the horizon .
Under those conditions , even the most poignant appreciations of irony can not speak truth to power .
In turn , an oppressed people would understandably take refuge in an extreme form of schadenfreude .
But in between justice and ressentiment is a rich , gray area where schadenfreude can serve a valuable political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't take responsibility for the injustices they have perpetuated – either knowingly or not – then it 's certainly OK for people to appreciate those moments when the chickens come home to roost .
Lee M. Pierce , Assistant Professor Rhetoric and Communication , State University of New York , College at Geneseo This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

Lee M. Pierce, State University of New York, College at Geneseo
After President Donald Trump announced his COVID-19 diagnosis, Merriam-Webster Dictionary reported a 30,000% increase in searches for the word “schadenfreude."
The German word, which is often translated as “harm joy," or “joy in someone else's pain," instantly became a subject of debate.
GQ and Newsweek, along with Stephen Colbert of “The Late Show," wondered whether schadenfreude was a morally defensible response to the president's diagnosis.
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow said absolutely not. Harvard professor Laurence Tribe went further, writing that this was no time for “cruelty, schadenfreude, or any other form of small-mindedness."
I agree that cruelty is small-minded and indefensible. But as a scholar of rhetoric, I have a difficult time looping schadenfreude in with small-minded cruelty.
One of the issues is that the common English translation of schadenfreude – “harm joy" – fails to adequately capture the nuances of the term, and misses what's most poignant about it.
The realization of divine symmetry
Perhaps the confusion comes from the social sciences. Recent studies of schadenfreude have oversimplified it as the “darker side" of human emotion.
But at its best, schadenfreude is actually a recognition of ironic justice.
Irony is frequently misused in American political discourse as simply not meaning what you said. However, irony is a very specific rhetorical device by which something returns as its opposite. “A returns as not A" is the classic formulation.
In the case of Trump, he downplayed the seriousness of COVID-19 and ended up being diagnosed with a serious case of the virus himself. A returned as not A.
That is classic irony. Then there's the justice element.
Trump didn't simply downplay it in a vacuum. He was in charge of the federal government's response to a pandemic that has devastated thousands of families across the country. To them, COVID-19 has been deadly serious. So in this case, the irony doubles as a form of justice.
By justice, I don't mean rule of law or a system of punishment. I mean justice in its older sense of divine symmetry. The roots of the word “justice" have several potential origins, including the Latin ūstitia, loosely translated as “equity," and the pre-Latin word “jowos," loosely translated as “sacred formula."
Schadenfreude is about appreciating that sacred formula at work in a secular world. Maybe you observe with satisfaction as the person who mocked your weight in high school asks for diet advice on Facebook. Or maybe you look on contentedly as your grandchild gives your child the same grief over broccoli that your child gave you.
Is that small-minded cruelty? Or are you appreciating the cosmic irony by which a perceived wrong has been righted?
An emotional middle ground
Appreciation is not simply another word for happiness or glee. Those are emotions that feel good, the way cuddles with loved ones and delicious desserts feel good.
A sense of appreciation or satisfaction after witnessing poetic justice at work is different, and schadenfreude is a milder experience that involves satisfaction.
To Sigmund Freud, satisfaction was best explained by the word “befriedigung," which means “ceasing displeasure."
Ceasing displeasure is not the same thing as experiencing pleasure. It's about bringing things back into balance. “Befriedigung" occupies an emotional middle ground that can be difficult to grasp in a culture that prefers extreme, binary emotions.
The president's tendency toward hyperbolic and grandiose language is symptomatic of the country's cultural preference for the huge emotions, such as anger, guilt, happiness and pleasure. Schadenfreude is an emotional chisel in an internet and media landscape that prefers blunt rhetorical instruments.
When schadenfreude veers into hopelessness
That said, schadenfreude can certainly go too far.
Just a few decades before Freud, another influential German thinker, Friedrich Nietzsche, argued that schadenfreude, pushed to its limits, becomes another word: “ressentiment." In “On the Genealogy of Morality," Nietzsche defined ressentiment as “slave morality," a feeling of superiority derived from one's own suffering.
Think of it like a sliding scale. On the far end is simple justice: Someone in power does the right thing, like your boss approving your vacation request after you've worked six months with no time off. But let's suppose your boss says no to the request. And then no again two months later. And then no again two months after that. At that point, you might appreciate learning that your boss was denied a vacation request by headquarters. That's schadenfreude. You might even point out this cosmic irony to your boss, hoping it will make a difference.
But when it doesn't – and your boss continues treating you poorly – you might start reveling in your own victimhood. You take every chance you can to tell your co-workers that your boss is out to get you. That's ressentiment.
Ressentiment takes hold once the possibility for justice is no longer on the horizon. Under those conditions, even the most poignant appreciations of irony cannot speak truth to power. In turn, an oppressed people would understandably take refuge in an extreme form of schadenfreude.
But in between justice and ressentiment is a rich, gray area where schadenfreude can serve a valuable political purpose. If those in power won't take responsibility for the injustices they have perpetuated – either knowingly or not – then it's certainly OK for people to appreciate those moments when the chickens come home to roost.
Lee M. Pierce, Assistant Professor Rhetoric and Communication, State University of New York, College at Geneseo
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


alternet--2020-10-14--Former military doctors urge vote for Biden to save Americans' 'health, security and future'

Former military healthcare specialists are appealing to the American public while urging them to vote for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
Dr. Dean Taylor—a retired U.S. Army colonel , orthopedic surgeon , and a United States Military Academy ( West Point ) graduate— penned an op-ed published to USA Today on behalf of physician leaders and graduates of the United States ' service academies .
He expressed concern about the future of America 's values , health , and security .
`` Our future depends on having leaders of integrity , a foundational value of our service academies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a fundamental value of the medical profession , and a value central to the democracy of the United States .
Our leaders must be dedicated to selfless service , duty and sacrifice , '' Taylor wrote .
`` They must put others before themselves . ''
Not only is the election on the line , but the public health is also a concern .
In addition to the coronavirus outbreak , millions of Americans are also at risk of losing healthcare and pre-existing condition protections under the Affordable Care Act .
Taylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving service from compassionate leaders who are committed to combatting the public health crisis currently plaguing millions of Americans .
He added , `` Our future depends on leaders dedicated to the health and security of all Americans .
They must have the experience to compassionately address our public health crisis , and the leadership skills to work collaboratively and restore our national security and economy . ''
Taylor went on to highlight the characteristics and qualities he believes make Biden a suitable candidate for president .
Joe Biden is the leader for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He is a servant leader of integrity , committed to the democratic process and willing to sacrifice selflessly .
He is dedicated to uniting our country through collaboration , respect and civility .
He has the personal and professional experience to understand the challenges of the pandemic , public health and health care .
He will address those challenges so we can begin the process of restoring our national health structure , improving our economy , and protecting our national security .
He concluded , `` We ardently encourage all of you as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote , and to vote for Joe Biden for the health , security and future of our entire country . ''

Former military healthcare specialists are appealing to the American public while urging them to vote for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Dr. Dean Taylor—a retired U.S. Army colonel, orthopedic surgeon, and a United States Military Academy (West Point) graduate— penned an op-ed published to USA Today on behalf of physician leaders and graduates of the United States' service academies. He expressed concern about the future of America's values, health, and security.
"Our future depends on having leaders of integrity, a foundational value of our service academies, a guiding value of the U.S. military, a fundamental value of the medical profession, and a value central to the democracy of the United States. Our leaders must be dedicated to selfless service, duty and sacrifice," Taylor wrote. "They must put others before themselves."
Not only is the election on the line, but the public health is also a concern. In addition to the coronavirus outbreak, millions of Americans are also at risk of losing healthcare and pre-existing condition protections under the Affordable Care Act.
Taylor noted the importance of the American public receiving service from compassionate leaders who are committed to combatting the public health crisis currently plaguing millions of Americans.
He added, "Our future depends on leaders dedicated to the health and security of all Americans. They must have the experience to compassionately address our public health crisis, and the leadership skills to work collaboratively and restore our national security and economy."
Taylor went on to highlight the characteristics and qualities he believes make Biden a suitable candidate for president.
Joe Biden is the leader for our time and for our future. He is a servant leader of integrity, committed to the democratic process and willing to sacrifice selflessly. He is dedicated to uniting our country through collaboration, respect and civility. He has the personal and professional experience to understand the challenges of the pandemic, public health and health care. He will address those challenges so we can begin the process of restoring our national health structure, improving our economy, and protecting our national security.
He concluded, "We ardently encourage all of you as citizens of the United States of America to vote, and to vote for Joe Biden for the health, security and future of our entire country."


alternet--2020-10-15--McConnell has written off Trump, it's now all about preemptively crippling then Biden administration

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been taking a lot of fire for not just capitulating to Republicans and taking the poison-pilled scraps that they are purportedly offering in pandemic relief .
Those poison pills are the big tell here .
Mitch McConnell does n't want a deal and his refusal to pass anything without them are all the proof you need .
We 've speculated about this for a few weeks , the possibility that McConnell and his fellow Republicans have already given up on a Trump victory , and is purposefully wrecking the economy to complicate Joe Biden 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving him a wrecked economy , and setting the stage for making it harder to demand the trillions that are going to be necessary to save the country .
That speculation has proven true , with Republican operatives admitting that 's the strategy .
As the Washington Post 's Greg Sargent points out , McConnell has offered up the bare minimum of assistance to give vulnerable Republicans something to point to , to tell voters that they 've done a thing and maybe , maybe save his majority .
But he 's got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not accept : absolving businesses from any liability for exposing their workers to infection with COVID-19 .
It 's seemed for months that McConnell did n't want a deal and now , well , a Republican operative confirms it , and says point blank it 's about fighting Biden next year .
A GOP strategist who has been consulting on Senate campaigns told Bloomberg that `` Republicans have been carefully laying the groundwork to restrain a Biden administration on federal spending and the budget deficit by talking up concerns about the price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
A number of hard-core Republicans have been using the deficit peacock 's argument against saving the nation for months , to be clear .
This is n't new—it 's what Ted Cruz and Rand Paul and Ron Johnson have been arguing since early summer .
But now it 's hardened into how they 'll deal with a Biden administration starting in January .
`` The thinking , the strategist said , is that it would be very hard politically to agree on spending trillions more now and then in January suddenly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it all the more critical that Democrats retake the Senate .
It also makes it all the more critical that when they do , they eliminate the filibuster so they can pass the trillions of dollars in stimulus that is going to be necessary without allowing Republicans to stop it .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been taking a lot of fire for not just capitulating to Republicans and taking the poison-pilled scraps that they are purportedly offering in pandemic relief. Those poison pills are the big tell here. Mitch McConnell doesn't want a deal and his refusal to pass anything without them are all the proof you need.
We've speculated about this for a few weeks, the possibility that McConnell and his fellow Republicans have already given up on a Trump victory, and is purposefully wrecking the economy to complicate Joe Biden's first year in office. Both in giving him a wrecked economy, and setting the stage for making it harder to demand the trillions that are going to be necessary to save the country. That speculation has proven true, with Republican operatives admitting that's the strategy.
As the Washington Post's Greg Sargent points out, McConnell has offered up the bare minimum of assistance to give vulnerable Republicans something to point to, to tell voters that they've done a thing and maybe, maybe save his majority. But he's got his poison pill that he knows Democrats will not accept: absolving businesses from any liability for exposing their workers to infection with COVID-19. It's seemed for months that McConnell didn't want a deal and now, well, a Republican operative confirms it, and says point blank it's about fighting Biden next year.
A GOP strategist who has been consulting on Senate campaigns told Bloomberg that "Republicans have been carefully laying the groundwork to restrain a Biden administration on federal spending and the budget deficit by talking up concerns about the price tag for another round of virus relief." A number of hard-core Republicans have been using the deficit peacock's argument against saving the nation for months, to be clear. This isn't new—it's what Ted Cruz and Rand Paul and Ron Johnson have been arguing since early summer. But now it's hardened into how they'll deal with a Biden administration starting in January. "The thinking, the strategist said, is that it would be very hard politically to agree on spending trillions more now and then in January suddenly embrace fiscal restraint."
It makes it all the more critical that Democrats retake the Senate. It also makes it all the more critical that when they do, they eliminate the filibuster so they can pass the trillions of dollars in stimulus that is going to be necessary without allowing Republicans to stop it.


alternet--2020-10-15--Trump's COVID-19 herd immunity petition is full of names like 'Dr. Johnny Bananas' and 'I.P. Freely'

In August , Trump brought in a new quack doctor to advise him on COVID-19 and how to make it seem like Donald Trump was doing anything about it .
Neuroradiologist Scott Atlas was brought in to push the well-debunked theory of letting everyone just get sick until we , as a national community , have achieved `` herd immunity . ''
As Daily Kos 's Mark Sumner explains , this idea has `` always been an immoral and impossible idea . ''
Of course , `` immoral and impossible '' is the Trump family motto ( maybe along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the New York Times reported that Trump 's White House had `` embraced a declaration by a group of scientists arguing that authorities should allow the coronavirus to spread among young healthy people while protecting the elderly and the vulnerable—an approach that would rely on arriving at 'herd immunity ' through infections rather than a vaccine . ''
Sky News looked into the letter signed by these `` scientists '' and found that it was filled with … not scientists .
In fact , there seems to be a lot of names @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are n't even real people .
In fact , the news outlet reports that it found `` dozens of fake names on the list of medical signatories , '' on the list .
Names like `` Dr. I.P .
Freely , Dr .
Person Fakename and Dr. Johnny Bananas , who listed himself as a `` Dr. of Hard Sums . ''
Now , I know what you 're thinking : Sure Dr .
Person Fakename would sign this letter , he 's a hack !
But Dr. Johnny Bananas ?
Other strange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who died in 2004 , but was also arrested in 1998 for being a serial killer of more than 200 patients .
Also on the list were dozens of homeopaths , `` massage therapists , hypnotherapists , psychotherapists and one Mongolian Khöömie singer who describes himself as a `` therapeutic sound practitioner . ''
It is important to note here that this is not a joke story .
This is a real thing .
The President of the United States of America and his advisers in the White House are promoting a scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed by joke names and serial killers as his support .
It makes sense that Trump and his crew of cons would find a scientific con to promote their policy con

In August, Trump brought in a new quack doctor to advise him on COVID-19 and how to make it seem like Donald Trump was doing anything about it. Neuroradiologist Scott Atlas was brought in to push the well-debunked theory of letting everyone just get sick until we, as a national community, have achieved "herd immunity." As Daily Kos's Mark Sumner explains, this idea has "always been an immoral and impossible idea."
Of course, "immoral and impossible" is the Trump family motto (maybe along with grotesque and sociopathic). On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that Trump's White House had "embraced a declaration by a group of scientists arguing that authorities should allow the coronavirus to spread among young healthy people while protecting the elderly and the vulnerable—an approach that would rely on arriving at 'herd immunity' through infections rather than a vaccine."
Sky News looked into the letter signed by these "scientists" and found that it was filled with … not scientists. In fact, there seems to be a lot of names on the list of people that probably aren't even real people.
In fact, the news outlet reports that it found "dozens of fake names on the list of medical signatories," on the list. Names like "Dr. I.P. Freely, Dr. Person Fakename and Dr. Johnny Bananas, who listed himself as a "Dr. of Hard Sums." Now, I know what you're thinking: Sure Dr. Person Fakename would sign this letter, he's a hack! But Dr. Johnny Bananas?
Other strange signatories include Harold Shipman, a doctor who died in 2004, but was also arrested in 1998 for being a serial killer of more than 200 patients. Also on the list were dozens of homeopaths, "massage therapists, hypnotherapists, psychotherapists and one Mongolian Khöömie singer who describes himself as a "therapeutic sound practitioner."
It is important to note here that this is not a joke story. This is a real thing. The President of the United States of America and his advisers in the White House are promoting a scientific public health theory, using a letter signed by joke names and serial killers as his support. It makes sense that Trump and his crew of cons would find a scientific con to promote their policy con


alternet--2020-10-15--‘Screw you’: Devin Nunes defies state officials as Trump continues to urge California GOP to engage

‘Screw you’: Devin Nunes defies state officials as Trump continues to urge California GOP to engage in ‘illegal’ activity

President Donald Trump urged California Republicans to defy a state order to remove fake `` official '' ballot drop boxes after numerous top officials called them `` illegal . ''
State Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Secretary of State Alex Padilla on Monday issued an order to the California GOP and three county chapters requiring the removal of unofficial ballot drop boxes erected in front of locations like gyms , gun stores and churches that were falsely marked `` official . ''
Trump , however , urged the party to fight the order in court .
`` You mean only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But have n't the Dems been doing this for years ? ''
the president tweeted , drawing a dubious comparison between the boxes and the legal `` ballot harvesting '' efforts by Democrats that have drawn his ire .
`` See you in court .
Fight hard Republicans ! ''
Trump 's call came after Becerra , Padilla and Gov .
Gavin Newsom , all Democrats , labeled the Republican effort `` illegal . ''
`` Nothing reeks of desperation quite like the Republican Party organization these days -- willing to lie , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the sake of gaining power , '' Newsom tweeted .
`` These unofficial drop boxes are n't just misleading , they are illegal . ''
Trump 's comments also came after the California Republican Party already vowed to defy Monday 's order .
`` Screw you ! ''
Rep. Devin Nunes , R-Calif. , said in response to Newsom 's tweet , according to Politico .
`` You created the law , we 're going to ballot harvest . ''
Fresno County Republican Chairman Fred Vanderhoof , who installed a dozen collection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an `` Authorized Secure Ballot Drop , '' claimed to GVWire that a 2016 ballot harvesting law passed by Democrats allowed the party to install drop boxes falsely marked as `` official . ''
`` We are doing nothing illegal , '' he insisted .
`` The whole ballot harvesting law is purposely designed very loosely so the Democrats can cheat , which they are doing in large numbers .
They can do ballot harvesting , but we ca n't .
That 's what they 're saying , so they 're hypocritical .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsely-marked collection boxes were allowed under the law permitting ballot harvesting , which permits a third-party to submit ballots on voters ' behalf .
The offices of the attorney general and secretary of state said in a cease-and-desist order to the GOP that the law required `` persons to whom a voter entrusts their ballot to return to county election officials provide their name , signature and relationship to the voter . ''
Becerra and Padilla also argued during a Monday conference call that the boxes were `` illegal , '' because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be `` official . ''
The boxes lack the security requirements mandated for official collection boxes installed by election officials , they added .
`` We hope that the message goes out loud and clear to anyone who is trying to improperly solicit , obtain and manage a citizen 's vote that they are subject to prosecution , '' Becerra said .
`` I 'm trying to be careful with how I say this , but the reports we are hearing are disturbing . ''
Some voters were stunned when they discovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unofficial collection box marked an `` Official Ballot Drop Box . ''
California GOP spokesman Hector Barajas told The New York Times that Republicans would continue to operate the boxes and not label them to make it clear that they were set up by the party rather than `` official '' drop boxes set up by the state .
Becerra and Padilla said they would consider legal action if the party fails to comply by their Oct. 15 deadline .
`` Anyone who knowingly engages with the tampering or misuse of the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` If they refuse to comply , '' Padilla added , `` we 'll of course entertain all of our legal options . ''

President Donald Trump urged California Republicans to defy a state order to remove fake "official" ballot drop boxes after numerous top officials called them "illegal."
State Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Secretary of State Alex Padilla on Monday issued an order to the California GOP and three county chapters requiring the removal of unofficial ballot drop boxes erected in front of locations like gyms, gun stores and churches that were falsely marked "official."
Trump, however, urged the party to fight the order in court.
"You mean only Democrats are allowed to do this? But haven't the Dems been doing this for years?" the president tweeted, drawing a dubious comparison between the boxes and the legal "ballot harvesting" efforts by Democrats that have drawn his ire. "See you in court. Fight hard Republicans!"
Trump's call came after Becerra, Padilla and Gov. Gavin Newsom, all Democrats, labeled the Republican effort "illegal."
"Nothing reeks of desperation quite like the Republican Party organization these days -- willing to lie, cheat, and threaten our democracy all for the sake of gaining power," Newsom tweeted. "These unofficial drop boxes aren't just misleading, they are illegal."
Trump's comments also came after the California Republican Party already vowed to defy Monday's order.
"Screw you!" Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said in response to Newsom's tweet, according to Politico. "You created the law, we're going to ballot harvest."
Fresno County Republican Chairman Fred Vanderhoof, who installed a dozen collection boxes, including one which was labeled an "Authorized Secure Ballot Drop," claimed to GVWire that a 2016 ballot harvesting law passed by Democrats allowed the party to install drop boxes falsely marked as "official."
"We are doing nothing illegal," he insisted. "The whole ballot harvesting law is purposely designed very loosely so the Democrats can cheat, which they are doing in large numbers. They can do ballot harvesting, but we can't. That's what they're saying, so they're hypocritical."
State officials rejected Republican claims that falsely-marked collection boxes were allowed under the law permitting ballot harvesting, which permits a third-party to submit ballots on voters' behalf.
The offices of the attorney general and secretary of state said in a cease-and-desist order to the GOP that the law required "persons to whom a voter entrusts their ballot to return to county election officials provide their name, signature and relationship to the voter."
Becerra and Padilla also argued during a Monday conference call that the boxes were "illegal," because they were designed to trick voters by claiming to be "official." The boxes lack the security requirements mandated for official collection boxes installed by election officials, they added.
"We hope that the message goes out loud and clear to anyone who is trying to improperly solicit, obtain and manage a citizen's vote that they are subject to prosecution," Becerra said. "I'm trying to be careful with how I say this, but the reports we are hearing are disturbing."
Some voters were stunned when they discovered they had tossed their ballots into an unofficial collection box marked an "Official Ballot Drop Box."
California GOP spokesman Hector Barajas told The New York Times that Republicans would continue to operate the boxes and not label them to make it clear that they were set up by the party rather than "official" drop boxes set up by the state.
Becerra and Padilla said they would consider legal action if the party fails to comply by their Oct. 15 deadline.
"Anyone who knowingly engages with the tampering or misuse of the vote is subject to prosecution," Becerra said.
"If they refuse to comply," Padilla added, "we'll of course entertain all of our legal options."


alternet--2020-10-15--Amy Coney Barrett is even more 'extreme' on gun rights than her Republican defenders in the Senate

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett argued in a dissent last year that felons should be allowed to own guns , a position Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee long opposed before defending President Donald Trump 's nominee to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the bench .
Barrett , who was appointed to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals by Trump , broke with two fellow Republican-appointed judges with more than 70 years of experience and Attorney General Bill Barr 's Department of Justice to defend gun rights for felon , according to The Washington Post .
The case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Rickey Kanter , a Wisconsin businessman who pleaded guilty to mail fraud .
Kanter sued the Justice Department and the state of Wisconsin after completing his sentence , because federal and state laws prohibit felons from purchasing firearms .
A district court rejected Kanter 's claims in January 2018 , and a three-judge Seventh Circuit panel upheld the ruling 2-1 .
Barrett cast the lone dissenting opinion .
`` She is extreme on this issue , '' Sen. Richard Blumenthal , D-Conn. , a member of the committee , told The Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than her mentor Scalia did in striking down common sense measures . ''
Barrett argued in a 38-page opinion that the Founders did not intend to deny gun rights to all felons — only those who may be considered dangerous .
`` Neither Wisconsin nor the United States has introduced data sufficient to show that disarming all nonviolent felons substantially advances its interest in keeping the public safe , '' she wrote .
`` Nor have they otherwise demonstrated that Kanter himself shows a proclivity for violence .
Absent evidence that he either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual markers of risk , permanently disqualifying Kanter from possessing a gun violates the Second Amendment . ''
History showed felons `` could be disqualified from certain rights , '' such as voting or jury duty , but gun ownership is an individual right which can only be suspended if a person is deemed dangerous , Barrett argued .
Barrett cited her mentor Justice Antonin Scalia 's opinion in the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller case , which established a national right to gun ownership .
It said , `` Nothing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill. '' '' The constitutionality of felon dispossession was not before the court in Heller , and because it explicitly deferred analysis of this issue , the scope of its assertion is unclear , '' Barrett wrote .
The majority disagreed , and The Post noted that Barrett 's opinion was `` at odds with nearly all other federal appeals court decisions on the issue . ''
Her position was also at odds with many Republicans on the Judiciary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Day .
Chairman Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , said in 2018 that the Second Amendment was `` not an unlimited right , '' noting that `` if you 're a convicted felon , you ca n't own a gun . ''
`` I think that most Second Amendment people like me understand there 's a balance here , '' he told the Greenville News .
`` One bullet in the hand of a mentally unstable person or a convicted felon is one too many , '' Graham argued during a Judiciary hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed that a `` convicted felon '' should not be able to own a gun .
Sen. Chuck Grassley , R-Iowa , and Sen. Ted Cruz , R-Texas , sponsored legislation that would create a task force to `` prosecute felons and fugitives who try to get guns . ''
Cruz last year urged the committee to pass the bill , which he said `` targets resources on bad guys , on felons and fugitives that would have audited every federal agency to make sure that those felonies are reported to the background @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , R-Texas , also sponsored the Fix NICS Act , which he said aimed to ensure that `` convicted felons do n't exploit our background check system by 'lying and buying . '
'' Sen. Thom Tillis , R-N.C. , called on Congress in 2016 to address `` how to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists , out of felons . ''
Sen. Josh Hawley , R-Mo.
, who previously served as Missouri 's attorney general , filed a brief in a 2017 appeal that said `` the Second Amendment does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to possess firearms . ''
Barrett defended her opinion when pressed on the issue by Sen. Dick Durbin , D-Ill. , during her confirmation hearing on Tuesday .
`` I think we could all agree that we ought to be careful of saying that because someone 's a felon , they lose any of their individual rights , '' she said .
Durbin argued that she had `` ignored '' evidence showing that non-violent offenders were more likely to engage in illegal gun use than non-felons .
`` I did n't ignore it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I recall , that evidence and the studies were unclear . ''
Durbin went on to note that Barrett argued that gun rights were an individual right , while voting is a civic right .
`` So you 're saying that a felony should not disqualify Rickey from buying an AK-47 , but using a felony conviction someone 's past to deny them the right to vote is all right ? ''
he asked .
`` What I said was that the Constitution contemplates that states have the freedom to deprive felons of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replied .
`` It 's expressed in the constitutional text .
But I expressed no view on whether that was a good idea — whether states should do that .
And I did n't explore in that opinion , because it was completely irrelevant to it what limits , if any , there might be on a state 's ability to curtail felon voting rights . ''
`` Well , I will just tell you that the conclusion of this is hard to swallow , '' Durbin said .
`` The notion that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did , should not be even slowed down when he 's on his way to buy a firearm .
My goodness , it 's just a felony .
It 's not a violent felony that he 'd committed .
And then to turn around on the other hand and say , 'Well , but when it comes to taking away a person 's right to vote , that 's the civic duty . '
'' Durbin went on to rebuke the Republicans on the committee who had criticized Democrats for wanting `` activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at this case , the notion of what disqualifies you from buying a firearm was being rewritten by the dissenting judge and saying , 'When we say felony , we just mean violent felony , ' '' he said .
Gun control activists have expressed alarm as Barrett 's nomination appears poised to cement a new 6-3 conservative majority court .
`` There 's a whole host of public safety bills and laws that we 've had in effect for a quarter century — including the Brady background check system — that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court , '' Kris Brown , the president of Brady United Against Gun Violence , told NPR .
`` Make no mistake , '' John Feinblatt , the president of Everytown for Gun Safety , told Mother Jones .
`` Amy Coney Barrett is a gun rights extremist who has no place on the Supreme Court . ''

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett argued in a dissent last year that felons should be allowed to own guns, a position Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee long opposed before defending President Donald Trump's nominee to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the bench.
Barrett, who was appointed to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals by Trump, broke with two fellow Republican-appointed judges with more than 70 years of experience and Attorney General Bill Barr's Department of Justice to defend gun rights for felon, according to The Washington Post.
The case, Kanter v. Barr, was brought by Rickey Kanter, a Wisconsin businessman who pleaded guilty to mail fraud. Kanter sued the Justice Department and the state of Wisconsin after completing his sentence, because federal and state laws prohibit felons from purchasing firearms.
A district court rejected Kanter's claims in January 2018, and a three-judge Seventh Circuit panel upheld the ruling 2-1. Barrett cast the lone dissenting opinion.
"She is extreme on this issue," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the committee, told The Post. "She would go much farther than her mentor Scalia did in striking down common sense measures."
Barrett argued in a 38-page opinion that the Founders did not intend to deny gun rights to all felons — only those who may be considered dangerous.
"Neither Wisconsin nor the United States has introduced data sufficient to show that disarming all nonviolent felons substantially advances its interest in keeping the public safe," she wrote. "Nor have they otherwise demonstrated that Kanter himself shows a proclivity for violence. Absent evidence that he either belongs to a dangerous category or bears individual markers of risk, permanently disqualifying Kanter from possessing a gun violates the Second Amendment."
History showed felons "could be disqualified from certain rights," such as voting or jury duty, but gun ownership is an individual right which can only be suspended if a person is deemed dangerous, Barrett argued.
Barrett cited her mentor Justice Antonin Scalia's opinion in the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller case, which established a national right to gun ownership. It said, "Nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill."
"The constitutionality of felon dispossession was not before the court in Heller, and because it explicitly deferred analysis of this issue, the scope of its assertion is unclear," Barrett wrote.
The majority disagreed, and The Post noted that Barrett's opinion was "at odds with nearly all other federal appeals court decisions on the issue."
Her position was also at odds with many Republicans on the Judiciary Committee eager to confirm her ahead of Election Day.
Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in 2018 that the Second Amendment was "not an unlimited right," noting that "if you're a convicted felon, you can't own a gun."
"I think that most Second Amendment people like me understand there's a balance here," he told the Greenville News.
"One bullet in the hand of a mentally unstable person or a convicted felon is one too many," Graham argued during a Judiciary hearing in 2013 where NRA chief Wayne LaPierre agreed that a "convicted felon" should not be able to own a gun.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, sponsored legislation that would create a task force to "prosecute felons and fugitives who try to get guns."
Cruz last year urged the committee to pass the bill, which he said "targets resources on bad guys, on felons and fugitives that would have audited every federal agency to make sure that those felonies are reported to the background check database."
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, also sponsored the Fix NICS Act, which he said aimed to ensure that "convicted felons don't exploit our background check system by 'lying and buying.'"
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called on Congress in 2016 to address "how to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, out of felons."
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who previously served as Missouri's attorney general, filed a brief in a 2017 appeal that said "the Second Amendment does not protect the right of convicted felons to possess firearms."
Barrett defended her opinion when pressed on the issue by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., during her confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
"I think we could all agree that we ought to be careful of saying that because someone's a felon, they lose any of their individual rights," she said.
Durbin argued that she had "ignored" evidence showing that non-violent offenders were more likely to engage in illegal gun use than non-felons.
"I didn't ignore it," Barrett replied. "As I recall, that evidence and the studies were unclear."
Durbin went on to note that Barrett argued that gun rights were an individual right, while voting is a civic right.
"So you're saying that a felony should not disqualify Rickey from buying an AK-47, but using a felony conviction someone's past to deny them the right to vote is all right?" he asked.
"What I said was that the Constitution contemplates that states have the freedom to deprive felons of the right to vote," Barrett replied. "It's expressed in the constitutional text. But I expressed no view on whether that was a good idea — whether states should do that. And I didn't explore in that opinion, because it was completely irrelevant to it what limits, if any, there might be on a state's ability to curtail felon voting rights."
"Well, I will just tell you that the conclusion of this is hard to swallow," Durbin said. "The notion that Mr. Kanter, after all that he did, should not be even slowed down when he's on his way to buy a firearm. My goodness, it's just a felony. It's not a violent felony that he'd committed. And then to turn around on the other hand and say, 'Well, but when it comes to taking away a person's right to vote, that's the civic duty.'"
Durbin went on to rebuke the Republicans on the committee who had criticized Democrats for wanting "activist judges."
"Yet when we look at this case, the notion of what disqualifies you from buying a firearm was being rewritten by the dissenting judge and saying, 'When we say felony, we just mean violent felony,'" he said.
WATCH: Sen. Dick Durbin questions Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett youtu.be
Gun control activists have expressed alarm as Barrett's nomination appears poised to cement a new 6-3 conservative majority court.
"There's a whole host of public safety bills and laws that we've had in effect for a quarter century — including the Brady background check system — that we are concerned about with her on the court," Kris Brown, the president of Brady United Against Gun Violence, told NPR.
"Make no mistake," John Feinblatt, the president of Everytown for Gun Safety, told Mother Jones. "Amy Coney Barrett is a gun rights extremist who has no place on the Supreme Court."


alternet--2020-10-15--Experts dismiss 'garbage' Hunter Biden exposé in NY Post: 'Seems like a complete fabrication'

The Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post published a series of stories on Tuesday surrounding alleged emails between Hunter Biden and officials connected with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma , which the outlet obtained from a source who met multiple times over the last year with an individual whom the U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned as an active agent of Russia .
The Post , which published the unverified emails on Wednesday , reported that the information came from Rudy Giuliani .
The former LifeLock spokesperson attempted to distance himself from Andrii Derkach last month after the Treasury Department accused the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and running a `` covert influence campaign '' directed at the 2020 U.S. presidential election since late 2019 .
Giuliani met with Derkach in late 2019 .
He interviewed the Ukrainian parliamentarian , in his role as President Donald Trump 's personal attorney , on a trip aimed at digging up dirt on Joe Biden .
The former vice president was then viewed as the Democratic frontrunner for the presidential nomination ; he is now the party 's official nominee .
On that trip , Derkach and Giuliani discussed the much-debunked allegations about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on One America News Network ( OAN ) .
Giuliani also broadcast an interview with Derkach on his personal podcast a few months later .
Derkach worked in the interests of the Russian government to inject `` false and unsubstantiated narratives concerning U.S. officials in the upcoming 2020 presidential election '' into the U.S. media through interviews , press conferences and other statements , according to the Treasury Department .
His efforts include releasing edited audiotapes purporting to document improprieties by Joe Biden in his dealings as vice president with the Ukrainian government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key role in a roundly discredited report recently released by the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee .
The authenticity of the alleged emails published by The Post has not been independently verified .
Accusations of corruption against the Bidens have been repeatedly debunked by journalists .
Twitter later blocked sharing of the story after a number of journalists pointed out key falsehoods and holes in the narrative about the information 's authenticity and provenance .
That afternoon , the computer repair store owner who claimed to have first come across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contradictory versions of his own narrative in what journalists described as a `` bizarre '' and meandering interview .
`` At least in 2016 , Trump 's allies pushed powerful disinformation , '' national security attorney Bradley Moss told Salon .
`` These last-ditch efforts barely qualify as trying anymore . ''
Moss added that several serious questions surround the chain of custody of the emails .
`` It 's a garbage fire story with obscene numbers of legal holes and flaws , '' he said .
The emails came to The Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Trump campaign strategist now indicted on federal money laundering and obstruction charges , who told the outlet that they had been in Giuliani 's possession .
Bannon recently appeared in the background of a photograph of Giuliani .
Giuliani told The Post that the emails came from a copy of a hard drive passed to him through his lawyer , Robert Costello , from John Paul Mac Isaac , the owner of a computer repair store in Wilmington , Del.
, who had notified Giuliani at an unspecified date — allegedly out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later told reporters .
( Costello has been representing Giuliani in a federal investigation into the former mayor 's business dealings abroad , which reportedly includes his work in Ukraine . )
Isaac , who according to a social media post apparently voted for Trump in 2016 , allegedly copied the hard drive from a MacBook laptop , which he claims was dropped off at his shop for repair in April 2019 by someone who called himself Hunter Biden .
In his Wednesday interview with reporters , Isaac claimed that a medical condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person who dropped off the laptop , adding that he believed the computer was Biden 's because it bore a sticker related to the Beau Biden Foundation .
The Biden family named the charity group , which focuses on child abuse , after Joe Biden 's son who died of a brain tumor in 2015 .
The person calling himself Hunter Biden handed over three laptops for repair , Isaac alleged .
The hard drive also contained alleged photos of Hunter Biden , including with drug paraphernalia .
`` The computer repair shop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposed that individual to civil and criminal liability under state and federal computer privacy laws , '' Moss told Salon .
`` However , Rudy 's legal situation for receiving stolen property is less clear .
And if he is n't criminally liable for receipt , his dissemination of the material does n't change the equation .
That would be like charging Glenn Greenwald for publishing Edward Snowden 's documents . ''
One of the multiple stories on the subject published Wednesday by The Post included a photo of what the shop owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invoice — which The Post printed without blurring contact information that a search by Salon subsequently linked to Hunter Biden — was dated April 19 , 2019 .
If Hunter Biden had indeed dropped off the computer , it would have been in the same month in which he stepped down from his position on Burisma 's board of directors and his father announced his candidacy for president .
It would have also been the same month in which some outlets in the U.S. press began publishing Giuliani 's allegations of corruption .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had never again inquired about the computer containing his alleged emails .
`` It seems like a complete fabrication , '' former U.S. Attorney and national security law expert Barb McQuade told Salon .
`` What are the chances that an anonymous person abandons a laptop that contains evidence about the very same conspiracy theory that Trump and Giuliani have been pursuing for more than a year ?
The subpoena is meaningless , because it has no tie whatsoever to Hunter Biden on its face .
This seems like a desperate effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news . ''
At the time of the alleged laptop dropoff , Giuliani and his associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman had significantly ramped up their their months-long cooperative effort to dig up dirt regarding the Bidens and Ukraine .
Parnas and Fruman were later arrested at Dulles International Airport outside of Washington as they waited to board an overseas flight .
Those arrests were on unrelated campaign finance charges , but they came only one day after the duo met Giuliani for drinks as impeachment hearings were heating up in Congress .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ expanded to Giuliani , who was later reportedly the subject of subpoenas from federal investigators in the Southern District of New York .
A lawyer for Parnas told Salon that he would be making arguments in federal court later this month .
It is unclear what became of Giuliani 's role in the case .
Neither Parnas ' lawyer , Giuilani nor Isaac responded to Salon 's requests for comment .
The story , which comes as an `` October surprise '' while voting is underway nationwide in the weeks before Election Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the end of the 2016 election cycle : Emails pulled from a laptop confiscated by the FBI upended former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton 's campaign in the final days leading up to the election .
At the time , Giuliani — a former assistant U.S. attorney who maintains ties to federal law enforcement — told Fox News that he knew about a major revelation a few days in advance of former FBI director James Comey 's stunning announcement that the FBI would investigate the emails .
`` I do think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally are beginning to have an impact , '' Giuliani said .
`` He 's got a surprise or two that you 're going to hear about in the next two days . ''
On another program later , he repeated the suggestion : `` I mean , I 'm talking about some pretty big surprises . ''
After Comey 's announcement , Giuliani again took to Fox News , this time to boast .
`` I had expected this for the last — honestly , tell you the truth , I thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , four weeks ago , '' he said .
`` Because back — way back in July this started .
So , this has been boiling up . ''
`` I did nothing to get it out .
I had no role in it , '' he added .
`` Did I hear about it ?
You 're darn right I heard about it , and I ca n't even repeat the language that I heard . ''

The Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post published a series of stories on Tuesday surrounding alleged emails between Hunter Biden and officials connected with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, which the outlet obtained from a source who met multiple times over the last year with an individual whom the U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned as an active agent of Russia.
The Post, which published the unverified emails on Wednesday, reported that the information came from Rudy Giuliani. The former LifeLock spokesperson attempted to distance himself from Andrii Derkach last month after the Treasury Department accused the Ukrainian lawmaker of being a Russian agent and running a "covert influence campaign" directed at the 2020 U.S. presidential election since late 2019.
Giuliani met with Derkach in late 2019. He interviewed the Ukrainian parliamentarian, in his role as President Donald Trump's personal attorney, on a trip aimed at digging up dirt on Joe Biden. The former vice president was then viewed as the Democratic frontrunner for the presidential nomination; he is now the party's official nominee.
On that trip, Derkach and Giuliani discussed the much-debunked allegations about Biden in a segment which later aired on One America News Network (OAN). Giuliani also broadcast an interview with Derkach on his personal podcast a few months later.
Derkach worked in the interests of the Russian government to inject "false and unsubstantiated narratives concerning U.S. officials in the upcoming 2020 presidential election" into the U.S. media through interviews, press conferences and other statements, according to the Treasury Department.
His efforts include releasing edited audiotapes purporting to document improprieties by Joe Biden in his dealings as vice president with the Ukrainian government. Derkach's disinformation also played a key role in a roundly discredited report recently released by the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.
The authenticity of the alleged emails published by The Post has not been independently verified. Accusations of corruption against the Bidens have been repeatedly debunked by journalists.
Twitter later blocked sharing of the story after a number of journalists pointed out key falsehoods and holes in the narrative about the information's authenticity and provenance. That afternoon, the computer repair store owner who claimed to have first come across the alleged emails offered a number of contradictory versions of his own narrative in what journalists described as a "bizarre" and meandering interview.
"At least in 2016, Trump's allies pushed powerful disinformation," national security attorney Bradley Moss told Salon. "These last-ditch efforts barely qualify as trying anymore."
Moss added that several serious questions surround the chain of custody of the emails.
"It's a garbage fire story with obscene numbers of legal holes and flaws," he said.
The emails came to The Post's attention through Steve Bannon, the former Trump campaign strategist now indicted on federal money laundering and obstruction charges, who told the outlet that they had been in Giuliani's possession.
Bannon recently appeared in the background of a photograph of Giuliani.
Giuliani told The Post that the emails came from a copy of a hard drive passed to him through his lawyer, Robert Costello, from John Paul Mac Isaac, the owner of a computer repair store in Wilmington, Del., who had notified Giuliani at an unspecified date — allegedly out of fear for his safety, Isaac later told reporters. (Costello has been representing Giuliani in a federal investigation into the former mayor's business dealings abroad, which reportedly includes his work in Ukraine.)
Isaac, who according to a social media post apparently voted for Trump in 2016, allegedly copied the hard drive from a MacBook laptop, which he claims was dropped off at his shop for repair in April 2019 by someone who called himself Hunter Biden.
In his Wednesday interview with reporters, Isaac claimed that a medical condition had prevented him from actually seeing the person who dropped off the laptop, adding that he believed the computer was Biden's because it bore a sticker related to the Beau Biden Foundation. The Biden family named the charity group, which focuses on child abuse, after Joe Biden's son who died of a brain tumor in 2015. The person calling himself Hunter Biden handed over three laptops for repair, Isaac alleged.
The hard drive also contained alleged photos of Hunter Biden, including with drug paraphernalia.
"The computer repair shop giving the hard drive to Giuliani likely exposed that individual to civil and criminal liability under state and federal computer privacy laws," Moss told Salon. "However, Rudy's legal situation for receiving stolen property is less clear. And if he isn't criminally liable for receipt, his dissemination of the material doesn't change the equation. That would be like charging Glenn Greenwald for publishing Edward Snowden's documents."
One of the multiple stories on the subject published Wednesday by The Post included a photo of what the shop owner claimed was a repair ticket. That invoice — which The Post printed without blurring contact information that a search by Salon subsequently linked to Hunter Biden — was dated April 19, 2019.
If Hunter Biden had indeed dropped off the computer, it would have been in the same month in which he stepped down from his position on Burisma's board of directors and his father announced his candidacy for president. It would have also been the same month in which some outlets in the U.S. press began publishing Giuliani's allegations of corruption.
The store owner claims that Hunter Biden had never again inquired about the computer containing his alleged emails.
"It seems like a complete fabrication," former U.S. Attorney and national security law expert Barb McQuade told Salon. "What are the chances that an anonymous person abandons a laptop that contains evidence about the very same conspiracy theory that Trump and Giuliani have been pursuing for more than a year? The subpoena is meaningless, because it has no tie whatsoever to Hunter Biden on its face. This seems like a desperate effort to get this talking point back in the news."
At the time of the alleged laptop dropoff, Giuliani and his associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman had significantly ramped up their their months-long cooperative effort to dig up dirt regarding the Bidens and Ukraine.
Parnas and Fruman were later arrested at Dulles International Airport outside of Washington as they waited to board an overseas flight. Those arrests were on unrelated campaign finance charges, but they came only one day after the duo met Giuliani for drinks as impeachment hearings were heating up in Congress.
The investigation into Parnas and Fruman soon expanded to Giuliani, who was later reportedly the subject of subpoenas from federal investigators in the Southern District of New York. A lawyer for Parnas told Salon that he would be making arguments in federal court later this month. It is unclear what became of Giuliani's role in the case.
Neither Parnas' lawyer, Giuilani nor Isaac responded to Salon's requests for comment.
The story, which comes as an "October surprise" while voting is underway nationwide in the weeks before Election Day, recalls memories of the bombshell news from the end of the 2016 election cycle: Emails pulled from a laptop confiscated by the FBI upended former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign in the final days leading up to the election.
At the time, Giuliani — a former assistant U.S. attorney who maintains ties to federal law enforcement — told Fox News that he knew about a major revelation a few days in advance of former FBI director James Comey's stunning announcement that the FBI would investigate the emails.
"I do think that all of these revelations about Hillary Clinton finally are beginning to have an impact," Giuliani said. "He's got a surprise or two that you're going to hear about in the next two days."
On another program later, he repeated the suggestion: "I mean, I'm talking about some pretty big surprises."
After Comey's announcement, Giuliani again took to Fox News, this time to boast.
"I had expected this for the last — honestly, tell you the truth, I thought it was going to be about three, four weeks ago," he said. "Because back — way back in July this started. So, this has been boiling up."
"I did nothing to get it out. I had no role in it," he added. "Did I hear about it? You're darn right I heard about it, and I can't even repeat the language that I heard."


alternet--2020-10-15--Nearly 5.2 Million Americans will be disenfranchised in 2020 election due to felony convictions: Stu

Nearly 5.2 Million Americans will be disenfranchised in 2020 election due to felony convictions: Study

Despite reforms in many states aimed at restoring ex-felons ' voting rights , an estimated 5.2 million Americans will remain disenfranchised and unable to vote in the 2020 elections , according to a study released Wednesday by The Sentencing Project .
According to the new report released by The Sentencing Project—titled `` Locked Out 2020 '' ( pdf ) —one out of every 44 U.S. adults is disenfranchised due to current or previous felony convictions .
The rate of disenfranchisement is highest in Southern states , the analysis found , where ballot restrictions enacted during the Jim Crow era in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and holding office remain in effect .
• In 2020 , an estimated 5.17 million people are disenfranchised due to a felony conviction , representing a 15 % decline since 2016 due to states enacting measures to restore voting rights .
There were an estimated 1.17 million people disenfranchised in 1976 , 3.34 million in 1996 , 5.85 million in 2010 , and 6.11 million in 2016 .
• One in 16 Black Americans of voting age is disenfranchised , a rate 3.7 times greater than that of non-Blacks .
Over 6.2 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , compared to 1.7 % of the non-Black population .
• An estimated 560,000 Latinx Americans , or over 2 % of the voting eligible population , are disenfranchised .
• Approximately 1.2 million women are disenfranchised , comprising over 20 % of the total disenfranchised population .
The study found significant variations in disenfranchisement rates due to disparate state laws .
In three states—Alabama , Mississippi , and Tennessee—more than 8 % of the adult population , or one of every 13 people , has had their right to vote taken away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In seven states—Alabama , Florida , Kentucky , Mississippi , Tennessee , Virginia , and Wyoming—more than one in seven Black Americans is barred from the ballot box , twice the national average .
Only two states , Maine and Vermont , allow currently incarcerated felons to vote .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) said last year that people behind bars `` paying their price to society '' should not be `` denied their inherent American right to participate in our democracy . ''
Sanders was widely rebuked , including by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , other democracies around the world—including Canada , Croatia , the Czech Republic , Denmark , Finland , Ireland , Latvia , Lithuania , Macedonia , Serbia , Slovenia , Spain , South Africa , Sweden , Switzerland , and Ukraine—allow convicted felons to vote , even while they are incarcerated .
The study noted a trend toward restoring former felons ' voting rights—over the past 25 years , half of the states have reformed their laws to expand ballot access to include people with felony convictions .
However , setbacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these gains .
In Florida , for example , nearly 900,000 people who have completed their sentences remain unable to vote despite the passage of a 2018 referendum that restored their voting rights .
The following year , Republicans undermined this historic reform by passing a law—later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court—requiring former felons to pay all their outstanding court fees in order to regain the right to vote .
`` The bedrock of any democracy is the right to vote , '' said Amy Fettig , executive director of The Sentencing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study .
`` Laws that exclude people from voting have destabilized communities and families in America for decades by denying them a voice in determining their futures .
Voting is a vital responsibility of citizenship that must be encouraged and defended . ''

Despite reforms in many states aimed at restoring ex-felons' voting rights, an estimated 5.2 million Americans will remain disenfranchised and unable to vote in the 2020 elections, according to a study released Wednesday by The Sentencing Project.
According to the new report released by The Sentencing Project—titled "Locked Out 2020" (pdf)—one out of every 44 U.S. adults is disenfranchised due to current or previous felony convictions. The rate of disenfranchisement is highest in Southern states, the analysis found, where ballot restrictions enacted during the Jim Crow era in order to prevent Black men from voting and holding office remain in effect.
Key findings from the study include:
In 2020, an estimated 5.17 million people are disenfranchised due to a felony conviction, representing a 15% decline since 2016 due to states enacting measures to restore voting rights. There were an estimated 1.17 million people disenfranchised in 1976, 3.34 million in 1996, 5.85 million in 2010, and 6.11 million in 2016.
One in 16 Black Americans of voting age is disenfranchised, a rate 3.7 times greater than that of non-Blacks. Over 6.2% of the adult Black population is disenfranchised, compared to 1.7% of the non-Black population.
An estimated 560,000 Latinx Americans, or over 2% of the voting eligible population, are disenfranchised.
Approximately 1.2 million women are disenfranchised, comprising over 20% of the total disenfranchised population.
The study found significant variations in disenfranchisement rates due to disparate state laws. In three states—Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee—more than 8% of the adult population, or one of every 13 people, has had their right to vote taken away.
Black disenfranchisement rates also vary considerably. In seven states—Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wyoming—more than one in seven Black Americans is barred from the ballot box, twice the national average.
Only two states, Maine and Vermont, allow currently incarcerated felons to vote. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said last year that people behind bars "paying their price to society" should not be "denied their inherent American right to participate in our democracy."
Sanders was widely rebuked, including by many U.S. liberals, for his assertion. However, other democracies around the world—including Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine—allow convicted felons to vote, even while they are incarcerated.
The study noted a trend toward restoring former felons' voting rights—over the past 25 years, half of the states have reformed their laws to expand ballot access to include people with felony convictions. However, setbacks in some states have reversed some of these gains.
In Florida, for example, nearly 900,000 people who have completed their sentences remain unable to vote despite the passage of a 2018 referendum that restored their voting rights. The following year, Republicans undermined this historic reform by passing a law—later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court—requiring former felons to pay all their outstanding court fees in order to regain the right to vote.
"The bedrock of any democracy is the right to vote," said Amy Fettig, executive director of The Sentencing Project, in a statement introducing the study. "Laws that exclude people from voting have destabilized communities and families in America for decades by denying them a voice in determining their futures. Voting is a vital responsibility of citizenship that must be encouraged and defended."


alternet--2020-10-15--Here's the sad truth about how pandemics end

When will the pandemic end ?
All these months in , with over 37 million COVID-19 cases and more than 1 million deaths globally , you may be wondering , with increasing exasperation , how long this will continue .
Since the beginning of the pandemic , epidemiologists and public health specialists have been using mathematical models to forecast the future in an effort to curb the coronvirus 's spread .
But infectious disease modeling is tricky .
Epidemiologists warn that “ [ m ] odels are not crystal balls , '' and even sophisticated versions , like those that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ca n't necessarily reveal when the pandemic will end or how many people will die .
As a historian who studies disease and public health , I suggest that instead of looking forward for clues , you can look back to see what brought past outbreaks to a close – or did n't .
Where we are now in the course of the pandemic In the early days of the pandemic , many people hoped the coronavirus would simply fade away .
Some argued that it would disappear on its own with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunity would kick in once enough people had been infected .
But none of that has happened .
A combination of public health efforts to contain and mitigate the pandemic – from rigorous testing and contact tracing to social distancing and wearing masks – have been proven to help .
Given that the virus has spread almost everywhere in the world , though , such measures alone ca n't bring the pandemic to an end .
All eyes are now turned to vaccine development , which is being pursued at unprecedented speed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a successful vaccine and effective treatment , COVID-19 may never go away .
Even if the pandemic is curbed in one part of the world , it will likely continue in other places , causing infections elsewhere .
And even if it is no longer an immediate pandemic-level threat , the coronavirus will likely become endemic – meaning slow , sustained transmission will persist .
The coronavirus will continue to cause smaller outbreaks , much like seasonal flu .
The history of pandemics is full of such frustrating examples .
Whether bacterial , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathogen that has affected people over the last several thousand years is still with us , because it is nearly impossible to fully eradicate them .
The only disease that has been eradicated through vaccination is smallpox .
Mass vaccination campaigns led by the World Health Organization in the 1960s and 1970s were successful , and in 1980 , smallpox was declared the first – and still , the only – human disease to be fully eradicated .
So success stories like smallpox are exceptional .
It is rather the rule that diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , pathogens like malaria .
Transmitted via parasite , it 's almost as old as humanity and still exacts a heavy disease burden today : There were about 228 million malaria cases and 405,000 deaths worldwide in 2018 .
Since 1955 , global programs to eradicate malaria , assisted by the use of DDT and chloroquine , brought some success , but the disease is still endemic in many countries of the Global South .
Similarly , diseases such as tuberculosis , leprosy and measles have been with us for several millennia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eradication is still not in sight .
Add to this mix relatively younger pathogens , such as HIV and Ebola virus , along with influenza and coronaviruses including SARS , MERS and SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 , and the overall epidemiological picture becomes clear .
Research on the global burden of disease finds that annual mortality caused by infectious diseases – most of which occurs in the developing world – is nearly one-third of all deaths globally .
Today , in an age of global air travel , climate change and ecological disturbances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat of emerging infectious diseases while continuing to suffer from much older diseases that remain alive and well .
Once added to the repertoire of pathogens that affect human societies , most infectious diseases are here to stay .
Plague caused past pandemics – and still pops up Even infections that now have effective vaccines and treatments continue to take lives .
Perhaps no disease can help illustrate this point better than plague , the single most deadly infectious disease in human history .
Its name continues to be synonymous with horror even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bacterium Yersinia pestis .
There have been countless local outbreaks and at least three documented plague pandemics over the last 5,000 years , killing hundreds of millions of people .
The most notorious of all pandemics was the Black Death of the mid-14th century .
Yet the Black Death was far from being an isolated outburst .
Plague returned every decade or even more frequently , each time hitting already weakened societies and taking its toll during at least six centuries .
Even before the sanitary revolution of the 19th century , each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of months and sometimes years as a result of changes in temperature , humidity and the availability of hosts , vectors and a sufficient number of susceptible individuals .
Some societies recovered relatively quickly from their losses caused by the Black Death .
Others never did .
For example , medieval Egypt could not fully recover from the lingering effects of the pandemic , which particularly devastated its agricultural sector .
The cumulative effects of declining populations became impossible to recoup .
It led to the gradual decline of the Mamluk Sultanate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than two centuries .
That very same state-wrecking plague bacterium remains with us even today , a reminder of the very long persistence and resilience of pathogens .
Hopefully COVID-19 will not persist for millennia .
But until there 's a successful vaccine , and likely even after , no one is safe .
Politics here are crucial : When vaccination programs are weakened , infections can come roaring back .
Just look at measles and polio , which resurge as soon as vaccination efforts falter .
Given such historical and contemporary precedents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus that causes COVID-19 will prove to be a tractable and eradicable pathogen .
But the history of pandemics teaches us to expect otherwise .
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .

by Nükhet Varlik, University of South Carolina
When will the pandemic end? All these months in, with over 37 million COVID-19 cases and more than 1 million deaths globally, you may be wondering, with increasing exasperation, how long this will continue.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, epidemiologists and public health specialists have been usingmathematicalmodels to forecast the future in an effort to curb the coronvirus's spread. But infectious disease modeling is tricky. Epidemiologists warn that “[m]odels are not crystal balls," and even sophisticated versions, like those that combine forecasts or use machine learning, can't necessarily reveal when the pandemic will end or how many people will die.
As a historian who studies disease and public health, I suggest that instead of looking forward for clues, you can look back to see what brought past outbreaks to a close – or didn't.
Where we are now in the course of the pandemic
In the early days of the pandemic, many people hoped the coronavirus would simply fade away. Some argued that it would disappear on its ownwith the summer heat. Others claimed that herd immunity would kick in once enough people had been infected. But none of that has happened.
A combination of public health efforts to contain and mitigate the pandemic – from rigorous testing and contact tracing to social distancing and wearing masks – have been proven to help. Given that the virus has spread almost everywhere in the world, though, such measures alone can't bring the pandemic to an end. All eyes are now turned to vaccine development, which is being pursued at unprecedented speed.
Yet experts tell us that even with a successful vaccine and effective treatment, COVID-19 may never go away. Even if the pandemic is curbed in one part of the world, it will likely continue in other places, causing infections elsewhere. And even if it is no longer an immediate pandemic-level threat, the coronavirus will likely become endemic – meaning slow, sustained transmission will persist. The coronavirus will continue to cause smaller outbreaks, much like seasonal flu.
The history of pandemics is full of such frustrating examples.
Once they emerge, diseases rarely leave
Whether bacterial, viral or parasitic, virtually every disease pathogen that has affected people over the last several thousand years is still with us, because it is nearly impossible to fully eradicate them.
The only disease that has been eradicated through vaccination is smallpox. Mass vaccination campaigns led by the World Health Organization in the 1960s and 1970s were successful, and in 1980, smallpox was declared the first – and still, the only – human disease to be fully eradicated.
So success stories like smallpox are exceptional. It is rather the rule that diseases come to stay.
Take, for example, pathogens like malaria. Transmitted via parasite, it's almost as old as humanity and still exacts a heavy disease burden today: There were about 228 million malaria cases and 405,000 deaths worldwide in 2018. Since 1955, global programs to eradicate malaria, assisted by the use of DDT and chloroquine, brought some success, but the disease is still endemic in many countries of the Global South.
Similarly, diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy and measles have been with us for several millennia. And despite all efforts, immediate eradication is still not in sight.
Add to this mix relatively younger pathogens, such as HIV and Ebola virus, along with influenza and coronaviruses including SARS, MERS and SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19, and the overall epidemiological picture becomes clear. Research on the global burden of disease finds that annual mortality caused by infectious diseases – most of which occurs in the developing world – is nearly one-third of all deaths globally.
Today, in an age of global air travel, climate change and ecological disturbances, we are constantly exposed to the threat of emerging infectious diseases while continuing to suffer from much older diseases that remain alive and well.
Once added to the repertoire of pathogens that affect human societies, most infectious diseases are here to stay.
Plague caused past pandemics – and still pops up
Even infections that now have effective vaccines and treatments continue to take lives. Perhaps no disease can help illustrate this point better than plague, the single most deadly infectious disease in human history. Its name continues to be synonymous with horror even today.
Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. There have been countless local outbreaks and at least three documented plague pandemics over the last 5,000 years, killing hundreds of millions of people. The most notorious of all pandemics was the Black Death of the mid-14th century.
Yet the Black Death was far from being an isolated outburst. Plague returned every decade or even more frequently, each time hitting already weakened societies and taking its toll during at least six centuries. Even before the sanitary revolution of the 19th century, each outbreak gradually died down over the course of months and sometimes years as a result of changes in temperature, humidity and the availability of hosts, vectors and a sufficient number of susceptible individuals.
Some societies recovered relatively quickly from their losses caused by the Black Death. Others never did. For example, medieval Egypt could not fully recover from the lingering effects of the pandemic, which particularly devastated its agricultural sector. The cumulative effects of declining populations became impossible to recoup. It led to the gradual decline of the Mamluk Sultanate and its conquest by the Ottomans within less than two centuries.
That very same state-wrecking plague bacterium remains with us even today, a reminder of the very long persistence and resilience of pathogens.
Hopefully COVID-19 will not persist for millennia. But until there's a successful vaccine, and likely even after, no one is safe. Politics here are crucial: When vaccination programs are weakened, infections can come roaring back. Just look at measles and polio, which resurge as soon as vaccination efforts falter.
Given such historical and contemporary precedents, humanity can only hope that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 will prove to be a tractable and eradicable pathogen. But the history of pandemics teaches us to expect otherwise.
Nükhet Varlik, Associate Professor of History, University of South Carolina
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.