hotair--2020-08-24--Out: Murder hornets. In: Asian jumping earthworms

Let ’ s just skip past the usual 2020 apocalypse bingo card jokes and get on with the next bizarre infestation reaching our shores .
And like so many other recent stories , this one originated in Asia also , potentially from China .
Many of the earlier threats were of the winged variety , whether they be billions of locusts in Africa ( that will no doubt be showing up in North America any day now ) or the ever-popular Murder Hornets , they all represented terror from the skies , right ?
But how about terror from under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s worms .
Now , I know what you ’ re probably thinking .
How scary can worms be ?
And what sort of threats could they possibly pose ?
Well , for one thing , these worms are half a foot long and they ’ re capable of jumping up into the air .
And no… I ’ m not even making this up .
They ’ ve shown up in western New York State ( the more rural portion ) and biologists are concerned that they may be wiping out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WCPO News ) University at Buffalo earthworm expert Nick Henshue says Amynthas , invasive “ jumping ” earthworms with destructive potential , are appearing in the Western New York area .
The earthworms live in the top few inches of soil , can grow to about the length of a pencil and gobble up fallen leaves that experts say play a vital role in forest ecosystems .
Henshue believes the invasive earthworms may have been transported to the area in part via contaminated mulch .
“ In agricultural systems , earthworms can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area , these jumping worms reduce leaf litter , which is really a protective layer that we rely on to protect and hide seeds and keep the sun off newly germinating plants , ” Henshue said .
So how did these things show up in New York ?
One idea very appropriate to the whole 2020 apocalypse theme immediately popped up from one of my followers when I mentioned this on Twitter earlier today , so I really can ’ t take credit for it .
It would have been one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had really come from the mystery seed packages the Chinese were sending around earlier this summer .
And it ’ s true that some worm , particularly the smaller , more armored ones like mealworms , can go into a dormant state where they roll themselves up and look something like a seed .
But that doesn ’ t seem to be the case here .
Here ’ s a video of a gardener who has to deal with these things in Wisconsin explaining the trouble they cause and showing some of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them “ jumping ” but they are quite active .
Here ’ s a link to another video I won ’ t embed here because it ’ s kind of gross , but a woman has a whole bowl of these worms and she ’ s trying to keep them from getting away .
Again , I ’ m not sure if “ jumping ” is the word I would use , but they do manage to escape rather quickly and easily .
There you have it .
The next disaster looming on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty destructive in terms of ruining the topsoil and driving out native plants and insects .
But that ’ s the nature of invasive species .
These things don ’ t belong here , they probably don ’ t have many natural predators , and they quickly take over the landscape .
Still better than hornets , I suppose .
You should be able to outrun a worm pretty easily .

Let’s just skip past the usual 2020 apocalypse bingo card jokes and get on with the next bizarre infestation reaching our shores. And like so many other recent stories, this one originated in Asia also, potentially from China. Many of the earlier threats were of the winged variety, whether they be billions of locusts in Africa (that will no doubt be showing up in North America any day now) or the ever-popular Murder Hornets, they all represented terror from the skies, right? But how about terror from under the ground?
This time it’s worms. Now, I know what you’re probably thinking. How scary can worms be? And what sort of threats could they possibly pose? Well, for one thing, these worms are half a foot long and they’re capable of jumping up into the air. And no… I’m not even making this up. They’ve shown up in western New York State (the more rural portion) and biologists are concerned that they may be wiping out the leaf beds in the forests. (WCPO News)
University at Buffalo earthworm expert Nick Henshue says Amynthas, invasive “jumping” earthworms with destructive potential, are appearing in the Western New York area. The earthworms live in the top few inches of soil, can grow to about the length of a pencil and gobble up fallen leaves that experts say play a vital role in forest ecosystems. Henshue believes the invasive earthworms may have been transported to the area in part via contaminated mulch. “In agricultural systems, earthworms can be great, but in forests in our area, these jumping worms reduce leaf litter, which is really a protective layer that we rely on to protect and hide seeds and keep the sun off newly germinating plants,” Henshue said.
So how did these things show up in New York? One idea very appropriate to the whole 2020 apocalypse theme immediately popped up from one of my followers when I mentioned this on Twitter earlier today, so I really can’t take credit for it.
THAT WAS WHAT WAS IN THE SEEDS!?!? — No Lives Matter (@WorldictatorTom) August 24, 2020
It would have been one of the most 2020 things ever if these worms had really come from the mystery seed packages the Chinese were sending around earlier this summer. And it’s true that some worm, particularly the smaller, more armored ones like mealworms, can go into a dormant state where they roll themselves up and look something like a seed. But that doesn’t seem to be the case here.
Here’s a video of a gardener who has to deal with these things in Wisconsin explaining the trouble they cause and showing some of them. I really don’t see them “jumping” but they are quite active.
Here’s a link to another video I won’t embed here because it’s kind of gross, but a woman has a whole bowl of these worms and she’s trying to keep them from getting away. Again, I’m not sure if “jumping” is the word I would use, but they do manage to escape rather quickly and easily.
There you have it. The next disaster looming on our horizon. These worms do sound pretty destructive in terms of ruining the topsoil and driving out native plants and insects. But that’s the nature of invasive species. These things don’t belong here, they probably don’t have many natural predators, and they quickly take over the landscape. Still better than hornets, I suppose. You should be able to outrun a worm pretty easily.


hotair--2020-08-24--Kansas Democrat who admitted to revenge porn will withdraw from race

A week ago Jazz wrote about a teenage Democrat named Aaron Coleman who had defeated a Democratic incumbent in a state race in Kansas City .
Coleman is just 19 years old so you ’ d think there couldn ’ t be much in his background that could impact the race .
But it turned out he had a history of seriously bad behavior in middle school which included bullying ( to the point that one teen girl tried to kill herself ) and revenge porn .
Yesterday , Coleman announced he was withdrawing from the race .
After his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of calls asking him to stay in the race : Coleman is also getting some threats and is comparing himself favorably to the people making them : But one of Coleman ’ s victims is glad he dropped out : Kati Hampton , now 20 , of Kansas City , Kan. , said Mr. Coleman distributed a nude photo of her when she was 13 after she refused to send him more .
She said on Sunday that she was “ happy he dropped out.
” “ I don ’ t think somebody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s done needs to be in any position of power , ” she said .
The middle school stuff wasn ’ t the only controversy Coleman had created in the race : Because Coleman is a leftists who had defeated a moderate Democratic incumbent , some on the left have been arguing that he ’ s being treated unfairly .
Here ’ s Glenn Greenwald : And Ryan Grim of the Intercept : That led to a backlash from Jessica Valenti who argued that Coleman hadn ’ t offered much in the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Other than his official apology — an apology that was only made once his abusive history came to light — Coleman has only once addressed his actions , writing to a victim ’ s relative to more or less tell her to get over it .
“ I ’ ve moved on , ” he said .
“ They call the past the past for a reason , because that ’ s where you are supposed to leave things .
At this point you shouldn ’ t move on for me , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When asked by Greenwald how people might believe that he ’ s changed in the last five years , for example , Coleman didn ’ t talk about sexism , the irreparable damage he did to his young victims , or steps he ’ s taken to reckon with his behavior — instead he just pivoted to his “ compassionate platform.
” And when Coleman announced via tweet that he ’ d be dropping out of his race , he didn ’ t attribute it to the lingering power of his own actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have some growing up to do : Instead , he wrote that “ feminism hasn ’ t got a chance ” because of “ Donatism ” ( a religious sect that demands a person be faultless ) and the “ progressive circular firing squad.
” The responses from his defenders were equally insufferable .
Branko Marcetic — a writer at the far-left magazine Jacobin — tweeted that his resignation was setting a precedent for candidates whose histories will be “ scoured ” for what he diminishingly characterized as “ childhood scandal.
” A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around Coleman ’ s past was a “ harassment campaign ” that overruled Kansas voters .
And Greenwald , among others , implied that the criticisms of Coleman were now responsible for helping his anti-abortion opponent .
Valenti says that men on the left should be ashamed for taking up arguments that were used to defend Brett Kavanaugh .
Of course the problem with this comparison is that unlike Aaron Coleman , Brett Kavanaugh didn ’ t admit his guilt .
On the contrary , he claimed the allegations against him were false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back up accusations made by Christine Blasey Ford .
In Coleman ’ s case , we know the allegations are true .
Should someone be held accountable for behavior when they were in middle school ?
In most cases , probably not .
I ’ ve argued in defense of people who were attacked because of an inappropriate tweet they sent when they were a teen .
But in this case the behavior goes well beyond inappropriate comments online .
Coleman not only made threats of bad behavior , he followed through on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has admitted to are crimes : Harassment , sexual harassment , extortion , revenge porn , maybe even distributing child pornography .
It ’ s fair to say that people grow out of who they are in middle school but in Coleman ’ s case that was only about seven years ago .
So he hasn ’ t really had decades to grow up since the behavior in question .
And the fact that he doesn ’ t seem very apologetic now makes it fair to ask just how much he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , it ’ s not a coincidence that many of his defenders are leftists .
Here ’ s the platform Coleman was running on : At the moment it ’ s not clear what will happen in this race .
There is no Republican challenger in the race so whoever Democrats pick to replace Coleman will get the seat .

A week ago Jazz wrote about a teenage Democrat named Aaron Coleman who had defeated a Democratic incumbent in a state race in Kansas City. Coleman is just 19 years old so you’d think there couldn’t be much in his background that could impact the race. But it turned out he had a history of seriously bad behavior in middle school which included bullying (to the point that one teen girl tried to kill herself) and revenge porn. Yesterday, Coleman announced he was withdrawing from the race.
https://twitter.com/Aaron4KS37/status/1297616490166915072
After his announcement, Coleman said he got lots of calls asking him to stay in the race:
https://twitter.com/Aaron4KS37/status/1297660337223761925
Coleman is also getting some threats and is comparing himself favorably to the people making them:
https://twitter.com/Aaron4KS37/status/1297773081264566272
But one of Coleman’s victims is glad he dropped out:
Kati Hampton, now 20, of Kansas City, Kan., said Mr. Coleman distributed a nude photo of her when she was 13 after she refused to send him more. She said on Sunday that she was “happy he dropped out.” “I don’t think somebody who’s done what he’s done needs to be in any position of power,” she said.
The middle school stuff wasn’t the only controversy Coleman had created in the race:
Mr. Coleman, who had campaigned on a progressive platform of creating a single-payer health care system, fighting climate change and legalizing cannabis, also made controversial comments during his campaign, including that he would “giggle” if a former Republican legislator died of the coronavirus. Democratic leaders feared his behavior would hurt the party’s chances in other competitive elections.
Because Coleman is a leftists who had defeated a moderate Democratic incumbent, some on the left have been arguing that he’s being treated unfairly. Here’s Glenn Greenwald:
19-year-old leftist dishwasher wins his primary challenge against long-time establishment Dem for the Kansas House. The State Party is mounting a write-in campaign for the incumbent, citing bad *middle school* bullying, which he admits & apologized for:https://t.co/uWPu9NaA7v — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) August 20, 2020
And Ryan Grim of the Intercept:
Has he reformed and apologized and changed? I really don’t know, haven’t followed this — Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) August 20, 2020
That led to a backlash from Jessica Valenti who argued that Coleman hadn’t offered much in the way of an apology to his victims.
Other than his official apology — an apology that was only made once his abusive history came to light — Coleman has only once addressed his actions, writing to a victim’s relative to more or less tell her to get over it. “I’ve moved on,” he said. “They call the past the past for a reason, because that’s where you are supposed to leave things. At this point you shouldn’t move on for me, you should move on for yourself.”… When asked by Greenwald how people might believe that he’s changed in the last five years, for example, Coleman didn’t talk about sexism, the irreparable damage he did to his young victims, or steps he’s taken to reckon with his behavior — instead he just pivoted to his “compassionate platform.” And when Coleman announced via tweet that he’d be dropping out of his race, he didn’t attribute it to the lingering power of his own actions or the idea that he might still have some growing up to do: Instead, he wrote that “feminism hasn’t got a chance” because of “Donatism” (a religious sect that demands a person be faultless) and the “progressive circular firing squad.” The responses from his defenders were equally insufferable. Branko Marcetic — a writer at the far-left magazine Jacobin — tweeted that his resignation was setting a precedent for candidates whose histories will be “scoured” for what he diminishingly characterized as “childhood scandal.” A leftist podcaster also tweeted that the reporting around Coleman’s past was a “harassment campaign” that overruled Kansas voters. And Greenwald, among others, implied that the criticisms of Coleman were now responsible for helping his anti-abortion opponent.
Valenti says that men on the left should be ashamed for taking up arguments that were used to defend Brett Kavanaugh. Of course the problem with this comparison is that unlike Aaron Coleman, Brett Kavanaugh didn’t admit his guilt. On the contrary, he claimed the allegations against him were false. And no one was able to back up accusations made by Christine Blasey Ford. In Coleman’s case, we know the allegations are true.
Should someone be held accountable for behavior when they were in middle school? In most cases, probably not. I’ve argued in defense of people who were attacked because of an inappropriate tweet they sent when they were a teen. But in this case the behavior goes well beyond inappropriate comments online. Coleman not only made threats of bad behavior, he followed through on them. And some of the behavior he has admitted to are crimes: Harassment, sexual harassment, extortion, revenge porn, maybe even distributing child pornography.
It’s fair to say that people grow out of who they are in middle school but in Coleman’s case that was only about seven years ago. So he hasn’t really had decades to grow up since the behavior in question. And the fact that he doesn’t seem very apologetic now makes it fair to ask just how much he has changed.
As for the people defending him, it’s not a coincidence that many of his defenders are leftists. Here’s the platform Coleman was running on:
I agree, his community is expecting him to deliver on his campaign platform for: ✅Medicare for All
✅Sustainable Energy
✅Public education
✅Rational gun policy
✅Stabilize the budget
✅Legalize cannabis
✅LGBTQ+ protections
✅Abortion rights, and
✅Voting Rights. — 🌹Integrity please…🧶🌎 (@CrumbsForAll) August 24, 2020
At the moment it’s not clear what will happen in this race. There is no Republican challenger in the race so whoever Democrats pick to replace Coleman will get the seat.


hotair--2020-08-24--Doctors: FDA chief misled people about effectiveness of convalescent plasma at yesterday's presser

I think he would have gotten the benefit of the doubt from his colleagues for this flub if not for the political circumstances of yesterday ’ s announcement .
To all appearances , it was Trump ’ s angry tweet on Saturday that finally jarred the FDA into approving emergency-use authorization for convalescent plasma .
That made the EUA seem less like the considered judgment of scientific professionals than a bit of propaganda provided to the president on the eve of his convention .
So when FDA chief Stephen Hahn misstated the results of a study about plasma ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistake came off like deliberate disinformation .
The 35 percent number was reiterated by an FDA spokesman : The Mayo study did show a 37 percent relative reduction in mortality for patients who received plasma .
But Hahn was speaking in absolute terms , i.e.
, give plasma to 100 people and you ’ re apt to save 35-37 who otherwise would have died .
That ’ s not what the data says .
Not only that , but the “ study ” Hahn was relying on was observational , and the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were part of that study .
Scientists were aghast that he ’ d make a claim this bold without data from a fully enrolled randomized clinical trial , where some participants are given a placebo for comparison purposes .
The “ 35 percent ” claim is the basis for the White House ’ s assertion that plasma is a “ breakthrough ” treatment .
In reality , according to experts who support and oppose the FDA ’ s emergency-use authorization , plasma is likely to have a “ relatively modest ” or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That doesn ’ t mean the EUA was wrong — if plasma is safe to use , any benefit is of some value — but the degree of hype and the timing of the announcement reeks of politicization .
Some doctors , including ones whose names are familiar , think there ’ s so little reliable evidence right now that plasma benefits patients that the EUA shouldn ’ t have been granted .
From a Times story published last week , before the FDA acted : Without data from a clinical trial , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” As I understand it , the objection isn ’ t so much that the plasma might cause harm , it ’ s that resources that could be devoted to more promising treatments will now be devoted to plasma without any idea as to whether it works or not .
It ’ s the hydroxychloroquine fiasco all over again — which , ironically , is part of the reason why we don ’ t have any clinical data on plasma right now .
And I don ’ t know if we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plasma widely available under the FDA ’ s EUA , what person infected with COVID would submit themselves to a trial where they might get a placebo when they can just go to the hospital and get the real thing instead ?
In the end , argues David Shaywitz , by bullying the FDA into greenlighting plasma Trump will end up hurting his own political interests .
The more energy is devoted to rolling out unproven remedies , the less energy is spent developing more promising remedies .
And the more it looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing politics with treatments , the more suspicious those treatments will come to appear : But perhaps less obviously , the president might also do well to recognize the urgent need for COVID-related drug and vaccine approvals and authorizations to be regarded as credible .
After all , drugs will only be used if prescribing doctors believe the products could be helpful , and vaccines will only be accepted if both doctors and patients believe they are likely to be safe and effective… The more Trump is seen to be putting his finger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new treatments will likely be seen by doctors and patients alike—including those that might truly be effective .
This means delayed adoption of potentially valuable therapeutics , and a longer time to capture both the medical and economic benefit at the population level .
The counter to that logic reportedly came from the highly MAGA-fied Peter Navarro , a non-scientist who ’ s presumed to lecture Fauci about the supposed efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in the past .
“ You are all Deep State and you need to get on Trump Time , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting a week ago .
A few days later , Trump sent his tweet accusing “ deep state ” personnel at the FDA of slow-walking approval for plasma .
A day later , Hahn finally caved and granted the EUA .
I have less faith in the benefits of plasma today than I had a week ago .
We all know what ’ s coming next : Coincidentally , last night the Financial Times reported that the White House wants the FDA to consider an EUA for the Oxford vaccine if/when the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The month they ’ re eyeing for that EUA ?
Why , October , of course .
The catch is that Oxford should only have data from 10,000 or so volunteers by that point ; American regulators typically require data from 30,000 before approving a vaccine .
What do you suppose Steve “ 35 Percent ” Hahn is going to say when the president demands that that threshold be reduced before Election Day ?
I continue to think Trump will get no benefit from a vaccine-related October surprise *if* there ’ s any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for political reasons .
He ’ s not trusted on COVID matters beyond his own base ; pushing out a vaccine before scientists are confident that it ’ s effective will set up a clash of credibility between them and him , and he won ’ t win that clash .
If anything , it ’ ll hand Democrats ammo to argue that he ’ s willing to treat Americans as guinea pigs for his own selfish electoral interests .
I think the days of the FDA ’ s , ahem , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are over , though .

I think he would have gotten the benefit of the doubt from his colleagues for this flub if not for the political circumstances of yesterday’s announcement. To all appearances, it was Trump’s angry tweet on Saturday that finally jarred the FDA into approving emergency-use authorization for convalescent plasma. That made the EUA seem less like the considered judgment of scientific professionals than a bit of propaganda provided to the president on the eve of his convention. So when FDA chief Stephen Hahn misstated the results of a study about plasma’s effectiveness, what was likely an innocent mistake came off like deliberate disinformation.
"A 35 percent improvement in survival is a pretty substantial clinical benefit," FDA Commissioner @SteveFDA said in relation to the convalescent plasma emergency use authorization issued today. pic.twitter.com/Dd97vLSZeL — U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) August 23, 2020
The 35 percent number was reiterated by an FDA spokesman:
Convalescent plasma has shown to be beneficial for 35% of patients. This risk reduction figure – shown in chart below – is from @MayoClinic data from expanded access program that was analyzed by FDAA for the emergency use authorization announced today. pic.twitter.com/UNAWrhHa3p — FDA Spokesperson (@FDASpox) August 24, 2020
The Mayo study did show a 37 percent relative reduction in mortality for patients who received plasma. But Hahn was speaking in absolute terms, i.e., give plasma to 100 people and you’re apt to save 35-37 who otherwise would have died. That’s not what the data says.
Hahn’s statement that if “100 people were sick, 35 would be saved by plasma” is shockingly wrong. The risk reduction between early plasma and late plasma is relative, not absolute. In this trial, if 100 people were treated, 3.2 fewer would die. https://t.co/Fgz4MVVqNp — Jonathan Reiner (@JReinerMD) August 23, 2020
In this statement, @SteveFDA claims 35 per 100 people treated with plasma would be saved. The Mayo observational data indicates that would be 3 people saved at 7 days, or 5 at 30 days. And that was via exploratory analyses. Not only blatantly wrong; an egregious public statement. pic.twitter.com/DlNVHvDJnB — Eric Topol (@EricTopol) August 24, 2020
The FDA was successfully convinced that statistical significance does not matter! It's like someone flipped a coin 7 times; 4 heads and 3 tails came up and they concluded heads is more likely. That's literally the level of analysis we are dealing with here. Lives at stake. — Jeremy Faust MD MS (ER physician) (@jeremyfaust) August 23, 2020
Not only that, but the “study” Hahn was relying on was observational, and the data came from a mere subset of people who were part of that study. Scientists were aghast that he’d make a claim this bold without data from a fully enrolled randomized clinical trial, where some participants are given a placebo for comparison purposes.
#COVID19 Still can't believe the head of FDA made such misleading stmt of "35% improvement in survival" based on subgroup of subgrp in an observational study. His explanation was also wrong. This shows either intellectual dishonesty or a lack of basic understanding of statistics https://t.co/GuAFgjPGWz — Andy Biotech (@AndyBiotech) August 24, 2020
This 35% reduction in deaths number…. Comes from a NON-PEER REVIEWED STUDY from June. We have an FDA emergency use authorization based on a study that has not even been accepted by a medical journal. If it was REMOTELY good, that study would be in a medical journal already. — Jeremy Faust MD MS (ER physician) (@jeremyfaust) August 23, 2020
Here's the 8/12 preprint the claim is based onhttps://t.co/aNWZcyJYAh
These were 2 exploratory analyses without control patients, with multiple confounders, eg early v late Rx
The improvement of survival with a high antibody level was a post-hoc determination from stored samples pic.twitter.com/r9Aj2YUCrf — Eric Topol (@EricTopol) August 23, 2020
The “35 percent” claim is the basis for the White House’s assertion that plasma is a “breakthrough” treatment. In reality, according to experts who support and oppose the FDA’s emergency-use authorization, plasma is likely to have a “relatively modest” or “incremental” benefit to patients. That doesn’t mean the EUA was wrong — if plasma is safe to use, any benefit is of some value — but the degree of hype and the timing of the announcement reeks of politicization.
Some doctors, including ones whose names are familiar, think there’s so little reliable evidence right now that plasma benefits patients that the EUA shouldn’t have been granted. From a Times story published last week, before the FDA acted:
Several top health officials — led by Dr. Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health; Dr. Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert; and Dr. Lane — urged their colleagues last week to hold off, citing recent data from the country’s largest plasma study, run by the Mayo Clinic. They thought the study’s data to date was not strong enough to warrant an emergency approval. “The three of us are pretty aligned on the importance of robust data through randomized control trials, and that a pandemic does not change that,” Dr. Lane said in an interview on Tuesday.
Without data from a clinical trial, emergency authorization is “reckless and premature.” As I understand it, the objection isn’t so much that the plasma might cause harm, it’s that resources that could be devoted to more promising treatments will now be devoted to plasma without any idea as to whether it works or not. It’s the hydroxychloroquine fiasco all over again — which, ironically, is part of the reason why we don’t have any clinical data on plasma right now.
And I don’t know if we’re ever going to have it. With plasma widely available under the FDA’s EUA, what person infected with COVID would submit themselves to a trial where they might get a placebo when they can just go to the hospital and get the real thing instead?
In the end, argues David Shaywitz, by bullying the FDA into greenlighting plasma Trump will end up hurting his own political interests. The more energy is devoted to rolling out unproven remedies, the less energy is spent developing more promising remedies. And the more it looks like Trump and cronies like Hahn are playing politics with treatments, the more suspicious those treatments will come to appear:
But perhaps less obviously, the president might also do well to recognize the urgent need for COVID-related drug and vaccine approvals and authorizations to be regarded as credible. After all, drugs will only be used if prescribing doctors believe the products could be helpful, and vaccines will only be accepted if both doctors and patients believe they are likely to be safe and effective… The more Trump is seen to be putting his finger on the scale, the less credible new treatments will likely be seen by doctors and patients alike—including those that might truly be effective. This means delayed adoption of potentially valuable therapeutics, and a longer time to capture both the medical and economic benefit at the population level.
The counter to that logic reportedly came from the highly MAGA-fied Peter Navarro, a non-scientist who’s presumed to lecture Fauci about the supposed efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in the past. “You are all Deep State and you need to get on Trump Time,” Navarro reportedly told FDA officials at a meeting a week ago. A few days later, Trump sent his tweet accusing “deep state” personnel at the FDA of slow-walking approval for plasma. A day later, Hahn finally caved and granted the EUA. I have less faith in the benefits of plasma today than I had a week ago.
We all know what’s coming next:
The president’s political advisers believe that making people believe a vaccine is imminent by Election Day — whether true or not — is key to his prospects for winning. — James Hohmann (@jameshohmann) August 23, 2020
Today's propaganda on plasma sets the stage for a future announcement on an unproven vaccine. They've shown they WILL GAMBLE WITH YOUR LIFE. — Jeremy Faust MD MS (ER physician) (@jeremyfaust) August 23, 2020
Coincidentally, last night the Financial Times reported that the White House wants the FDA to consider an EUA for the Oxford vaccine if/when the data from its phase-three testing looks promising. The month they’re eyeing for that EUA? Why, October, of course. The catch is that Oxford should only have data from 10,000 or so volunteers by that point; American regulators typically require data from 30,000 before approving a vaccine. What do you suppose Steve “35 Percent” Hahn is going to say when the president demands that that threshold be reduced before Election Day?
I continue to think Trump will get no benefit from a vaccine-related October surprise *if* there’s any evidence that the process has been expedited for political reasons. He’s not trusted on COVID matters beyond his own base; pushing out a vaccine before scientists are confident that it’s effective will set up a clash of credibility between them and him, and he won’t win that clash. If anything, it’ll hand Democrats ammo to argue that he’s willing to treat Americans as guinea pigs for his own selfish electoral interests. I think the days of the FDA’s, ahem, “deep staters” standing in his way are over, though.


hotair--2020-08-24--Police shooting in Kenosha, WI leads to riots, looting and arson

A man named Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha , Wisconsin as he reached into his car Sunday .
Blake survived but is in the hospital .
Here ’ s the NY Times ’ description of the clip : The episode began just after 5 p.m. in Kenosha , about 40 miles south of Milwaukee , when police officers “ responded to a reported domestic incident , ” according to the statement… In the video , several officers can be seen standing on a sidewalk next to a four-door S.U.V .
The man identified as Mr. Blake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shorts , walks along the passenger side of the vehicle , away from the officers as they yell and as at least one of them points a gun at him .
Mr. Blake walks around the front of the vehicle and opens the driver-side door .
Numerous people can be heard yelling , and one officer grabs the man ’ s shirt .
As he opens the door , at least half a dozen shots can be heard while at least two officers can be seen with their guns pointed at him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shooting which has been retweeted by many people : Gov .
Tony Evers weighed in just a few hours after the shooting happened , comparing it to the death of George Floyd : The family has hired attorney Ben Crump who said Blake ’ s children were in the car when he was shot : The alderman who represents the district where the shooting took place spoke to people at the scene of the shooting for 2 hours : Anthony Kennedy , the alderman for the district who lives two blocks away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview that he had concerns about what some people who were marching through the area might do .
“ At this point in time I ’ m just trying to keep my neighborhood safe , ” he said .
Mr. Kennedy said he spoke to people for two hours near the scene of the shooting , encouraging them to trust the investigation , which will not be done by the local police department .
Unfortunately , Kennedy ’ s efforts to calm the situation failed .
Last night there were riots , arson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer was injured .
At the scene of the shooting , the crowd smashed a police car .
People gathered outside the police station and were apparently dispersed with gas .
There ’ s a much longer clip which shows what happened at the police station .
Police formed a line outside the entrance .
People came up and some were talking but others were trying to escalate .
Then around 10 minutes into this clip someone sets off a bunch of large fireworks .
You don ’ t see the police reaction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompted the gas to push people back .
Meanwhile , some began breaking windows and looting stores .
For some reason , a car dealership became the focus and people broke into at least one car and set it on fire .
The Black Lives Matter sign next to the dealership belongs to a universalist church which is located next door : Other businesses were also set on fire : The courthouse was set on fire : One officer was hit in the head with a brick .
The first version is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2nd clip below is longer and gives a bit more context .
The police are trying to leave but people are surrounding the car .
Someone throws a Molotov cocktail ( or some flaming object ) at the car which creates a reaction from the crowd .
And then one of the officers is hit in the head .
Someone said , “ He just got bricked.
” People in the crowd are clapping and cheering over this .
If past police shootings are any indication this probably isn ’ t the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wouldn ’ t be surprised to see riots in other cities tonight , which will make an interesting backdrop for the Republican convention .
Over the weekend there was some discussion by CNN ’ s Brian Stelter about whether networks should cut away from the convention coverage .
Tonight they ’ ll probably have plenty more to cover if they want to , though in the past Stelter has also admonished Fox News for showing coverage of riots .

A man named Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin as he reached into his car Sunday. Blake survived but is in the hospital. Here’s the NY Times’ description of the clip:
The episode began just after 5 p.m. in Kenosha, about 40 miles south of Milwaukee, when police officers “responded to a reported domestic incident,” according to the statement… In the video, several officers can be seen standing on a sidewalk next to a four-door S.U.V. The man identified as Mr. Blake, wearing a white tank top and black shorts, walks along the passenger side of the vehicle, away from the officers as they yell and as at least one of them points a gun at him. Mr. Blake walks around the front of the vehicle and opens the driver-side door. Numerous people can be heard yelling, and one officer grabs the man’s shirt. As he opens the door, at least half a dozen shots can be heard while at least two officers can be seen with their guns pointed at him.
Here’s the video clip of the shooting which has been retweeted by many people:
Gov. Tony Evers weighed in just a few hours after the shooting happened, comparing it to the death of George Floyd:
Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kathy and I join his family, friends, and neighbors in hoping earnestly that he will not succumb to his injuries. — Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 24, 2020
We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice, equity, and accountability for Black lives in our country—lives like those of George Floyd, of Breonna Taylor, Tony Robinson, Dontre Hamilton, Ernest Lacy, and Sylville Smith. — Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 24, 2020
I have said all along that although we must offer our empathy, equally important is our action. In the coming days, we will demand just that of elected officials in our state who have failed to recognize the racism in our state and our country for far too long. — Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) August 24, 2020
The family has hired attorney Ben Crump who said Blake’s children were in the car when he was shot:
Crump said in a statement that Blake’s “three sons witnessed their father collapse after being riddled with bullets.” According to Crump, Blake was “simply trying to do the right thing by intervening in a domestic incident,” and he did not elaborate on what that entailed.
“It’s a miracle he’s still alive,” Crump said.
The alderman who represents the district where the shooting took place spoke to people at the scene of the shooting for 2 hours:
Anthony Kennedy, the alderman for the district who lives two blocks away from the shooting, said in an interview that he had concerns about what some people who were marching through the area might do. “At this point in time I’m just trying to keep my neighborhood safe,” he said. Mr. Kennedy said he spoke to people for two hours near the scene of the shooting, encouraging them to trust the investigation, which will not be done by the local police department.
Unfortunately, Kennedy’s efforts to calm the situation failed. Last night there were riots, arson, looting and at least one police officer was injured. At the scene of the shooting, the crowd smashed a police car.
#BREAKING: Large crowd has formed outside the scene of an officer-involved shooting in #Kenosha. @KenoshaPolice say they a man is seriously hurt. People are now breaking the windows of cop cars. Warning – expletives @tmj4 pic.twitter.com/pKqbSKrZQY — Lauren Linder (@lauren_linder) August 24, 2020
UPDATE: The vehicle believed to be involved in this incident has been towed away. There’s a few dozen people protesting. Some have stomped atop at least one cop car. Some tires slashed. Officers are inside the tape. Some talking w/ crowd. Watch @CBS58 tonight at 10 p.m. pic.twitter.com/kSGSvCkO7g — Kim Shine (@KimShineCBS58) August 24, 2020
People gathered outside the police station and were apparently dispersed with gas.
There’s a much longer clip which shows what happened at the police station. Police formed a line outside the entrance. People came up and some were talking but others were trying to escalate. Then around 10 minutes into this clip someone sets off a bunch of large fireworks. You don’t see the police reaction in this clip but that was what prompted the gas to push people back.
Meanwhile, some began breaking windows and looting stores.
Rioters in Wisconsin breaking windows with broken concrete slabs pic.twitter.com/xj1e1ah0Ce — Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) August 24, 2020
BLM rioters vandalizing and looting stores in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/tGHbDzzGzu — Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) August 24, 2020
BLM rioters break into a store and take a TV and it’s cash register then mob the register for its petty cash in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/RAhRQTpPHb — Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) August 24, 2020
The rioters also began setting fires:
BREAKING: MASSIVE garbage truck fires set in Wisconsin by rioters pic.twitter.com/vEusmWTHGx — Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) August 24, 2020
BLM rioters not holding back by vandalizing and looting local businesses here in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/wzfWq9OlUU — Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) August 24, 2020
For some reason, a car dealership became the focus and people broke into at least one car and set it on fire.
Rioters are setting dealership cars on fire in Wisconsin with flares pic.twitter.com/PwQKLjNU2E — Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) August 24, 2020
BLM rioters are setting multiple dealership cars on fire in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/PCZWrvU5Nj — Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) August 24, 2020
BLM rioters have set a car dealership lot on fire in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/7fM5zJDpYO — Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) August 24, 2020
Up close look at the car dealership fire set by BLM arsonists in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/Mv1CC7htiD — Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) August 24, 2020
The Black Lives Matter sign next to the dealership belongs to a universalist church which is located next door:
BLM arson attacks overnight in Kenosha, Wisc. spread to the Bradford Community Church, a far-left universalist religious organization. The church’s sign in support of #BlackLivesMatter was consumed in flames. pic.twitter.com/u02CIwsnIm — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 24, 2020
Other businesses were also set on fire:
Multiple businesses set a flame by BLM rioters in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/9gRNGrKpFa — Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) August 24, 2020
The courthouse was set on fire:
One officer was hit in the head with a brick. The first version is the one I see circulating the most but the 2nd clip below is longer and gives a bit more context. The police are trying to leave but people are surrounding the car. Someone throws a Molotov cocktail (or some flaming object) at the car which creates a reaction from the crowd. And then one of the officers is hit in the head. Someone said, “He just got bricked.” People in the crowd are clapping and cheering over this.
https://twitter.com/KittyLists/status/1297720875634974720
If past police shootings are any indication this probably isn’t the end of the rioting in Kenosha. I wouldn’t be surprised to see riots in other cities tonight, which will make an interesting backdrop for the Republican convention. Over the weekend there was some discussion by CNN’s Brian Stelter about whether networks should cut away from the convention coverage. Tonight they’ll probably have plenty more to cover if they want to, though in the past Stelter has also admonished Fox News for showing coverage of riots.


hotair--2020-08-24--'Republicans for Biden' strike: Ex-lawmakers sign on for Team Biden

A group of former Republican lawmakers have come together to denounce President Trump on the first day of the Republican Party ’ s national convention and sing their praises for Democrat Joe Biden .
You can count them all as Biden voters in November .
Let that sink in .
An organized group of Republicans who were given the honor of representing their communities in Congress , thanks to Republican voters , are now turning their backs on those very constituents .
They have thrown in with Democrats in order to virtue-shame the bad Orange Man .
That is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not policy concerns , it ’ s all personal .
The former lawmaker elbowing his way to be the frontman for this group is former Senator Jeff Flake .
The people of Arizona quickly grew tired of Flake ’ s brand of service to their state and he was tossed out on his keister .
Flake penned an op-ed last fall to urge lawmakers to abandon Trump and “ save their souls ” by voting in favor of impeachment .
Yep .
That Jeff Flake .
So , now to show us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservatism or something , he ’ s endorsing Biden for president .
Most of all , Flake would like another 15 minutes before cameras and receiving the praise of late-night talk show hosts for sticking it to Trump .
He is a broken man .
Some others on the list had already backed the former vice president , including former Republican Sens .
Gordon Humphrey of New Hampshire ( who is now an independent ) and John Warner of Virginia .
They ’ re joined by a number of former Republican House members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bill Clinger of Pennsylvania , Tom Coleman of Missouri , Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania , Charles Djou of Hawaii , Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma , Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland , Jim Greenwood of Pennsylvania , Bob Inglis of South Carolina , Jim Kolbe of Arizona , Steve Kuykendall of California , Ray LaHood of Illinois ( who served as Transportation secretary in the Obama administration ) , Jim Leach of Iowa , Connie Morella of Maryland , Mike Parker of Mississippi , Jack Quinn of New York , Claudine Schneider of Rhode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peter Smith of Vermont , Alan Steelman of Texas , Bill Whitehurst of Virginia , Dick Zimmer of New Jersey , and Jim Walsh of New York .
The Biden campaign calls this list of names “ a strong rebuke ” of President Trump and the Trump administration .
The problem with that is most voters won ’ t know the names on the list unless their own former congressperson is one of them .
Even then , most voters will not be changing their vote because of this list , or any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cycle .
For four years we have heard from various forms of Never Trump groups and yet Trump is still strongly supported by Republican voters .
Team Biden is obviously going for disgruntled Republicans and Independent voters since they can not win the election without them .
The support from the far-left is iffy at best right now for Biden .
Does anyone think a large enough group of offended Republicans will tilt the election for Biden ?
I think it is very unlikely , especially as we see events on the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , the number of cases of COVID-19 has begun to plateau and decline .
The stock market continues to bounce along with rising numbers .
There are hopeful signs on the coronavirus vaccines and therapeutic therapies .
And , a huge issue will be law and order by the time the election comes around .
Already , people are tired of the nightly violence and destruction in some cities , even those who support the protesters .
It ’ s all spreading to the suburbs and that will not win over hearts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suburban women that are crucial for both campaigns .
Trump just received another endorsement from a law enforcement organization – New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association .
Their leadership says Biden used to support law enforcement but has turned his back on them .
That ’ s what is happening – the longer Biden refuses to denounce the violent protests , his silence is seen as complicity .
What exactly are these Never Trump Republicans angry about ?
Do they not approve of Trump ’ s measures for border security and bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How about when he sticks up for religious liberty , cuts taxes , or ended the individual mandate of Obamacare .
Are judicial appointments important ?
All of these issues are important to Americans who are not willing to watch a Democrat Party who was moving closer to socialism just a few years ago now embrace the agenda of the Marxist wing of the party assume leadership in the Oval Office .
Last week during the Democrat convention , a group of former Republican national security officials did the same thing – they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Imagine that – Biden likes to take credit for being an important member of the Obama team who put the disastrous Iran deal into place .
Obama and Biden secretly gave away pallets of American dollars in exchange for a deal that was never going to work .
How about the reports of Biden ’ s coziness with China and helping his son secure lucrative deals with that Communist country , along with the deal with the Ukrainian energy company ?
The Obama intelligence agencies actively worked against a Republican candidate ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blessing .
This is what these former national security officials are signing on to by supporting Biden over Trump .
Ronald Reagan brought a whole new generation of Americans into the Republican Party .
He did that by stressing loyalty to the party and reminding that someone with whom we agree 80 % of the time is our friend and ally , not our enemy .
It ’ s called the Reagan 80 percent rule .
Especially at this time , this is no time to bend .
It isn ’ t party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shame Trump supporters with , but country first .
Many of us are not willing to allow a Marxist agenda to creep into power simply because the man in the Oval Office doesn ’ t play nice .
He plays to win and puts America first , which is why he was elected in the first place .

A group of former Republican lawmakers have come together to denounce President Trump on the first day of the Republican Party’s national convention and sing their praises for Democrat Joe Biden. You can count them all as Biden voters in November.
Let that sink in. An organized group of Republicans who were given the honor of representing their communities in Congress, thanks to Republican voters, are now turning their backs on those very constituents. They have thrown in with Democrats in order to virtue-shame the bad Orange Man. That is what it boils down to. It’s not policy concerns, it’s all personal. The former lawmaker elbowing his way to be the frontman for this group is former Senator Jeff Flake. The people of Arizona quickly grew tired of Flake’s brand of service to their state and he was tossed out on his keister. Flake penned an op-ed last fall to urge lawmakers to abandon Trump and “save their souls” by voting in favor of impeachment. Yep. That Jeff Flake. So, now to show us, rubes, how to truly conserve conservatism or something, he’s endorsing Biden for president. Most of all, Flake would like another 15 minutes before cameras and receiving the praise of late-night talk show hosts for sticking it to Trump. He is a broken man.
Some others on the list had already backed the former vice president, including former Republican Sens. Gordon Humphrey of New Hampshire (who is now an independent) and John Warner of Virginia. They’re joined by a number of former Republican House members: Former Reps. Steve Bartlett of Texas, Bill Clinger of Pennsylvania, Tom Coleman of Missouri, Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, Charles Djou of Hawaii, Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma, Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland, Jim Greenwood of Pennsylvania, Bob Inglis of South Carolina, Jim Kolbe of Arizona, Steve Kuykendall of California, Ray LaHood of Illinois (who served as Transportation secretary in the Obama administration), Jim Leach of Iowa, Connie Morella of Maryland, Mike Parker of Mississippi, Jack Quinn of New York, Claudine Schneider of Rhode Island, Chris Shays of Connecticut, Peter Smith of Vermont, Alan Steelman of Texas, Bill Whitehurst of Virginia, Dick Zimmer of New Jersey, and Jim Walsh of New York.
The Biden campaign calls this list of names “a strong rebuke” of President Trump and the Trump administration. The problem with that is most voters won’t know the names on the list unless their own former congressperson is one of them. Even then, most voters will not be changing their vote because of this list, or any other list of Republican turncoats this election cycle. For four years we have heard from various forms of Never Trump groups and yet Trump is still strongly supported by Republican voters.
Team Biden is obviously going for disgruntled Republicans and Independent voters since they cannot win the election without them. The support from the far-left is iffy at best right now for Biden. Does anyone think a large enough group of offended Republicans will tilt the election for Biden? I think it is very unlikely, especially as we see events on the ground begin to break for Trump. For example, the number of cases of COVID-19 has begun to plateau and decline. The stock market continues to bounce along with rising numbers. There are hopeful signs on the coronavirus vaccines and therapeutic therapies. And, a huge issue will be law and order by the time the election comes around. Already, people are tired of the nightly violence and destruction in some cities, even those who support the protesters. It’s all spreading to the suburbs and that will not win over hearts and minds of Independents and those moderate-leaning suburban women that are crucial for both campaigns. Trump just received another endorsement from a law enforcement organization – New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association. Their leadership says Biden used to support law enforcement but has turned his back on them. That’s what is happening – the longer Biden refuses to denounce the violent protests, his silence is seen as complicity.
What exactly are these Never Trump Republicans angry about? Do they not approve of Trump’s measures for border security and bringing down the numbers of illegal immigrants? How about when he sticks up for religious liberty, cuts taxes, or ended the individual mandate of Obamacare. Are judicial appointments important? All of these issues are important to Americans who are not willing to watch a Democrat Party who was moving closer to socialism just a few years ago now embrace the agenda of the Marxist wing of the party assume leadership in the Oval Office.
Last week during the Democrat convention, a group of former Republican national security officials did the same thing – they signed on to their support of Biden. Imagine that – Biden likes to take credit for being an important member of the Obama team who put the disastrous Iran deal into place. Obama and Biden secretly gave away pallets of American dollars in exchange for a deal that was never going to work. How about the reports of Biden’s coziness with China and helping his son secure lucrative deals with that Communist country, along with the deal with the Ukrainian energy company? The Obama intelligence agencies actively worked against a Republican candidate’s presidential campaign with Biden’s blessing. This is what these former national security officials are signing on to by supporting Biden over Trump.
Ronald Reagan brought a whole new generation of Americans into the Republican Party. He did that by stressing loyalty to the party and reminding that someone with whom we agree 80% of the time is our friend and ally, not our enemy. It’s called the Reagan 80 percent rule. Especially at this time, this is no time to bend. It isn’t party over country, as the liberals like to shame Trump supporters with, but country first. Many of us are not willing to allow a Marxist agenda to creep into power simply because the man in the Oval Office doesn’t play nice. He plays to win and puts America first, which is why he was elected in the first place.


hotair--2020-08-24--Uh oh. Hong Kong reports first confirmed case of man infected with COVID for a second time

I have the feeling that this news may wind up slamming the brakes on a lot of the optimism about vaccines and new COVID-19 treatments that have been making the rounds lately .
Doctors at the University of Hong Kong have concluded that a patient who was confirmed as being infected with the novel coronavirus and mildly symptomatic back in March came down with the disease for a second time this month .
There are some complicating factors in his story that will likely need to be taken into consideration , but the overall message from that medical center is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease once and then catch it again in that short of a period of time , it sticks a major pin in the entire plan we have for combatting this plague , whether you ’ re counting on herd immunity , a viable vaccine or anything else .
( NBC News ) A man in Hong Kong has become the first confirmed patient to be infected with the coronavirus a second time , according to researchers at the University of Hong Kong .
The finding suggests that some patients who recover from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , may have only short-lived immunity from reinfection .
The case will likely also be significant for scientists who have been working on treatments using antibodies from recovered coronavirus patients , and those who have been scrambling to develop a safe and effective vaccine .
The 33-year-old man in Hong Kong developed mild symptoms in late March when he was first diagnosed with COVID-19 , the researchers at the University of Hong Kong wrote in a study that has been accepted for publication by the medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases .
The patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms subsided and he was discharged April 14 , according to the study .
We ’ ve heard rumors of this before , but they frequently involved people who were asymptomatic but produced a positive result when being tested .
Given the high number of false positives we ’ ve seen with certain test kits , it was still entirely possible that the infected patients hadn ’ t actually had the disease originally , so there was reason to be optimistic about a future vaccine .
That ’ s not the case with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive on multiple checks .
So he now appears to have contracted COVID twice .
If this is the real situation we ’ re dealing with , blood plasma treatments such as the one the President announced the other day aren ’ t going to be as much of a path to salvation as we ’ d hoped .
Or at least they won ’ t produce the long-term immunity we need to see if we ’ re really going to beat this thing down into manageable numbers .
The same may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If they could at least last for a year we could probably deal with a situation where everyone gets vaccinated on an annual basis the same way we do with the flu .
But if it ’ s going to wear off in as little as three months , that ’ s not a very good scenario .
But as I mentioned above , there are a couple of complicating factors in this patient ’ s story .
First of all , he originally contracted the disease in Hong Kong .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returning from a trip to Spain , via the United Kingdom .
The second fact is that he is , at least thus far , still asymptomatic .
Both of these factors could be important and make the news a bit less bad .
We already know that the virus has been mutating , potentially at an alarming rate .
The variety that hit New York City so hard appears to have stopped off in Italy for a while before coming to our shores .
It appeared to be significantly different than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coast .
If the two flavors are significantly different , immunity to one may not necessarily translate into immunity for the other .
But people who aren ’ t traveling around constantly are probably less likely to run into more than one mutation so any immunity acquired via vaccine or personal exposure may prove more resilient .
( Fingers crossed . )
The second factor may play into the history I already alluded to above .
Until he begins showing some symptoms or flunks a few more tests , it ’ s still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false positive .
That would put the double infection scenario back on the shelf , at least for the time being .
Still , this is one story we ’ ll want to keep an eye on .
If all of our efforts to either develop herd immunity or produce a widely available , effective vaccine go down the tubes , the “ new normal ” is going to be with us for a very long time indeed .

I have the feeling that this news may wind up slamming the brakes on a lot of the optimism about vaccines and new COVID-19 treatments that have been making the rounds lately. Doctors at the University of Hong Kong have concluded that a patient who was confirmed as being infected with the novel coronavirus and mildly symptomatic back in March came down with the disease for a second time this month. There are some complicating factors in his story that will likely need to be taken into consideration, but the overall message from that medical center is clear. If you can survive the disease once and then catch it again in that short of a period of time, it sticks a major pin in the entire plan we have for combatting this plague, whether you’re counting on herd immunity, a viable vaccine or anything else. (NBC News)
A man in Hong Kong has become the first confirmed patient to be infected with the coronavirus a second time, according to researchers at the University of Hong Kong. The finding suggests that some patients who recover from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, may have only short-lived immunity from reinfection. The case will likely also be significant for scientists who have been working on treatments using antibodies from recovered coronavirus patients, and those who have been scrambling to develop a safe and effective vaccine. The 33-year-old man in Hong Kong developed mild symptoms in late March when he was first diagnosed with COVID-19, the researchers at the University of Hong Kong wrote in a study that has been accepted for publication by the medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The patient was hospitalized March 29, but his symptoms subsided and he was discharged April 14, according to the study.
We’ve heard rumors of this before, but they frequently involved people who were asymptomatic but produced a positive result when being tested. Given the high number of false positives we’ve seen with certain test kits, it was still entirely possible that the infected patients hadn’t actually had the disease originally, so there was reason to be optimistic about a future vaccine. That’s not the case with this man. He developed symptoms and tested positive on multiple checks. So he now appears to have contracted COVID twice.
If this is the real situation we’re dealing with, blood plasma treatments such as the one the President announced the other day aren’t going to be as much of a path to salvation as we’d hoped. Or at least they won’t produce the long-term immunity we need to see if we’re really going to beat this thing down into manageable numbers. The same may apply to the vaccines currently in testing. If they could at least last for a year we could probably deal with a situation where everyone gets vaccinated on an annual basis the same way we do with the flu. But if it’s going to wear off in as little as three months, that’s not a very good scenario.
But as I mentioned above, there are a couple of complicating factors in this patient’s story. First of all, he originally contracted the disease in Hong Kong. But this time he tested positive shortly after returning from a trip to Spain, via the United Kingdom. The second fact is that he is, at least thus far, still asymptomatic. Both of these factors could be important and make the news a bit less bad.
We already know that the virus has been mutating, potentially at an alarming rate. The variety that hit New York City so hard appears to have stopped off in Italy for a while before coming to our shores. It appeared to be significantly different than the home-grown Chinese version that hit the west coast. If the two flavors are significantly different, immunity to one may not necessarily translate into immunity for the other. But people who aren’t traveling around constantly are probably less likely to run into more than one mutation so any immunity acquired via vaccine or personal exposure may prove more resilient. (Fingers crossed.)
The second factor may play into the history I already alluded to above. Until he begins showing some symptoms or flunks a few more tests, it’s still possible that he’s producing a false positive. That would put the double infection scenario back on the shelf, at least for the time being. Still, this is one story we’ll want to keep an eye on. If all of our efforts to either develop herd immunity or produce a widely available, effective vaccine go down the tubes, the “new normal” is going to be with us for a very long time indeed.


hotair--2020-08-24--GOP passes new party "platform": Whatever Trump wants to do

I don ’ t know why they went through a song-and-dance here about the pandemic limiting their ability to confer and draft a proper party platform .
“ Whatever Trump wants to do ” is a perfectly accurate statement of what the party ’ s base thinks the GOP agenda should be .
It is *not* , perhaps , an accurate statement of what the party ’ s leadership thinks the agenda should be .
More on that in a second .
The typo in “ RESOLVED ” near the end really rounds off the feeling of phoning it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisoner to Trump ’ s whims ( or more specifically , a prisoner to the base ’ s support for Trump ’ s whims ) , why even bother proofreading this enabling act ?
Just dash it off and file it .
It would have been better if the sum total of the statement were just the words “ Whatever Trump Wants ” in Comic Sans .
Trump ’ s campaign announced his second-term agenda in a statement last night , which presumably is now incorporated as the GOP platform .
Some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID vaccine by the end of the year ) , some of it is aspirational and not doable ( term limits for Congress ) .
The closest thing to a true organizing vision for the next four years is ending American reliance on China , which calls for repatriating lost jobs and “ holding China responsible ” for its role in spreading COVID .
“ Informal Trump advisers like Rove and former Gov .
Chris Christie have been telling Trumpworld both publicly and privately for months that the president must develop more serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Politico reported this morning , noting the numerous times Trump has whiffed in interviews after being asked what his second-term program would be .
The president now has something concrete as the GOP convention begins .
I wrote a few days ago that the glaring deficiency in the Democratic convention was how thin on policy it was .
Lip service was paid to lefty priorities , but the unmistakable takeaway from four days of messaging was “ America can ’ t cope with this insanity for four more years.
” Ironically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance to counter with policy specifics at his own convention , articulating for voters exactly what he hopes to do for them .
The party that ’ s operated as a cult of personality for four years has a sudden , timely opportunity to get a leg up on the opposition on policy .
The trick at the convention will be balancing the policy pitch to swing voters with the culture-war pitch to base voters .
Tim Alberta asked various Republicans what the GOP stands for now and got this response : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media , ” shrugs Brendan Buck , a longtime senior congressional aide and imperturbable party veteran if ever there was one .
“ That ’ s what we believe in now .
There ’ s really not much more to it.
” With Election Day just a few months away , I was genuinely surprised , in the course of recent conversations with a great many Republicans , at their inability to articulate a purpose , a designation , a raison d ’ être for their party .
Everyone understands that Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” “ Make America Great Again !
” — rather than a policy aficionado .
Even so , it ’ s astonishing how conceptually lifeless the party has become on his watch .
There is no blueprint to fix what is understood to be a broken immigration system .
There is no grand design to modernize the nation ’ s infrastructure .
There is no creative thinking about a conservative , market-based solution to climate change .
There is no meaningful effort to address the cost of housing or childcare or college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideas proposed by the likes of Newt Gingrich and Paul Ryan—term limits , a balanced budget amendment , reforms to Social Security and Medicare , anti-poverty programs—have survived as serious proposals .
Heck , even after a decade spent trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act , Republicans still have no plan to replace it .
( Trust me : If they did , you ’ d hear about it . )
… When I called one party elder , he joked that it ’ s a good thing Republicans decided not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention—because they have produced nothing novel since the last one was written .
Trump and his party have relied more on squabbles than solutions in delivering for their base .
Even some of the president ’ s staunchest supporters concede Buck ’ s point in this regard : The party is now defined primarily by its appetite for conflict , even when that conflict serves no obvious policy goal .
There ’ ll be chatter onstage tonight about jobs and China but the meat of the proceedings will be “ bemoaning media bias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unfair timing of the coronavirus , decrying their loss of culture , rebuking corporate America for kneeling at the altar of social justice and accusing the Deep State of stacking the deck against them , ” as Alberta puts it .
Which is fitting : The party ’ s platform is “ Whatever Trump wants ” and grievance-airing is what he wants .
It ’ s the absolute core of his political persona .
But is the GOP ’ s platform really “ Whatever Trump wants ” ?
Judging by the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s more like “ Whatever congressional Republicans want ” : Unified Republican control of government brought us tax cuts for higher earners as its signature achievement , something very far afield from Trump ’ s populist program in 2016 .
There are policies in which Trump takes an intense personal interest — tariffs are the obvious example — but most of the time he ’ s fine with whatever Congress wants to do .
He ’ s not the one adamantly opposed to a new multi-trillion-dollar stimulus relief deal ; that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He didn ’ t balk when Congress handed him a gigantic spending package in 2018 ; he signed it , despite complaints from some righties about the pricetag .
“ Whatever Trump wants ” is a nice slogan for the party to show off to the base , since so many of them worship Trump , but Trump ’ s own S.O.P .
is frequently “ Whatever Republicans in Congress want.
” The GOP will take that deal , nominal subservience to the president ’ s whims in the expectation that the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ) the legislative agenda .

I don’t know why they went through a song-and-dance here about the pandemic limiting their ability to confer and draft a proper party platform. “Whatever Trump wants to do” is a perfectly accurate statement of what the party’s base thinks the GOP agenda should be.
It is *not*, perhaps, an accurate statement of what the party’s leadership thinks the agenda should be. More on that in a second.
The typo in “RESOLVED” near the end really rounds off the feeling of phoning it in. If the party’s a prisoner to Trump’s whims (or more specifically, a prisoner to the base’s support for Trump’s whims), why even bother proofreading this enabling act? Just dash it off and file it. It would have been better if the sum total of the statement were just the words “Whatever Trump Wants” in Comic Sans.
Trump’s campaign announced his second-term agenda in a statement last night, which presumably is now incorporated as the GOP platform. Some of it is important and doable (a COVID vaccine by the end of the year), some of it is aspirational and not doable (term limits for Congress). The closest thing to a true organizing vision for the next four years is ending American reliance on China, which calls for repatriating lost jobs and “holding China responsible” for its role in spreading COVID. “Informal Trump advisers like Rove and former Gov. Chris Christie have been telling Trumpworld both publicly and privately for months that the president must develop more serious second-term plans in order to win reelection,” Politico reported this morning, noting the numerous times Trump has whiffed in interviews after being asked what his second-term program would be. The president now has something concrete as the GOP convention begins.
I wrote a few days ago that the glaring deficiency in the Democratic convention was how thin on policy it was. Lip service was paid to lefty priorities, but the unmistakable takeaway from four days of messaging was “America can’t cope with this insanity for four more years.” Ironically, that’s given Trump a chance to counter with policy specifics at his own convention, articulating for voters exactly what he hopes to do for them. The party that’s operated as a cult of personality for four years has a sudden, timely opportunity to get a leg up on the opposition on policy.
The trick at the convention will be balancing the policy pitch to swing voters with the culture-war pitch to base voters. Tim Alberta asked various Republicans what the GOP stands for now and got this response:
“Owning the libs and pissing off the media,” shrugs Brendan Buck, a longtime senior congressional aide and imperturbable party veteran if ever there was one. “That’s what we believe in now. There’s really not much more to it.” With Election Day just a few months away, I was genuinely surprised, in the course of recent conversations with a great many Republicans, at their inability to articulate a purpose, a designation, a raison d’être for their party. Everyone understands that Trump is a big-picture sloganeer—“Build the wall!” “Make America Great Again!”— rather than a policy aficionado. Even so, it’s astonishing how conceptually lifeless the party has become on his watch. There is no blueprint to fix what is understood to be a broken immigration system. There is no grand design to modernize the nation’s infrastructure. There is no creative thinking about a conservative, market-based solution to climate change. There is no meaningful effort to address the cost of housing or childcare or college tuition. None of the erstwhile bold ideas proposed by the likes of Newt Gingrich and Paul Ryan—term limits, a balanced budget amendment, reforms to Social Security and Medicare, anti-poverty programs—have survived as serious proposals. Heck, even after a decade spent trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Republicans still have no plan to replace it. (Trust me: If they did, you’d hear about it.)… When I called one party elder, he joked that it’s a good thing Republicans decided not to write a new platform for the 2020 convention—because they have produced nothing novel since the last one was written. Trump and his party have relied more on squabbles than solutions in delivering for their base. Even some of the president’s staunchest supporters concede Buck’s point in this regard: The party is now defined primarily by its appetite for conflict, even when that conflict serves no obvious policy goal.
There’ll be chatter onstage tonight about jobs and China but the meat of the proceedings will be “bemoaning media bias, denouncing the obstructionist Democrats, cursing the unfair timing of the coronavirus, decrying their loss of culture, rebuking corporate America for kneeling at the altar of social justice and accusing the Deep State of stacking the deck against them,” as Alberta puts it. Which is fitting: The party’s platform is “Whatever Trump wants” and grievance-airing is what he wants. It’s the absolute core of his political persona.
But is the GOP’s platform really “Whatever Trump wants”? Judging by the first two years of his presidency, it’s more like “Whatever congressional Republicans want”:
When there’s no platform, agenda control becomes paramount. Maybe Trump will set the agenda if he wins a second term, or maybe other actors will outmaneuver him again. — Matt Glassman (@MattGlassman312) August 24, 2020
Unified Republican control of government brought us tax cuts for higher earners as its signature achievement, something very far afield from Trump’s populist program in 2016. There are policies in which Trump takes an intense personal interest — tariffs are the obvious example — but most of the time he’s fine with whatever Congress wants to do. He’s not the one adamantly opposed to a new multi-trillion-dollar stimulus relief deal; that’s fiscal conservatives in the Senate. He didn’t balk when Congress handed him a gigantic spending package in 2018; he signed it, despite complaints from some righties about the pricetag. “Whatever Trump wants” is a nice slogan for the party to show off to the base, since so many of them worship Trump, but Trump’s own S.O.P. is frequently “Whatever Republicans in Congress want.” The GOP will take that deal, nominal subservience to the president’s whims in the expectation that the party establishment will continue to control (most of) the legislative agenda.


hotair--2020-08-24--Kellyanne Conway resigns to spend more time with her family

Kellyanne Conway , one of the fiercest of President Trump ’ s most loyal supporters , has turned in her resignation .
It isn ’ t something that was expected as Republican convention week kicks off , at least to those of us casual observers .
The excuse often used when a public official leaves his or her position abruptly or is forced out due to scandal is that they want to spend more time with their family .
It ’ s a face-saving way to exit the public eye .
In this case , though , it appears to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , may I say , good for her .
It is not an exaggeration to say that Kellyanne Conway has made her mark in American politics .
She is the first woman in either major party to manage a winning presidential campaign .
I guarantee if she was a Democrat woman , that fact would be stated every time she was introduced before an interview , along with other descriptive credentials .
At the age of 50 , she was considered a late entry into the field of campaign management .
Her resignation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her family needs her attention .
There isn ’ t a working mom alive that can ’ t relate to that .
The past four years have allowed me blessings beyond compare as a part of history on Election Night 2016 and as Senior Counselor to the President .
It ’ s been heady .
It ’ s been humbling .
I am deeply grateful to the President for this honor , and to the First Lady , the Vice President and Mrs. Pence , my colleagues in the White House and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported me and my work .
As many convention speakers will demonstrate this week , President Trump ’ s leadership has had a measurable , positive impact on the peace and prosperity of the nation , and on millions of Americans who feel forgotten no more .
The incredible men , women and children we ’ ve met along the way have reaffirmed my later in life experience that public service can be meaningful and consequential .
For all of its political differences and cultural cleavages , this is a beautiful country filled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America belongs to us all .
I will be transitioning from the White House at the end of this month .
George is also making changes .
We disagree about plenty but we are united on what matters most : the kids .
Our four children are teens and ‘ tweens starting a new academic year , in middle school and high school , remotely from home for at least a few months .
As millions of parents nationwide know , kids “ doing school from home ” requires a level of attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these times .
This is completely my choice and my voice .
In time , I will announce future plans .
For now , and for my beloved children , it will be less drama , more mama .
George is also making changes .
Her husband , George Conway , is taking a break , too .
He ’ s stepped away from his pet project , The Lincoln Project , and is taking a hiatus from social media .
He ’ s an odd duck – a Never Trumper who started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rumored to have interviewed for a position in the administration .
Things took a turn for the worse as the Trump administration rolled on , though , and by 2018 Conway was clearly trying to take his wife ’ s boss out of office .
There have been many awkward tweets and interviews since then from this guy .
The question has been how long Kellyanne would live with his behavior .
In # Unfit : The Psychology of Donald Trump , Conway emotionally tells a personal story about his Filipino heritage to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Man .
He says the final straw was when Trump told The Squad members to go home , meaning out of this country .
He teared up telling a childhood memory with his Filipino mother .
He calls Trump “ like a practical joke that got out of hand ” , a racist and evil .
He admits to voting for Trump in 2016 and applying to work in the Department of Justice .
# Unfit was filmed before Kellyanne ’ s resignation .
Conway tweeted on Sunday that he ’ ll be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t just say that , though , without including his support for The Lincoln Project has not ended .
This is about the Conway children .
There are four and they are in middle school and high school years .
That ’ s a difficult time for any family , much less one where there is an obvious tension between the parents , at least on a professional level .
Add the stress of at-home school for now due to the plague and that is a lot for any family .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ family recently as daughter Claudia has been very vocal in her opposition to Trump on social media .
Claudia is 15 years old .
She has recently flirted with the idea of emancipating herself from her parents .
I think that probably made her parents sit up and take notice that now is the time to stop all this family fighting happening in view of the public .
She ’ s taking a break from Twitter now , too .
Kellyanne will leave the White House at the end of the month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ well and thank her for what she has done for President Trump .
She had a role in saving America from Hillary Clinton and that alone is deserving of our gratitude .

Kellyanne Conway, one of the fiercest of President Trump’s most loyal supporters, has turned in her resignation. It isn’t something that was expected as Republican convention week kicks off, at least to those of us casual observers.
The excuse often used when a public official leaves his or her position abruptly or is forced out due to scandal is that they want to spend more time with their family. It’s a face-saving way to exit the public eye. In this case, though, it appears to be exactly what is happening. And, may I say, good for her.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Kellyanne Conway has made her mark in American politics. She is the first woman in either major party to manage a winning presidential campaign. I guarantee if she was a Democrat woman, that fact would be stated every time she was introduced before an interview, along with other descriptive credentials. At the age of 50, she was considered a late entry into the field of campaign management.
Her resignation letter explained what was already clear – her family needs her attention. There isn’t a working mom alive that can’t relate to that.
The past four years have allowed me blessings beyond compare as a part of history on Election Night 2016 and as Senior Counselor to the President. It’s been heady. It’s been humbling. I am deeply grateful to the President for this honor, and to the First Lady, the Vice President and Mrs. Pence, my colleagues in the White House and the Administration, and the countless people who supported me and my work. As many convention speakers will demonstrate this week, President Trump’s leadership has had a measurable, positive impact on the peace and prosperity of the nation, and on millions of Americans
who feel forgotten no more. The incredible men, women and children we’ve met along the way have reaffirmed my later in life experience that public service can be meaningful and consequential. For all of its political differences and cultural cleavages, this is a beautiful country filled with amazing people. The promise of America belongs to us all. I will be transitioning from the White House at the end of this month. George is also making changes
.
We disagree about plenty but we are united on what matters most: the kids. Our four children are teens and ‘tweens starting a new academic year, in middle school and high school, remotely from home for at least a few months. As millions of parents nationwide know, kids “doing school from home” requires a level of attention and vigilance that is as unusual as these times. This is completely my choice and my voice. In time, I will announce future plans. For now, and for my beloved children, it will be less drama, more mama.
George is also making changes. Her husband, George Conway, is taking a break, too. He’s stepped away from his pet project, The Lincoln Project, and is taking a hiatus from social media. He’s an odd duck – a Never Trumper who started out in support of Trump and was rumored to have interviewed for a position in the administration. Things took a turn for the worse as the Trump administration rolled on, though, and by 2018 Conway was clearly trying to take his wife’s boss out of office. There have been many awkward tweets and interviews since then from this guy. The question has been how long Kellyanne would live with his behavior.
In #Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump, Conway emotionally tells a personal story about his Filipino heritage to justify his opposition to the bad Orange Man. He says the final straw was when Trump told The Squad members to go home, meaning out of this country. He teared up telling a childhood memory with his Filipino mother. He calls Trump “like a practical joke that got out of hand”, a racist and evil. He admits to voting for Trump in 2016 and applying to work in the Department of Justice. #Unfit was filmed before Kellyanne’s resignation.
Conway tweeted on Sunday that he’ll be taking a break from Twitter. He couldn’t just say that, though, without including his support for The Lincoln Project has not ended.
So I’m withdrawing from @ProjectLincoln to devote more time to family matters. And I’ll be taking a Twitter hiatus. Needless to say, I continue to support the Lincoln Project and its mission. Passionately. — George Conway (@gtconway3d) August 24, 2020
This is about the Conway children. There are four and they are in middle school and high school years. That’s a difficult time for any family, much less one where there is an obvious tension between the parents, at least on a professional level. Add the stress of at-home school for now due to the plague and that is a lot for any family. Friction has been very public within the family recently as daughter Claudia has been very vocal in her opposition to Trump on social media. Claudia is 15 years old. She has recently flirted with the idea of emancipating herself from her parents. I think that probably made her parents sit up and take notice that now is the time to stop all this family fighting happening in view of the public.
y’all love to twist everything 😭😭 i’m not getting emancipated because of my mom’s job.. it is because of years of childhood trauma and abuse — CLAUDIA CONWAY (@claudiamconwayy) August 23, 2020
She’s taking a break from Twitter now, too.
this is becoming way too much so i am taking a mental health break from social media. see y’all soon. thank you for the love and support. no hate to my parents please. ❤ — CLAUDIA CONWAY (@claudiamconwayy) August 23, 2020
Kellyanne will leave the White House at the end of the month. We can wish her and her family well and thank her for what she has done for President Trump. She had a role in saving America from Hillary Clinton and that alone is deserving of our gratitude.


hotair--2020-08-24--NRA PAC fundraising is taking a hit

NRA PAC fundraising is taking a hit

When we previously discussed New York Attorney General Letitia James ’ efforts to dissolve the National Rifle Association in its entirety , I noted that many legal analysts have weighed in on the subject negatively , including some of the NRA ’ s traditionally ardent opponents .
This legal maneuver has all the characteristics of a political hit job in the making and James may be overreaching to the point where her entire effort will collapse in upon itself .
But at the same time , some of the allegations she ’ s bringing forward obviously have the ring of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time , the only real “ victims ” in the alleged fiscal abuses of Wayne LaPierre and others are the members who have donated millions of dollars to the cause every year .
And if there is any blowback coming to the upper management of the NRA , it would ( and probably should ) be coming in the form of people voting with their wallets and their feet rather than some court-ordered mandate .
There hasn ’ t been much time for all of this news to sink into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible that we ’ re seeing an early indicator of just such a response .
The Free Beacon reports this week that contributions to the group ’ s PAC , the NRA Political Victory Fund ( PVF ) , and its associated Super PAC have registered some of their worst fundraising numbers in many months .
The National Rifle Association ’ s political action committee saw a steep drop-off in fundraising during the month of July , federal records show .
The NRA Political Victory Fund ( PVF ) brought in $ 628,404 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Federal Election Commission , down 42 percent from June when the group brought in more than $ 1.1 million .
The new fundraising haul is the lowest for the PAC since January .
This amount is also a 42 percent drop from the same time period during the 2016 election cycle .
An NRA official with knowledge of the group ’ s fundraising plans said the July shortfall was due to a shift in strategy .
The official said the group is undertaking a major fundraising campaign centered around August ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on background went on to claim that this dip in fundraising was anticipated because the group ’ s approach to the general election was focused primarily on the conventions of the two parties and the weeks that follow .
They will be focusing both their fundraising and their advertising on the period we ’ re entering into right now and targeting key markets in critical contests .
The spokesperson went on to point out that the PVF still has $ 15.4 million in cash on hand at the moment .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same period during the 2016 election .
Those are definitely valid points and bode well for the NRA ’ s ability to get their pro-Second Amendment message out to voters .
But at the same time , as I noted above , we ’ re only a few weeks into this new era of bad headlines about the group and the spending habits of those in charge .
It ’ s still possible that the NRA ’ s members and regular donors may shrug the news off , for the most part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an opportunity to mend their ways and do better going forward .
But if these sagging contributions continue in the coming months , the group could be in serious trouble .
I doubt that a court will dissolve them , but a lack of faith in the organization ’ s handling of donations that results in fewer contributions and people failing to renew their memberships could weaken the NRA significantly .
It would be a shame if that were to happen .
The NRA has been a loud and effective voice for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very long time .
Yes , there are some other groups out there with similar goals , but none of them have the established reach and experience of the National Rifle Association when it comes to electoral advocacy on this topic .
Personally , I ’ m taking a wait and see attitude before making up my mind .
If the NRA refuses to address the issue and simply remains in denial ( assuming verifiable proof of profligate spending is offered ) , I might begin to feel differently .
But for now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them a chance and see if they can straighten up their own house .

When we previously discussed New York Attorney General Letitia James’ efforts to dissolve the National Rifle Association in its entirety, I noted that many legal analysts have weighed in on the subject negatively, including some of the NRA’s traditionally ardent opponents. This legal maneuver has all the characteristics of a political hit job in the making and James may be overreaching to the point where her entire effort will collapse in upon itself. But at the same time, some of the allegations she’s bringing forward obviously have the ring of truth to them.
As I wrote at the time, the only real “victims” in the alleged fiscal abuses of Wayne LaPierre and others are the members who have donated millions of dollars to the cause every year. And if there is any blowback coming to the upper management of the NRA, it would (and probably should) be coming in the form of people voting with their wallets and their feet rather than some court-ordered mandate. There hasn’t been much time for all of this news to sink into the system yet, but it’s possible that we’re seeing an early indicator of just such a response. The Free Beacon reports this week that contributions to the group’s PAC, the NRA Political Victory Fund (PVF), and its associated Super PAC have registered some of their worst fundraising numbers in many months.
The National Rifle Association’s political action committee saw a steep drop-off in fundraising during the month of July, federal records show. The NRA Political Victory Fund (PVF) brought in $628,404 in July, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission, down 42 percent from June when the group brought in more than $1.1 million. The new fundraising haul is the lowest for the PAC since January. This amount is also a 42 percent drop from the same time period during the 2016 election cycle. An NRA official with knowledge of the group’s fundraising plans said the July shortfall was due to a shift in strategy. The official said the group is undertaking a major fundraising campaign centered around August’s political conventions.
An NRA spokesperson speaking on background went on to claim that this dip in fundraising was anticipated because the group’s approach to the general election was focused primarily on the conventions of the two parties and the weeks that follow. They will be focusing both their fundraising and their advertising on the period we’re entering into right now and targeting key markets in critical contests.
The spokesperson went on to point out that the PVF still has $15.4 million in cash on hand at the moment. That’s three million more than they had during the same period during the 2016 election. Those are definitely valid points and bode well for the NRA’s ability to get their pro-Second Amendment message out to voters. But at the same time, as I noted above, we’re only a few weeks into this new era of bad headlines about the group and the spending habits of those in charge.
It’s still possible that the NRA’s members and regular donors may shrug the news off, for the most part, expecting the leadership to accept this as an opportunity to mend their ways and do better going forward. But if these sagging contributions continue in the coming months, the group could be in serious trouble. I doubt that a court will dissolve them, but a lack of faith in the organization’s handling of donations that results in fewer contributions and people failing to renew their memberships could weaken the NRA significantly.
It would be a shame if that were to happen. The NRA has been a loud and effective voice for defenders of the Second Amendment for a very long time. Yes, there are some other groups out there with similar goals, but none of them have the established reach and experience of the National Rifle Association when it comes to electoral advocacy on this topic. Personally, I’m taking a wait and see attitude before making up my mind. If the NRA refuses to address the issue and simply remains in denial (assuming verifiable proof of profligate spending is offered), I might begin to feel differently. But for now, I’m willing to give them a chance and see if they can straighten up their own house.