hotair--2020-04-23--Video: Greta Thunberg's 60 seconds of an Earth Day scold premieres

Fortunately , Greta Thunberg is not shouting her standard mantra during a newly released ad meant to capture attention toward her favorite topic – climate change .
There is no screeching declaration of “ Our house is on fire ” heard .
Instead , a family goes about beginning their day as the rooms of the family home are on fire .
All of them are oblivious to the flames all around them .
Then as the ad ends , the words appear on the screen .
“ Our house is on fire.
” “ React.
” A little on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say ?
Thunberg ’ s outrage is centered around her belief that people around the world are not paying attention to climate change .
Her organization , Fridays for Future , is all about organizing protests and marches and rallies with young people taking the lead .
Sadly , gullible adults have followed her call and joined in with the precocious Swedish teenager , perfectly content to be guided by a high school student who aspires to dictate environmental policy around the world .
Adweek describes the ad as ‘ visceral ’ .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The climate change movement is centered around appealing to the emotions of its followers .
What better way to appeal to suburban moms and dads than to use a backdrop that could be their own home or family morning routine ?
The spreading fire speaks to the urgency alleged by the activists .
“ We believe it ’ s time people realize that climate change isn ’ t going to happen , but that it ’ s already happening , ” said Joe Hobbs , an organizer at Fridays for Future U.S. “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it ’ s a serious problem we face on a daily basis .
Unfortunately , we ’ ve moved past the time where it ’ s enough just to be worried .
We need immediate , collective action .
We hope that by watching this video , people will realize they need to take action now instead of putting it off until later.
” FF Los Angeles , an advertising agency that has previously done work to promote Thunberg ’ s organization , is behind the Earth Day ad .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carbon emissions are down now due to the international economic shutdown , pollution levels will increase as business and commerce re-open back up .
Hysteria is necessary to promote the urgency of the topic in their way of thinking .
We earthlings only have 12 years until we all die from climate change , you know .
This is a good time to point out that the Webby Awards will get a little political this year .
The Webby Awards are presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Webby Awards executive director Claire Graves said , “ The global impact of Covid-19 has exposed the importance of competent leadership at every level of government to ensure the health and safety of its citizens .
It ’ s become clearer than ever before that voting matters .
That ’ s why we ’ re so excited to work with Vote.org to do our part to help make voter turnout in the 2020 election the biggest in U.S. history.
” Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey added , “ We are thrilled to be partnering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people to check their registration status .
There has never been a more important time for voters to have access to digital tools that empower them to participate in our democracy from their home .
With Covid-19 , we see election rules and access to voting changing every day .
It is critical to ensure that every eligible voter in America can have their voice heard this November.
” Miss Thunberg is sticking with her message and that of leftists here in the United States , too .
They want to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ramp up efforts to push their socialist agendas .
The 50th observation of Earth Day this week gives them a reason to point to the international shutdown of life as we know it and say , see , if we listen to scientists we can change everything .
That everything includes economic disaster across the globe , but never mind .
“ Whether we like it or not , the world has changed .
It looks completely different now from how it did a few months ago .
It may never look the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new way forward , ” she told a YouTube audience in a virtual meeting to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day .
“ If the coronavirus crisis has shown us one thing , it is that our society is not sustainable .
If one single virus can destroy economies in a couple of weeks , it shows we are not thinking long-term and taking risks into account.
” Ah , to be so young and naive .
We don ’ t like it , Greta .
People want to work and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply stop in order to satisfy fever dreams of some environmental activists for a world in which there are zero carbon emissions .
Other youth climate change activists didn ’ t let shelter-in-place mandates stop their Earth Day events , they just put them online .
The United States Youth Climate Strike Coalition organized a three-day event .
With social gatherings postponed indefinitely as people worldwide practice social distancing to stave off the novel coronavirus pandemic , youth activists are bringing methods of civil disobedience online .
This week , the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youth groups across the U.S. , helped create Earth Day Live — a three-day climate programming event marking the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970 — to affirm that climate action is needed now more than ever .
Against all odds , the climate movement has persisted to organize national actions that encapsulate our demands , while preserving the safety of those most at-risk .
We can not march or gather in public without risking the health of those around us .
We can not protest in traditional ways , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our lawmakers vote with our interests in mind .
In Earth Day Live , we ’ ve prepared programming that outlines our need for big banks to divest from the fossil fuel industry , our rallying cries to turn out the youth vote , and our desire for immediate legislation that protects against further global warming and environmental disenfranchisement of our most vulnerable communities .
Pressing forward with solutions is challenging .
But canceling Earth Day was never an option — being a climate activist , at its very core , is about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll end with this little nugget – last night actress/activist Jane Fonda was a contestant on the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ?
She was sporting a Fire Drill Fridays sweater because of course , she was .
The celebrity contestants are playing for their favorite charities .
Hanoi Jane didn ’ t make it to the top prize of $ 1 million .
She walked away with $ 125,000 for Fire Drill Fridays .
That should pay for a few more protests and fines .
Oh boy @

Fortunately, Greta Thunberg is not shouting her standard mantra during a newly released ad meant to capture attention toward her favorite topic – climate change. There is no screeching declaration of “Our house is on fire” heard. Instead, a family goes about beginning their day as the rooms of the family home are on fire. All of them are oblivious to the flames all around them. Then as the ad ends, the words appear on the screen. “Our house is on fire.” “React.”
A little on the nose, wouldn’t you say? Thunberg’s outrage is centered around her belief that people around the world are not paying attention to climate change. Her organization, Fridays for Future, is all about organizing protests and marches and rallies with young people taking the lead. Sadly, gullible adults have followed her call and joined in with the precocious Swedish teenager, perfectly content to be guided by a high school student who aspires to dictate environmental policy around the world.
Adweek describes the ad as ‘visceral’. That’s an apt description. The climate change movement is centered around appealing to the emotions of its followers. What better way to appeal to suburban moms and dads than to use a backdrop that could be their own home or family morning routine? The spreading fire speaks to the urgency alleged by the activists.
“We believe it’s time people realize that climate change isn’t going to happen, but that it’s already happening,” said Joe Hobbs, an organizer at Fridays for Future U.S. “You may have become accustomed to it, but it’s a serious problem we face on a daily basis. Unfortunately, we’ve moved past the time where it’s enough just to be worried. We need immediate, collective action. We hope that by watching this video, people will realize they need to take action now instead of putting it off until later.”
FF Los Angeles, an advertising agency that has previously done work to promote Thunberg’s organization, is behind the Earth Day ad. The purpose is to remind people that though carbon emissions are down now due to the international economic shutdown, pollution levels will increase as business and commerce re-open back up. Hysteria is necessary to promote the urgency of the topic in their way of thinking. We earthlings only have 12 years until we all die from climate change, you know.
“This young and highly inspiring organization founded by visionary activist Greta Thunberg is making a huge impact, and our agency is honored to help in any way that we can,” wrote the founders of FF (previously known as Fred & Farid), who collaborated with Fridays for Future on “Local Warming,” a December campaign that reimagined beloved destinations after climate change.
This is a good time to point out that the Webby Awards will get a little political this year. The Webby Awards are presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences to honor excellence on the Internet.
The Webby Awards executive director Claire Graves said, “The global impact of Covid-19 has exposed the importance of competent leadership at every level of government to ensure the health and safety of its citizens. It’s become clearer than ever before that voting matters. That’s why we’re so excited to work with Vote.org to do our part to help make voter turnout in the 2020 election the biggest in U.S. history.” Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey added, “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Webby Awards to encourage millions of people to check their registration status. There has never been a more important time for voters to have access to digital tools that empower them to participate in our democracy from their home. With Covid-19, we see election rules and access to voting changing every day. It is critical to ensure that every eligible voter in America can have their voice heard this November.”
Miss Thunberg is sticking with her message and that of leftists here in the United States, too. They want to use the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to ramp up efforts to push their socialist agendas. The 50th observation of Earth Day this week gives them a reason to point to the international shutdown of life as we know it and say, see, if we listen to scientists we can change everything. That everything includes economic disaster across the globe, but never mind.
“Whether we like it or not, the world has changed. It looks completely different now from how it did a few months ago. It may never look the same again. We have to choose a new way forward,” she told a YouTube audience in a virtual meeting to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. “If the coronavirus crisis has shown us one thing, it is that our society is not sustainable. If one single virus can destroy economies in a couple of weeks, it shows we are not thinking long-term and taking risks into account.”
Ah, to be so young and naive. We don’t like it, Greta. People want to work and support their families. Commerce can not simply stop in order to satisfy fever dreams of some environmental activists for a world in which there are zero carbon emissions.
Other youth climate change activists didn’t let shelter-in-place mandates stop their Earth Day events, they just put them online. The United States Youth Climate Strike Coalition organized a three-day event.
With social gatherings postponed indefinitely as people worldwide practice social distancing to stave off the novel coronavirus pandemic, youth activists are bringing methods of civil disobedience online. This week, the United States Youth Climate Strike Coalition, composed of youth groups across the U.S., helped create Earth Day Live — a three-day climate programming event marking the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970 — to affirm that climate action is needed now more than ever. Against all odds, the climate movement has persisted to organize national actions that encapsulate our demands, while preserving the safety of those most at-risk. We cannot march or gather in public without risking the health of those around us. We cannot protest in traditional ways, nor can we storm legislatures to demand our lawmakers vote with our interests in mind. In Earth Day Live, we’ve prepared programming that outlines our need for big banks to divest from the fossil fuel industry, our rallying cries to turn out the youth vote, and our desire for immediate legislation that protects against further global warming and environmental disenfranchisement of our most vulnerable communities. Pressing forward with solutions is challenging. But canceling Earth Day was never an option — being a climate activist, at its very core, is about persistence in the face of catastrophe.
I’ll end with this little nugget – last night actress/activist Jane Fonda was a contestant on the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? She was sporting a Fire Drill Fridays sweater because of course, she was. The celebrity contestants are playing for their favorite charities. Hanoi Jane didn’t make it to the top prize of $1 million. She walked away with $125,000 for Fire Drill Fridays. That should pay for a few more protests and fines. Oh boy.


hotair--2020-04-23--Study wonders: Who wins the battleground states this fall if ... coronavirus kills a lot of elderly

Study wonders: Who wins the battleground states this fall if ... coronavirus kills a lot of elderly voters?

Are we actually going to have swing-state polls this year with asterisks attached to the 65+ group ?
E.g .
: I ’ m not ready for election models that incorporate the risk of mass death into the forecast .
But if we ’ re going to be so ghoulish as to contemplate this , it ’ s important to bear in mind that Biden , not Trump , currently leads among senior citizens .
I wrote about that yesterday .
It ’ s the single most consequential demographic shift from 2016 to now , at least so far .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few hundred thousand seniors this year , one would think right now it would take more of a bite out of the Democrats ’ vote share than the president ’ s .
Academic researchers writing in a little-noticed public administration journal — Administrative Theory & Praxis — conclude that when considering nothing other than the tens of thousands of deaths projected from the virus , demographic shifts alone could be enough to swing crucial states to Joe Biden in the fall… Johnson and his colleagues Wendi Pollock and Beth M. Rauhaus projected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect , about 11,000 more Republicans than Democrats who are 65 and older could die before the election in both Michigan and North Carolina .
In Pennsylvania , should the state return to using only social distancing to fight infections , over 13,000 more Republican than Democratic voters in that age category could be lost .
“ The virus is killing more older voters , and in many states that ’ s the key to a GOP victory , ” said one of the authors .
Yes , normally that ’ s true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least not so far .
I haven ’ t done a deep dive into the study itself but the authors seem to just assume that older voters will vote Republican because that ’ s what they did in 2016 .
( “ According to the Pew Research Center , when data from the 2016 U.S. Presidential election was analyzed , the Republican candidate ( Donald Trump ) had an advantage with voters fifty and older… ” ) Politico notes that they also used a worst-case-scenario model of the death toll from the COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of death “ orders of magnitude higher than what ’ s borne out so far in battleground states.
” Let ’ s do some back-of-the-envelope math to see if we can gauge a more realistic electoral effect from seniors dying .
The worst-case scenario in the White House ’ s more plausible model of the epidemic imagines 240,000 Americans dying .
Let ’ s assume that 75 percent of those deaths , or 180,000 people , comes from the 65+ group .
Let ’ s also assume for ease of analysis that deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distributed across the population .
That would mean that Michigan , which has about three percent of the U.S. population , would see about 5,400 people aged 65 or older die of COVID-19 .
Now assume that either Trump or Biden wins the 65+ age group in Michigan by a comfortable 55/45 margin , a realistic best-case scenario for either man .
( Trump topped Hillary in MI by four points in 2016 . )
That would mean that the winner of the senior demographic would have lost 2,970 votes due to coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,430 votes .
A grand difference of 540 votes .
Michigan ’ s not going to come down to 540 votes .
I think .
I ’ m pretty sure .
Even if the authors are right that Trump will ultimately rebound and win the 65+ group , I ’ d imagine a lot depends on geography .
Biden ’ s base of seniors is more likely to live in higher-density places like cities , Trump ’ s in lower-density rural areas .
That leaves Biden ’ s base more exposed potentially .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican voters in swing states will end up with more bad outcomes than Democratic ones .
Look at this new Fox News poll of Michigan and tell me that Trump , rather than Biden , has more votes to lose potentially due to deaths among senior citizens .
Biden ’ s 8-point advantage over Trump , 49-41 percent , is slightly larger than the poll ’ s margin of sampling error .
However , both candidates remain below 50 percent and 10 percent of voters are still up for grabs… The former vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ +20 points ) , non-whites ( +63 ) , and voters over age 65 ( +19 ) … But likeability could be the key .
By a 10-point margin , more have a favorable ( 53 percent ) than unfavorable ( 43 percent ) opinion of Biden .
Views of Trump are net negative by 8 points ( 44 favorable , 52 unfavorable ) .
Biden ’ s lead among women , a core Democratic group , is nearly identical to his lead among senior citizens , a core Republican group .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s chances if he doesn ’ t fix it .
A separate set of polls from Reuters today finds Biden leading in all three midwestern swing states , by three in Wisconsin , by six in Pennsylvania , and by eight in Michigan , the same as Fox has it .
For all the criticism of Biden for having disappeared from American TV sets over the past month , his vanishing act seems to be only helping him .
It ’ s turned the race into a pure referendum on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generic Democrat , and voters haven ’ t liked what they ’ ve seen lately from the president in handling the COVID epidemic .
If I were Biden I ’ d continue to lie low unless and until Trump ’ s fortunes rebound .
Every interview he avoids that would have led him to lapse into incoherence if he ’ d participated is a net win .
Exit question : Is Obama going to be Biden ’ s attack dog against Trump on the coronavirus response ?
I ’ ve been skeptical , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m more convinced .

Are we actually going to have swing-state polls this year with asterisks attached to the 65+ group? E.g.:
65 and older: Biden 51, Trump 47 ***ASSUMING 95% SURVIVE
I’m not ready for election models that incorporate the risk of mass death into the forecast. But if we’re going to be so ghoulish as to contemplate this, it’s important to bear in mind that Biden, not Trump, currently leads among senior citizens. I wrote about that yesterday. It’s the single most consequential demographic shift from 2016 to now, at least so far. If, God forbid, COVID-19 claims a few hundred thousand seniors this year, one would think right now it would take more of a bite out of the Democrats’ vote share than the president’s.
Academic researchers writing in a little-noticed public administration journal — Administrative Theory & Praxis — conclude that when considering nothing other than the tens of thousands of deaths projected from the virus, demographic shifts alone could be enough to swing crucial states to Joe Biden in the fall… Johnson and his colleagues Wendi Pollock and Beth M. Rauhaus projected that even with shelter-in-place orders remaining in effect, about 11,000 more Republicans than Democrats who are 65 and older could die before the election in both Michigan and North Carolina. In Pennsylvania, should the state return to using only social distancing to fight infections, over 13,000 more Republican than Democratic voters in that age category could be lost.
“The virus is killing more older voters, and in many states that’s the key to a GOP victory,” said one of the authors. Yes, normally that’s true, but not this year, at least not so far. I haven’t done a deep dive into the study itself but the authors seem to just assume that older voters will vote Republican because that’s what they did in 2016. (“According to the Pew Research Center, when data from the 2016 U.S. Presidential election was analyzed, the Republican candidate (Donald Trump) had an advantage with voters fifty and older…”) Politico notes that they also used a worst-case-scenario model of the death toll from the COVID epidemic, one that forecasts a number of death “orders of magnitude higher than what’s borne out so far in battleground states.”
Let’s do some back-of-the-envelope math to see if we can gauge a more realistic electoral effect from seniors dying. The worst-case scenario in the White House’s more plausible model of the epidemic imagines 240,000 Americans dying. Let’s assume that 75 percent of those deaths, or 180,000 people, comes from the 65+ group. Let’s also assume for ease of analysis that deaths among senior citizens from coronavirus are evenly distributed across the population. That would mean that Michigan, which has about three percent of the U.S. population, would see about 5,400 people aged 65 or older die of COVID-19. Now assume that either Trump or Biden wins the 65+ age group in Michigan by a comfortable 55/45 margin, a realistic best-case scenario for either man. (Trump topped Hillary in MI by four points in 2016.) That would mean that the winner of the senior demographic would have lost 2,970 votes due to coronavirus deaths while the loser would have lost 2,430 votes.
A grand difference of 540 votes. Michigan’s not going to come down to 540 votes. I think. I’m pretty sure.
Even if the authors are right that Trump will ultimately rebound and win the 65+ group, I’d imagine a lot depends on geography. Biden’s base of seniors is more likely to live in higher-density places like cities, Trump’s in lower-density rural areas. That leaves Biden’s base more exposed potentially. It’s hard to see how Republican voters in swing states will end up with more bad outcomes than Democratic ones.
Look at this new Fox News poll of Michigan and tell me that Trump, rather than Biden, has more votes to lose potentially due to deaths among senior citizens.
Biden’s 8-point advantage over Trump, 49-41 percent, is slightly larger than the poll’s margin of sampling error. However, both candidates remain below 50 percent and 10 percent of voters are still up for grabs… The former vice president owes his lead to women (+20 points), non-whites (+63), and voters over age 65 (+19)… But likeability could be the key. By a 10-point margin, more have a favorable (53 percent) than unfavorable (43 percent) opinion of Biden. Views of Trump are net negative by 8 points (44 favorable, 52 unfavorable).
Biden’s lead among women, a core Democratic group, is nearly identical to his lead among senior citizens, a core Republican group. That’s mind-boggling, and fatal to the president’s chances if he doesn’t fix it. A separate set of polls from Reuters today finds Biden leading in all three midwestern swing states, by three in Wisconsin, by six in Pennsylvania, and by eight in Michigan, the same as Fox has it. For all the criticism of Biden for having disappeared from American TV sets over the past month, his vanishing act seems to be only helping him. It’s turned the race into a pure referendum on Trump, with Biden as the proverbial generic Democrat, and voters haven’t liked what they’ve seen lately from the president in handling the COVID epidemic. If I were Biden I’d continue to lie low unless and until Trump’s fortunes rebound. Every interview he avoids that would have led him to lapse into incoherence if he’d participated is a net win.
Exit question: Is Obama going to be Biden’s attack dog against Trump on the coronavirus response? I’ve been skeptical, but after reading this tweet I’m more convinced.


hotair--2020-04-24--NYT: Identity politics bite Biden as he considers VP choice

We ’ ve entered a really fun stage of the presidential election cycle .
The speculation is on over who Joe Biden will pick as his vice-presidential choice .
Let the games begin .
Biden has boxed himself into a corner because of the fact that he committed to picking a woman as his running mate .
“ I commit that I will in fact pick a woman to be vice president , ” he said during the March Democrat debate against Bernie Sanders .
Sanders showed more restraint than Biden in falling for an easy pander to the viewing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely ” choose a woman .
Now , since simply choosing a woman isn ’ t enough , the party leaders are weighing in on a new piece of the puzzle .
Should Joe Biden choose a black woman or a white woman ?
Let me go ahead and answer that question right now .
He will choose a black woman as his running mate .
An article in the New York Times today dives into that question .
While an argument can ( and should ) be made that there are some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finalists that would bring in electoral votes for him , it may prove to be a fatal decision if he doesn ’ t pick a black woman .
For example , both Michigan Governor Whitmer and Minnesota ’ s Senator Amy Klobuchar are in the running , if rumors are correct .
Either of those two white women would bring along some important votes from the Upper Midwest region .
Michigan and Minnesota are both considered up for grabs this election cycle .
But we all know it ’ s not that simple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grabbing the ears of the Biden campaign and urging their favorites to be the official choice .
Rev .
Al Sharpton is pushing hard for the Unofficial Governor of Georgia , Stacey Abrams .
The NYT reports that Sharpton and Biden speak frequently which is enough to make any conservative cringe hard .
Sharpton is expected to announce his support of Abrams next week .
This is where I ask when did official announcements of preferences for vice-presidential choices become a thing ?
Anyway , Democrats continue to bow to the wishes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we ’ ll see if Joe Biden caves to his wishes .
Democrats are particularly sensitive this time around because in 2016 Hillary Clinton ’ s presidential bid saw a decrease in black voters for the Democrat nominee for the first time in twenty years .
Remember that during the 2016 presidential race , Hillary had Senator Cory Booker on her shortlist of running mates .
He made the argument at the time that as the only black person on her list , he ’ d be the one to pick because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hillary , a status quo candidate , chose Tim Kaine instead and we all know how it turned out .
Clinton could never quite capture the enthusiasm of the Obama coalition and failed to win back the White House for Democrats .
So , in 2020 , Democrats don ’ t want to make that mistake again .
That is why I don ’ t think that the Biden campaign will be choosing a white woman and make it an all-white ticket again .
There is nothing new in a man-woman ticket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened in both parties in past elections .
But , there has never been a black woman chosen as a vice-president .
The pressure is on .
What better way to call President Trump a racist white supremacist at every campaign stop than to have a black woman doing it ?
I can certainly see it happening .
Remember that Joe Biden listed the riot/protest at Charlottesville as the deciding factor when he entered the Democrat primary .
The anti-Trump media lapped up that story .
Stacey Abrams has been brazenly campaigning for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Usually , a politician will quietly let a campaign know of his or her interest in the job .
Not Stacey .
She ’ s loudly proclaiming herself as the only logical choice .
I wrote about Abrams ’ interview in Elle magazine just 6 days ago which wasn ’ t anywhere near a normal interview .
It was a puff piece in which she was given the platform to unapologetically name herself as the obvious choice .
No foreign policy experience ?
Never mind that , she ’ s “ independently studied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know .
She has the least experience in elected office or executive experience of any of the women allegedly on the list but she ’ s black so that trumps all in the party of identity politics .
This election is a bit different than the others .
In normal presidential elections , the vice-presidential pick ends up not making much difference .
This year , the choice is Joe Biden and he ’ s not only elderly at the age of 77 years old ( he ’ ll turn 78 just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , he is by all appearances in a mental and physical decline .
He can ’ t articulate a thought beyond a few words strung together and frequently appears to be confused , almost dazed , as he looks into the camera during virtual interviews delivered from his home basement .
If you can watch him without cringing , more power to you .
Will he survive to November without being replaced ?
I don ’ t think the DNC is bold enough to take the nomination away from him at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is elected , does he survive a full four-year term ?
I wouldn ’ t bet on it .
His vice-presidential choice is quite important , just in case he wins .
What about Senator Kamala Harris ?
Yet Mr. Biden is facing other factors and pressures as well .
He has said he wants someone who is prepared to step into the vice presidency immediately , a nod to the value he puts on government and leadership experience .
He would be the oldest president ever , 78 on Inauguration Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , possibly , a potential successor .
With the country deep into the coronavirus pandemic , voters will also assess whether his running mate appears capable of handling the worst national crisis since World War II .
Ms. Harris , who has statewide and national experience , is seen in the Biden camp as a more likely pick than Ms. Abrams , who was a state legislative leader for a decade before losing her bid for governor .
Still , some Democrats believe that choosing a hands-on governor or veteran senator is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms. Harris , who was attorney general of California and has been in the Senate for three years .
Some Democrats are urging other choices than Abrams .
San Fran Gran Pelosi is floating names like Rep. Val Demings ( of Trump impeachment trial fame ) and Rep. Marcia Fudge .
House Majority Whip James Clyburn , credited for the Biden win in South Carolina , is speaking favorably of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms .
Biden is being encouraged to make a choice soon .
Keep the popcorn handy .

We’ve entered a really fun stage of the presidential election cycle. The speculation is on over who Joe Biden will pick as his vice-presidential choice. Let the games begin.
Biden has boxed himself into a corner because of the fact that he committed to picking a woman as his running mate. “I commit that I will in fact pick a woman to be vice president,” he said during the March Democrat debate against Bernie Sanders. Sanders showed more restraint than Biden in falling for an easy pander to the viewing audience – he said he would “likely” choose a woman. Now, since simply choosing a woman isn’t enough, the party leaders are weighing in on a new piece of the puzzle. Should Joe Biden choose a black woman or a white woman?
Let me go ahead and answer that question right now. He will choose a black woman as his running mate. An article in the New York Times today dives into that question. While an argument can (and should) be made that there are some white women on his alleged list of finalists that would bring in electoral votes for him, it may prove to be a fatal decision if he doesn’t pick a black woman. For example, both Michigan Governor Whitmer and Minnesota’s Senator Amy Klobuchar are in the running, if rumors are correct. Either of those two white women would bring along some important votes from the Upper Midwest region. Michigan and Minnesota are both considered up for grabs this election cycle.
But we all know it’s not that simple. Black activists and public figures are grabbing the ears of the Biden campaign and urging their favorites to be the official choice. Rev. Al Sharpton is pushing hard for the Unofficial Governor of Georgia, Stacey Abrams. The NYT reports that Sharpton and Biden speak frequently which is enough to make any conservative cringe hard. Sharpton is expected to announce his support of Abrams next week. This is where I ask when did official announcements of preferences for vice-presidential choices become a thing? Anyway, Democrats continue to bow to the wishes of phony Rev. Al for some reason and we’ll see if Joe Biden caves to his wishes.
Democrats are particularly sensitive this time around because in 2016 Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid saw a decrease in black voters for the Democrat nominee for the first time in twenty years. Remember that during the 2016 presidential race, Hillary had Senator Cory Booker on her shortlist of running mates. He made the argument at the time that as the only black person on her list, he’d be the one to pick because he could garner enthusiasm from black voters. Hillary, a status quo candidate, chose Tim Kaine instead and we all know how it turned out. Clinton could never quite capture the enthusiasm of the Obama coalition and failed to win back the White House for Democrats. So, in 2020, Democrats don’t want to make that mistake again. That is why I don’t think that the Biden campaign will be choosing a white woman and make it an all-white ticket again.
There is nothing new in a man-woman ticket at the top. It’s happened in both parties in past elections. But, there has never been a black woman chosen as a vice-president. The pressure is on. What better way to call President Trump a racist white supremacist at every campaign stop than to have a black woman doing it? I can certainly see it happening. Remember that Joe Biden listed the riot/protest at Charlottesville as the deciding factor when he entered the Democrat primary. The anti-Trump media lapped up that story.
Stacey Abrams has been brazenly campaigning for herself as Joe’s pick. Usually, a politician will quietly let a campaign know of his or her interest in the job. Not Stacey. She’s loudly proclaiming herself as the only logical choice. I wrote about Abrams’ interview in Elle magazine just 6 days ago which wasn’t anywhere near a normal interview. It was a puff piece in which she was given the platform to unapologetically name herself as the obvious choice. No foreign policy experience? Never mind that, she’s “independently studied” that subject for years, you know. She has the least experience in elected office or executive experience of any of the women allegedly on the list but she’s black so that trumps all in the party of identity politics.
This election is a bit different than the others. In normal presidential elections, the vice-presidential pick ends up not making much difference. This year, the choice is Joe Biden and he’s not only elderly at the age of 77 years old (he’ll turn 78 just a couple of weeks after the November election), he is by all appearances in a mental and physical decline. He can’t articulate a thought beyond a few words strung together and frequently appears to be confused, almost dazed, as he looks into the camera during virtual interviews delivered from his home basement. If you can watch him without cringing, more power to you. Will he survive to November without being replaced? I don’t think the DNC is bold enough to take the nomination away from him at the convention but after the election, if he is elected, does he survive a full four-year term? I wouldn’t bet on it. His vice-presidential choice is quite important, just in case he wins. What about Senator Kamala Harris?
Yet Mr. Biden is facing other factors and pressures as well. He has said he wants someone who is prepared to step into the vice presidency immediately, a nod to the value he puts on government and leadership experience. He would be the oldest president ever, 78 on Inauguration Day, and is looking for a partner and, possibly, a potential successor. With the country deep into the coronavirus pandemic, voters will also assess whether his running mate appears capable of handling the worst national crisis since World War II. Ms. Harris, who has statewide and national experience, is seen in the Biden camp as a more likely pick than Ms. Abrams, who was a state legislative leader for a decade before losing her bid for governor. Still, some Democrats believe that choosing a hands-on governor or veteran senator is a better fit for the crisis than Ms. Harris, who was attorney general of California and has been in the Senate for three years.
Some Democrats are urging other choices than Abrams. San Fran Gran Pelosi is floating names like Rep. Val Demings (of Trump impeachment trial fame) and Rep. Marcia Fudge. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, credited for the Biden win in South Carolina, is speaking favorably of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has encouraged allies to float names of House members like Representatives Val Demings of Florida and Marcia Fudge of Ohio, according to people familiar with those conversations, in part to reward members of her caucus with a higher profile. Several leaders in the Congressional Black Caucus, an organization steeped in tradition, have preferred Ms. Harris, who is a member. Georgia politicians like Atlanta’s former mayor Kasim Reed and its current mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, who endorsed Mr. Biden early and is a top surrogate, are former political rivals of Ms. Abrams.
Biden is being encouraged to make a choice soon. Keep the popcorn handy.


hotair--2020-04-24--Wow: Navy leaders recommend reinstating Capt. Crozier as commander of the USS Roosevelt

The only thing that can lift the spirits of this grieving , embittered nation is watching the crew of the TR give this guy a conquering hero ’ s welcome when he returns from quarantine to retake command of his ship .
It has to happen .
It ’ d be the right decision too , as relieving him from command always seemed like an overreaction to his offense .
Crozier should have known , and certainly did know , when he sent his letter begging for help with a COVID outbreak on his ship to a large number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media , embarrassing the Navy .
He put his leadership in a bad position , forcing them to scramble to address his situation when they were trying to manage a coronavirus problem that would potentially affect the entire fleet .
Disciplining him is understandable .
But he was desperate and his intentions , to save the lives of his crew , were noble .
Humiliating him by reassigning him seemed a step too far .
It sounds like the Navy ’ s own leadership now agrees .
Capt .
Brett E. Crozier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt , the Navy ’ s top officials recommended on Friday .
But Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper , who was briefed on the recommendations , has asked for more time to consider whether to sign off on the reinstatement of the captain of the nuclear-powered carrier .
Mr. Esper received the recommendation on Friday that Captain Crozier be reinstated from the chief of Naval Operations , Admiral Michael M. Gilday , and the acting Navy secretary , James McPherson .
Defense Department officials said earlier that they expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s investigation into the matter on Friday afternoon .
Mr. Esper ’ s decision to hold up the investigation has surprised Navy officials , who believed that the defense secretary would leave the process in the hands of the military chain of command .
That ’ s part of the reason why I think Gilday is inclined towards reinstatement .
There were reports after Crozier was fired by ex-Navy chief Thomas Modly that top officers thought that Modly had acted rashly , that Crozier ’ s behavior should have been handled by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s new recommendation to return Crozier to command may be a way of underlining that belief : After the messiness of Trump intervening for political reasons in the Eddie Gallagher matter and then the messiness of Modly summarily relieving Crozier of command , seemingly to impress the president , reinstating Crozier after an investigation may be a gesture towards returning to regular procedure .
Let the Navy handle its own personnel matters without political interference .
The fact that Esper is dragging his feet is intriguing .
Trump said early on in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Crozier ’ s letter , feeling that it made the Pentagon ( and him ) look bad , but his tone softened after he realized how popular Crozier was with the crew and how he had become a cause celebre among the public .
The president prides himself on being seen as strong and derives his sense of strength from perceptions that he ’ s popular with the military .
Suddenly he was on the wrong side of the crew of an aircraft carrier on a matter that was dear to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incensed after Modly flew down to Guam and criticized Crozier in an address to the crew , a fiasco that led him to resign as acting Navy secretary .
That was another black eye for the president within the branch .
Soon he was telling reporters that maybe Crozier just had a “ bad day ” when he sent the letter .
The popular thing to do would be to restore Crozier to command .
Maybe Esper ’ s leaning that way too ( “ he is generally inclined to support Navy leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pentagon spokesman to CNN ) but wants to double-check with Trump before he pulls the trigger .
Or maybe he ’ s looking for ways to involve Trump in the decision , believing that the president will be more enthusiastic about a decision that can be spun as an act of presidential magnanimity than one that came from Navy brass as part of a by-the-book reconsideration .
Either way , it ’ s hard to believe he ’ d overrule Gilday and McPherson by insisting that Crozier ’ s firing should stand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Why not let Modly take the blame for that decision instead of adopting it himself ?
I ’ ll say this , though .
If the point of firing Crozier originally was to teach a lesson that officers can ’ t go outside the chain of command by facilitating embarrassing leaks , no matter how well intentioned they are , I feel like that lesson might be somewhat undermined if ( a ) Crozier loses nothing and becomes a folk hero in the process and ( b ) the guy who fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tossed out on his ass .
Esper could conceivably uphold Crozier ’ s firing for that reason , because the Navy can ’ t be seen as bowing to public pressure on personnel decisions even if Crozier may have gotten something of a raw deal here .
Otherwise they ’ d be inviting other officers to try to make themselves media heroes whenever they have a pressing problem .
Ultimately Esper will defer to Trump and Trump will say it ’ s fine to reinstate him .
It ’ s good politics and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Modly ’ s claim that Crozier had been reckless in sending his letter to “ 20 to 30 people ” turned out not to be true , per WaPo .
He sent it to 10 people : His C.O.
, the head of the Pacific fleet , the head of naval air forces in the Pacific , plus seven captains , and reportedly only hit “ send ” after “ several days of the Navy struggling to settle on a plan that would remove sailors quickly.
” If his big sin here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trusting them not to leak the email , is that really a firing offense ?
By the way , fully 17 percent of the crew of the TR — more than 800 sailors — have tested positive for coronavirus .
Another ship , the U.S.S .
Kidd , has had 18 sailors out of 350 test positive and is en route to port in Washington state .
“ The more than one-month gap between its departure from Pearl Harbor and the first COVID-19 diagnosis suggests that one or more sailors were infected while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports Yahoo News .
How many will be infected by the time the crew is safely back on land ?

The only thing that can lift the spirits of this grieving, embittered nation is watching the crew of the TR give this guy a conquering hero’s welcome when he returns from quarantine to retake command of his ship.
It has to happen.
It’d be the right decision too, as relieving him from command always seemed like an overreaction to his offense. Crozier should have known, and certainly did know, when he sent his letter begging for help with a COVID outbreak on his ship to a large number of other officers that it would leak to the media, embarrassing the Navy. He put his leadership in a bad position, forcing them to scramble to address his situation when they were trying to manage a coronavirus problem that would potentially affect the entire fleet. Disciplining him is understandable. But he was desperate and his intentions, to save the lives of his crew, were noble. Humiliating him by reassigning him seemed a step too far. It sounds like the Navy’s own leadership now agrees.
Capt. Brett E. Crozier should be restored to command of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, the Navy’s top officials recommended on Friday. But Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, who was briefed on the recommendations, has asked for more time to consider whether to sign off on the reinstatement of the captain of the nuclear-powered carrier. Mr. Esper received the recommendation on Friday that Captain Crozier be reinstated from the chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael M. Gilday, and the acting Navy secretary, James McPherson. Defense Department officials said earlier that they expected to announce the results of the Navy’s investigation into the matter on Friday afternoon. Mr. Esper’s decision to hold up the investigation has surprised Navy officials, who believed that the defense secretary would leave the process in the hands of the military chain of command.
That’s part of the reason why I think Gilday is inclined towards reinstatement. There were reports after Crozier was fired by ex-Navy chief Thomas Modly that top officers thought that Modly had acted rashly, that Crozier’s behavior should have been handled by the book via a formal investigation. Gilday’s new recommendation to return Crozier to command may be a way of underlining that belief: After the messiness of Trump intervening for political reasons in the Eddie Gallagher matter and then the messiness of Modly summarily relieving Crozier of command, seemingly to impress the president, reinstating Crozier after an investigation may be a gesture towards returning to regular procedure. Let the Navy handle its own personnel matters without political interference.
The fact that Esper is dragging his feet is intriguing. Trump said early on in this mess that he was pissed off by Crozier’s letter, feeling that it made the Pentagon (and him) look bad, but his tone softened after he realized how popular Crozier was with the crew and how he had become a cause celebre among the public. The president prides himself on being seen as strong and derives his sense of strength from perceptions that he’s popular with the military. Suddenly he was on the wrong side of the crew of an aircraft carrier on a matter that was dear to their hearts. Worse, sailors were reportedly incensed after Modly flew down to Guam and criticized Crozier in an address to the crew, a fiasco that led him to resign as acting Navy secretary. That was another black eye for the president within the branch. Soon he was telling reporters that maybe Crozier just had a “bad day” when he sent the letter.
The popular thing to do would be to restore Crozier to command. Maybe Esper’s leaning that way too (“he is generally inclined to support Navy leadership and their decisions,” said a Pentagon spokesman to CNN) but wants to double-check with Trump before he pulls the trigger. Or maybe he’s looking for ways to involve Trump in the decision, believing that the president will be more enthusiastic about a decision that can be spun as an act of presidential magnanimity than one that came from Navy brass as part of a by-the-book reconsideration. Either way, it’s hard to believe he’d overrule Gilday and McPherson by insisting that Crozier’s firing should stand, especially now that Modly’s gone. Why not let Modly take the blame for that decision instead of adopting it himself?
I’ll say this, though. If the point of firing Crozier originally was to teach a lesson that officers can’t go outside the chain of command by facilitating embarrassing leaks, no matter how well intentioned they are, I feel like that lesson might be somewhat undermined if (a) Crozier loses nothing and becomes a folk hero in the process and (b) the guy who fired him ends up being the only person tossed out on his ass. Esper could conceivably uphold Crozier’s firing for that reason, because the Navy can’t be seen as bowing to public pressure on personnel decisions even if Crozier may have gotten something of a raw deal here. Otherwise they’d be inviting other officers to try to make themselves media heroes whenever they have a pressing problem.
Ultimately Esper will defer to Trump and Trump will say it’s fine to reinstate him. It’s good politics and the sailors will love it. Besides, Modly’s claim that Crozier had been reckless in sending his letter to “20 to 30 people” turned out not to be true, per WaPo. He sent it to 10 people: His C.O., the head of the Pacific fleet, the head of naval air forces in the Pacific, plus seven captains, and reportedly only hit “send” after “several days of the Navy struggling to settle on a plan that would remove sailors quickly.” If his big sin here was cc’ing the captains, trusting them not to leak the email, is that really a firing offense?
By the way, fully 17 percent of the crew of the TR — more than 800 sailors — have tested positive for coronavirus. Another ship, the U.S.S. Kidd, has had 18 sailors out of 350 test positive and is en route to port in Washington state. “The more than one-month gap between its departure from Pearl Harbor and the first COVID-19 diagnosis suggests that one or more sailors were infected while in Hawaii, but asymptomatic,” reports Yahoo News. How many will be infected by the time the crew is safely back on land?


hotair--2020-04-24--The video normal people have been waiting for: Thanks, celebrities

When you think about it , celebrities have given us so much during this crisis that it ’ s really outrageous no one has taken time to properly thank them .
After all , what would life be without those stars crooning Imagine or Madonna waxing philosophic in the bathtub .
There are many more examples of this kind of thing out there so clearly we , the normal people , need to let the special people know we ’ re grateful .
Thank goodness someone has taken the time to do that properly : The first thing you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrities mentioned in this clip probably aren ’ t familiar to you .
That ’ s because this video was made by an Australian and features mostly Australian stars .
Amanda Keller is apparently from the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars .
Manu Feildel is a chef who starred on MasterChef Australia and on a British show called My Kitchen Rules .
Sam Armytage is an Australian TV presenter .
That last clip of the guy dancing on the beach ?
That ’ s a group of TV stars from an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s the same clip which also includes Amanda Keller dancing at the start .
This is sort of the Australian version of celebrities singing Imagine except in Australia they made the good choice to lip-sync : You many not have heard of most of those people but I think the “ Thanks , Celebrities ” video makes a great point regardless .
In fact , it might make the point better because all these celebrities are essentially nobodies to most Americans .
You people really aren ’ t that important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrities seem to imagine ( see what I did there ) that we want them to shoehorn themselves into this crisis to offer advice or entertainment .
But when people are dealing with the loss of jobs , a death in the family , etc .
it comes off looking really out of touch .
There ’ s a combination of navel gazing and not-so-subtle humble-bragging about their fabulous wealth and fabulous friends in many of these clips which ought to embarrass them .
But somehow it doesn ’ t .
Overall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of these people the most important thing is that we not forget about them .
No , it ’ s worse than that .
They not only want to be remembered , they want to be important and applauded no matter what else is going on in the world .
It ’ s pretty repulsive .
So as Greta Lee Jackson put it , “ from the bottom of our pathetic little nobody , unfamous , worthless , dog-sh*t broke-ass hearts…Thank you .
”

When you think about it, celebrities have given us so much during this crisis that it’s really outrageous no one has taken time to properly thank them. After all, what would life be without those stars crooning Imagine or Madonna waxing philosophic in the bathtub. There are many more examples of this kind of thing out there so clearly we, the normal people, need to let the special people know we’re grateful. Thank goodness someone has taken the time to do that properly:
Thanks celebrities, for everything you do for us.#giveusyourmoney pic.twitter.com/URCaZQmGiE — Greta Lee Jackson (@gretaleejackson) April 24, 2020
The first thing you’ll notice is that most of the celebrities mentioned in this clip probably aren’t familiar to you. That’s because this video was made by an Australian and features mostly Australian stars. Amanda Keller is apparently from the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars. Manu Feildel is a chef who starred on MasterChef Australia and on a British show called My Kitchen Rules. Sam Armytage is an Australian TV presenter. That last clip of the guy dancing on the beach? That’s a group of TV stars from an Australian show called Packed to the Rafters. It’s the same clip which also includes Amanda Keller dancing at the start. This is sort of the Australian version of celebrities singing Imagine except in Australia they made the good choice to lip-sync:
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-tVG_oHRsu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
You many not have heard of most of those people but I think the “Thanks, Celebrities” video makes a great point regardless. In fact, it might make the point better because all these celebrities are essentially nobodies to most Americans. You people really aren’t that important, especially now.
A lot of celebrities seem to imagine (see what I did there) that we want them to shoehorn themselves into this crisis to offer advice or entertainment. But when people are dealing with the loss of jobs, a death in the family, etc. it comes off looking really out of touch. There’s a combination of navel gazing and not-so-subtle humble-bragging about their fabulous wealth and fabulous friends in many of these clips which ought to embarrass them. But somehow it doesn’t.
Overall, you get the sense that for a lot of these people the most important thing is that we not forget about them. No, it’s worse than that. They not only want to be remembered, they want to be important and applauded no matter what else is going on in the world. It’s pretty repulsive. So as Greta Lee Jackson put it, “from the bottom of our pathetic little nobody, unfamous, worthless, dog-sh*t broke-ass hearts…Thank you.”


hotair--2020-04-24--Preliminary New York data: Results "inconclusive" on whether hydroxychloroquine works against corona

Preliminary New York data: Results "inconclusive" on whether hydroxychloroquine works against coronavirus

It ’ s been a bad week for miracle cures .
First remdesivir goes bust , then they tell us we can ’ t inject ourselves with Lysol .
At least China ’ s experimental vaccine seems to be working on monkeys .
I ’ ll sleep easier tonight knowing that monkeys are now safe from COVID-19 .
The new New York data on hydroxychloroquine comes from “ observational trials ” overseen by the state Department of Health .
I wrote about them a month ago .
Because HCQ is already being dosed out to so many hospitalized COVID patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to track the results from patient to patient to try to get an inkling of whether the drug is effective or not .
Full results involving 1,200 patients will be released next week but partial results for 600 patients across 22 NY hospitals are already available .
Early verdict : There ’ s no sign that it works .
Those who took hydroxychloroquine , with or without the antibiotic azithromycin , were no more likely to survive their infections than those who did not , according to David Holtgrave , dean of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who conducted the study .
The results have not yet been peer-reviewed or published .
“ We don ’ t see a statistically significant difference between patients who took the drugs and those who did not , ” he said… Since the patients who took the drugs were more ill to start with , they did have higher rates of death and heart complications .
However , once the researchers did a statistical adjustment , they found no statistically significant difference in the death or complication rates between the patients who took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t .
Because it ’ s an observational trial , one potential problem with the data is that “ doctors were more likely to prescribe the drugs to patients who were already very sick.
” It stands to reason that as patients turn desperate , physicians would be more likely to reach for the closest thing they have to miracle cure and see how it works .
Maybe hydroxychloroquine will be more effective administered earlier in the course of the disease , before the person being treated is too far gone .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the trial aren ’ t following a common protocol , there ’ s no way to know why one might have prescribed the drug for one patient while another declined to prescribe it for a patient in a similar condition .
“ You never know what the biases were that persuaded physicians to use the drug in some patients rather than others and these biases often can not be measured , ” said one expert to CNN .
Soon we ’ ll not only have more data , we ’ ll have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lots — of HCQ clinical trials in motion thanks to the public hype about the drug , amplified by the president .
Researchers studying the drugs have drawn up plans to enroll about 200,000 people to test whether the drugs could be used to prevent infections or help the sick get over them .
More than 100 studies are under way , according to the analysis , which reviewed the U.S. government ’ s clinicaltrials.gov registry of trials and interviewed researchers… Some doctors who have been giving the drugs to Covid-19 patients swear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t wait weeks or months for rigorous studies to read out .
“ I don ’ t need anything else to convince me , ” said Joseph Brewer , an infectious-disease specialist at St. Luke ’ s Hospital in Kansas City , Mo.
, who says most of the four-dozen moderate and severe patients he treated with the drugs have improved .
“ I ’ ve seen people get better in one to two days.
” I ’ m tempted to say that we shouldn ’ t invest so many resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts seem bearish on , but it ’ s not like there are many other drugs out there with multiple anecdotal reports of good results .
What are we supposed to run clinical trials on instead ?
Clorox ?
There was some good news from the study : There ’ s no evidence that patients who received HCQ were more likely to develop heart issues , a well-known side effect of the medicine .
Here ’ s Cavuto going off on Trump today at length for touting treatments like hydroxychloroquine that *may* be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disinfectant that definitely are harmful .
Contra the president ’ s claims that he was being sarcastic about that , his own aides reportedly took him seriously .
“ It was totally ad-libbed , ” said one administration official to NBC , adding , it was “ off-the-cuff.
” No fooling ?
Another said White House aides began texting each other after he said it , wondering where he ’ d come up with such an idea and recognizing from a PR standpoint that “ this is going to be bad .
”

It’s been a bad week for miracle cures. First remdesivir goes bust, then they tell us we can’t inject ourselves with Lysol.
Now this.
At least China’s experimental vaccine seems to be working on monkeys. I’ll sleep easier tonight knowing that monkeys are now safe from COVID-19.
The new New York data on hydroxychloroquine comes from “observational trials” overseen by the state Department of Health. I wrote about them a month ago. Because HCQ is already being dosed out to so many hospitalized COVID patients in New York, the DOH decided to track the results from patient to patient to try to get an inkling of whether the drug is effective or not. Full results involving 1,200 patients will be released next week but partial results for 600 patients across 22 NY hospitals are already available. Early verdict: There’s no sign that it works.
Those who took hydroxychloroquine, with or without the antibiotic azithromycin, were no more likely to survive their infections than those who did not, according to David Holtgrave, dean of the University at Albany School of Public Health, who conducted the study. The results have not yet been peer-reviewed or published. “We don’t see a statistically significant difference between patients who took the drugs and those who did not,” he said… Since the patients who took the drugs were more ill to start with, they did have higher rates of death and heart complications. However, once the researchers did a statistical adjustment, they found no statistically significant difference in the death or complication rates between the patients who took the drugs and those that didn’t.
Because it’s an observational trial, one potential problem with the data is that “doctors were more likely to prescribe the drugs to patients who were already very sick.” It stands to reason that as patients turn desperate, physicians would be more likely to reach for the closest thing they have to miracle cure and see how it works. Maybe hydroxychloroquine will be more effective administered earlier in the course of the disease, before the person being treated is too far gone. Another problem is that, because doctors participating in the trial aren’t following a common protocol, there’s no way to know why one might have prescribed the drug for one patient while another declined to prescribe it for a patient in a similar condition. “You never know what the biases were that persuaded physicians to use the drug in some patients rather than others and these biases often cannot be measured,” said one expert to CNN.
Soon we’ll not only have more data, we’ll have better data. There are lots — lots — of HCQ clinical trials in motion thanks to the public hype about the drug, amplified by the president.
Researchers studying the drugs have drawn up plans to enroll about 200,000 people to test whether the drugs could be used to prevent infections or help the sick get over them. More than 100 studies are under way, according to the analysis, which reviewed the U.S. government’s clinicaltrials.gov registry of trials and interviewed researchers… Some doctors who have been giving the drugs to Covid-19 patients swear by their benefits, and say patients can’t wait weeks or months for rigorous studies to read out. “I don’t need anything else to convince me,” said Joseph Brewer, an infectious-disease specialist at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., who says most of the four-dozen moderate and severe patients he treated with the drugs have improved. “I’ve seen people get better in one to two days.”
I’m tempted to say that we shouldn’t invest so many resources in testing an unproven drug that most experts seem bearish on, but it’s not like there are many other drugs out there with multiple anecdotal reports of good results. What are we supposed to run clinical trials on instead? Clorox?
There was some good news from the study: There’s no evidence that patients who received HCQ were more likely to develop heart issues, a well-known side effect of the medicine.
Here’s Cavuto going off on Trump today at length for touting treatments like hydroxychloroquine that *may* be harmful and treatments like, er, disinfectant that definitely are harmful. Contra the president’s claims that he was being sarcastic about that, his own aides reportedly took him seriously. “It was totally ad-libbed,” said one administration official to NBC, adding, it was “off-the-cuff.” No fooling? Another said White House aides began texting each other after he said it, wondering where he’d come up with such an idea and recognizing from a PR standpoint that “this is going to be bad.”


hotair--2020-04-24--The backstory on the man who died after ingesting fish-tank cleaner is chilling

You probably remember this story from last month .
A man in Arizona and his wife ingested a powdered chloroquine used for cleaning fish tanks , because they believed it would prevent them from getting the coronavirus .
Both were hospitalized but the husband died .
Many in the media were quick to blame President Trump and some intially didn ’ t mention that the drug in question was purchased as fish tank cleaner .
I don ’ t know what kind of mental impression you formed of this couple after this story broke .
For me , I assumed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scared and possibly not very smart .
How else to account for doing something so reckless ?
Today the Washington Free Beacon published an investigative piece about the deceased man and he ’ s nothing like what I imagined .
In fact , according to his friends , he was a retired mechanical engineer who was reportedly very well-educated , smart and even-keeled : These people describe Lenius as intelligent and levelheaded , not prone to the sort of reckless and impulsive behavior he reportedly engaged in on the day he died .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ three people who knew Lenius well and paints a picture of a troubled marriage characterized by Wanda Lenius ’ s explosive anger .
“ What bothers me about this is that Gary was a very intelligent man , a retired [ mechanical ] engineer who designed systems for John Deere in Waterloo , Iowa , and I really can ’ t see the scenario where Gary would say , ‘ Yes , please , I would love to drink some of that Koi fish tank cleaner , ' ” one of his close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It just doesn ’ t make any sense.
” … “ I would like people to know that Gary was not the fool that some of the media stories and comments are depicting him to be , ” said the same friend .
“ I really don ’ t think Gary knew what he was taking.
” Gary and his wife Wanda met and married in 2000 ( both had been married and divorced ) .
A few months after their marriage there was a domestic violence call to their home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a misdemeanor .
But Gary testified on her behalf and she was found not guilty .
Wanda also had troubles at work .
She filed a lawsuit against her employer ( where Gary also worked ) claiming she ’ d been discriminated against .
During a deposition in that case , Wanda said she was “ furious all the time.
” She also said she wanted Gary to retire so they could get away from the company .
Gary did retire in 2012 and they moved to Arizona .
Gary took up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve ever seen one of these kits , they often require many hours of meticulous work to build .
But the planes apparently became a source of trouble in their marriage .
A source tells the Beacon that Wanda would visit him at a local park where people would meet to fly their planes and she would routinely “ berate Gary in public.
” At one point , Wanda destroyed several of his planes , apparently because he came home late for a meal .
In another instance described as having happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screen to his laptop because she was angry he had upgraded software on her computer .
In both cases , Gary reportedly took it in stride .
He fixed the planes he could and the laptop on his own .
So what did happen the day that Gary took a lethal dose of chloroquine ?
When asked if they ’ d had a discussion about it beforehand , Wanda told the Beacon , “ No .
I mean , it was really kind of a spur of the moment thing.
” A friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often make “ a cocktail of vitamins for Gary.
” He was in the habit of taking what she prepared for him .
Did Gary really know what he was taking that day ?
Some of his friends seem to think it would have been very out of character for the even-tempered , well-educated man to do something so reckless .

You probably remember this story from last month. A man in Arizona and his wife ingested a powdered chloroquine used for cleaning fish tanks, because they believed it would prevent them from getting the coronavirus. Both were hospitalized but the husband died. Many in the media were quick to blame President Trump and some intially didn’t mention that the drug in question was purchased as fish tank cleaner.
I don’t know what kind of mental impression you formed of this couple after this story broke. For me, I assumed they were probably poorly educated, very scared and possibly not very smart. How else to account for doing something so reckless?
Today the Washington Free Beacon published an investigative piece about the deceased man and he’s nothing like what I imagined. In fact, according to his friends, he was a retired mechanical engineer who was reportedly very well-educated, smart and even-keeled:
These people describe Lenius as intelligent and levelheaded, not prone to the sort of reckless and impulsive behavior he reportedly engaged in on the day he died. This account is based on interviews with three people who knew Lenius well and paints a picture of a troubled marriage characterized by Wanda Lenius’s explosive anger. “What bothers me about this is that Gary was a very intelligent man, a retired [mechanical] engineer who designed systems for John Deere in Waterloo, Iowa, and I really can’t see the scenario where Gary would say, ‘Yes, please, I would love to drink some of that Koi fish tank cleaner,'” one of his close friends told the Washington Free Beacon. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”… “I would like people to know that Gary was not the fool that some of the media stories and comments are depicting him to be,” said the same friend. “I really don’t think Gary knew what he was taking.”
Gary and his wife Wanda met and married in 2000 (both had been married and divorced). A few months after their marriage there was a domestic violence call to their home. She hit him and Wanda was charged with a misdemeanor. But Gary testified on her behalf and she was found not guilty.
Wanda also had troubles at work. She filed a lawsuit against her employer (where Gary also worked) claiming she’d been discriminated against. During a deposition in that case, Wanda said she was “furious all the time.” She also said she wanted Gary to retire so they could get away from the company.
Gary did retire in 2012 and they moved to Arizona. Gary took up making remote-controlled model airplanes. If you’ve ever seen one of these kits, they often require many hours of meticulous work to build. But the planes apparently became a source of trouble in their marriage. A source tells the Beacon that Wanda would visit him at a local park where people would meet to fly their planes and she would routinely “berate Gary in public.”
At one point, Wanda destroyed several of his planes, apparently because he came home late for a meal. In another instance described as having happened more recently, Wanda allegedly destroyed the screen to his laptop because she was angry he had upgraded software on her computer. In both cases, Gary reportedly took it in stride. He fixed the planes he could and the laptop on his own.
So what did happen the day that Gary took a lethal dose of chloroquine? When asked if they’d had a discussion about it beforehand, Wanda told the Beacon, “No. I mean, it was really kind of a spur of the moment thing.” A friend of Gary’s said Wanda would often make “a cocktail of vitamins for Gary.” He was in the habit of taking what she prepared for him.
About a week before he passed away, a friend said Lenius told him “that he would never remarry if something happened with him and Wanda.” “Gary loved Wanda,” said the friend. “He trusted her to do the right thing for him, I doubt that he second-guessed when she gave him the chloroquine.”
Did Gary really know what he was taking that day? Some of his friends seem to think it would have been very out of character for the even-tempered, well-educated man to do something so reckless.


hotair--2020-04-24--Trump on injecting disinfectant to fight coronavirus: I was being sarcastic; <span color='red'>Updat

Trump on injecting disinfectant to fight coronavirus: I was being sarcastic; Update: Birx defends Trump, sort of

He wasn ’ t being sarcastic .
Watch the two clips I posted yesterday , especially the second one where he looked to Deborah Birx for validation that there might be something to his idea .
( Birx didn ’ t laugh . )
His own press secretary didn ’ t claim he was joking in her statement this morning , instead emphasizing that Trump always tells people to consult with doctors when he floats a treatment idea .
But the real proof is how few members of MAGA media claimed in the aftermath of yesterday ’ s briefing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The excuses I saw were all of the “ he meant to say X but misspoke ” variety .
I don ’ t blame him for saying he was being sarcastic , though , no matter how plain the evidence to the contrary is .
It ’ s like Pee Wee Herman tumbling off his bike in front of a bunch of kids .
Sometimes the only dignified way to spin a screw-up is to brush yourself off and say , “ I meant to do that.
” The item below is making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I thought it was a goof on yesterday ’ s presser — but then I noticed it ’ s a month old , a joke on Trump ’ s romance with longshot panaceas like hydroxychloroquine : The best part of his “ sarcasm ” spin is that he ’ ll inevitably double down on it at today ’ s briefing , purely to spare himself from having to admit error , and then the media will spend the next 24 hours replaying the original clip to prove that he wasn ’ t being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be asked about it — “ Did you take him as being sarcastic ?
” — and will have to give some uncomfortable-sounding answer like , “ If the president says he was being sarcastic then I take him at his word.
” Then , once the whole story has blown over , he ’ ll forget his own spin and mention injecting something to “ clean ” the lungs at tomorrow ’ s briefing .
Actually , he ’ s already doing it : This story is amusing in an “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is running the country ” kind of way but the amusement rests on the assumption that no one who watched yesterday ’ s briefing could possibly be so foolish as to ingest disinfectant to try to corona-proof themselves .
Problem is , this is a big country .
There are a lot of very frightened , impressionable people out there .
And so : That ’ s Gov .
Larry Hogan ’ s spokesman .
Baltimore ’ s health department also sees cause for alarm : If Trump had only limited his comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light ” inside the body , the worst we ’ d have to worry about today is idiots shining flashlights down their throats .
Here ’ s Pelosi seizing the opportunity to smear all Republicans as anti-science because , she claims , the president wants people “ to inject Lysol into their lungs.
” He never said they should inject themselves , let alone with Lysol .
He merely implied it .
Update : She ’ s going to get the Medal of Freedom someday .
And she ’ ll have earned it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in having to spin like this .

He wasn’t being sarcastic. Watch the two clips I posted yesterday, especially the second one where he looked to Deborah Birx for validation that there might be something to his idea. (Birx didn’t laugh.) His own press secretary didn’t claim he was joking in her statement this morning, instead emphasizing that Trump always tells people to consult with doctors when he floats a treatment idea.
But the real proof is how few members of MAGA media claimed in the aftermath of yesterday’s briefing that he was joking. Did anyone? The excuses I saw were all of the “he meant to say X but misspoke” variety.
I don’t blame him for saying he was being sarcastic, though, no matter how plain the evidence to the contrary is. It’s like Pee Wee Herman tumbling off his bike in front of a bunch of kids. Sometimes the only dignified way to spin a screw-up is to brush yourself off and say, “I meant to do that.”
“I was asking a sarcastic, & a very sarcastic question, to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside. But it does kill it.” — Trump tries to rewrite history, says he was speaking “sarcastically” when he mused about disinfectant injections being cure for Covid. pic.twitter.com/bWRU8EV6FZ — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 24, 2020
The item below is making the rounds today on political Twitter. I thought it was a goof on yesterday’s presser — but then I noticed it’s a month old, a joke on Trump’s romance with longshot panaceas like hydroxychloroquine:
Man Just Buying One Of Every Cleaning Product In Case Trump Announces It’s Coronavirus Cure https://t.co/3bKatQGz04 pic.twitter.com/0kkhWzjl98 — The Onion (@TheOnion) March 25, 2020
The best part of his “sarcasm” spin is that he’ll inevitably double down on it at today’s briefing, purely to spare himself from having to admit error, and then the media will spend the next 24 hours replaying the original clip to prove that he wasn’t being sarcastic. Birx and Fauci are destined to be asked about it — “Did you take him as being sarcastic?” — and will have to give some uncomfortable-sounding answer like, “If the president says he was being sarcastic then I take him at his word.”
Then, once the whole story has blown over, he’ll forget his own spin and mention injecting something to “clean” the lungs at tomorrow’s briefing.
Actually, he’s already doing it:
“So I said, how do we do it inside the body or even outside the body with the hands and disinfect, I think would work. .. Maybe there’s something there.” pic.twitter.com/UsmOqiaxzt — Acyn (@Acyn) April 24, 2020
This story is amusing in an “I can’t believe this guy is running the country” kind of way but the amusement rests on the assumption that no one who watched yesterday’s briefing could possibly be so foolish as to ingest disinfectant to try to corona-proof themselves. Problem is, this is a big country. There are a lot of very frightened, impressionable people out there. And so:
We decided to take the step of posting this alert after receiving more than 100 calls to our hotline. — Mike Ricci (@riccimike) April 24, 2020
That’s Gov. Larry Hogan’s spokesman. Baltimore’s health department also sees cause for alarm:
DO NOT, we repeat, DO NOT drink or inject disinfectant! This will NOT protect you #COVID19, & could cause serious illness or death. If you accidentally ingest disinfectant, please contact the MD Poison Center at 1800-222-1222 or visit https://t.co/uhzzEgNzVq. Stay Safe #Baltimore pic.twitter.com/bqUDLuX6kp — B'more City Health (@BMore_Healthy) April 24, 2020
If Trump had only limited his comments yesterday to bringing a “very powerful light” inside the body, the worst we’d have to worry about today is idiots shining flashlights down their throats.
Here’s Pelosi seizing the opportunity to smear all Republicans as anti-science because, she claims, the president wants people “to inject Lysol into their lungs.” He never said they should inject themselves, let alone with Lysol. He merely implied it.
.@SpeakerPelosi: "The president is asking people to inject Lysol into their lungs and Mitch was saying that states should go bankrupt. It's a clear, visible within 24 hours of how the Republicans reject science and reject governance." pic.twitter.com/GmvcCr50nt — CSPAN (@cspan) April 24, 2020
Update: She’s going to get the Medal of Freedom someday. And she’ll have earned it, partially for the indignity she tolerated in having to spin like this.


hotair--2020-04-24--As number of cases surge, Swedish officials warn bars that ignore social distancing guidelines will

As number of cases surge, Swedish officials warn bars that ignore social distancing guidelines will be closed

Yesterday I pointed out that this has been a tough week for Swedish officials attempting to guide the country through the coronavirus crisis .
After suggesting the curve was flattening last week , they were hit with two days in a row of the highest ever jumps in the number of deaths ( 185 on Tuesday and 172 on Wednesday ) .
In addition , Thursday saw a big jump in the number of new cases ( 751 ) .
Today the news was even worse : Sweden has reported a record number of new coronavirus infections for the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country threatens to close bars and restaurants that do not follow social distancing measures .
Sweden posted a record 812 new Covid-19 cases today , adding 61 to the record 751 tally it reached the day before .
Major Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet declared ‘ the corona curve is going in the wrong direction ’ after the numbers were announced .
Likely because it has been such a bad week , some Swedish officials are now threatening to do the thing Sweden has thus far resisted doing : Shut down bars and restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were worrying signs that as the weather got warmer , people in the capital were beginning to ignore social-distancing rules .
“ As the sun begins to shine , we are beginning to see some worrying reports of open-air restaurants full of customers , of places packed with people , and we have to take this seriously , ” Damberg told a news conference .
“ I don ’ t want to see any full open-air restaurants in Stockholm or anywhere else .
Otherwise , businesses will be closed.
” He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the country , not just Stockholm .
Authorities in Stockholm inspected 200 restaurants in the past two weeks , and have since expanded their vigil to ensure people are practicing social distancing .
The city ’ s mayor warned that establishments caught in breach of guidelines will be shut .
“ In the past week , we have received reports that people in Stockholm are starting to relax and enjoy the weather , and I want to be very clear that the restrictions in place are not just general advice , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the press conference .
“ This is a warning to all restaurants that are not taking responsibility — you will be closed down unless you follow restrictions.
” The Swedish approach appears to be on the bubble right now .
On the one hand , this week ’ s surging numbers and the response of authorities shows that they do not have a solid handle on this and can ’ t necessarily control it with the softer approach .
If we see another record-breaking day of deaths or infections , the Swedish approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of Europe .
We probably won ’ t see that this weekend because their numbers seem to drop every weekend as fewer cases get reported .
On the other hand , their approach could still work out .
The Swedish approach has been to keep the number of cases below the threshold that hospitals can manage but , while doing that , to make social limits less draconian so the measures could continue for months if necessary without destroying the economy .
The other , related goal was to get to herd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had simply shut everything down completely and slowed the rate of infections to a crawl .
At least so far that bet hasn ’ t been shown to be a mistake .
The hospitals are still managing and the measures seem easier on the economy than a lockdown , though that doesn ’ t mean the economy will escape unscathed .
Today Sweden ’ s Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson said she expects to see a big drop in annual GDP : The only thing we can do now is wait and see .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect the numbers to drop this weekend .
The real test will come next Tuesday and Wednesday when the numbers usually pick back up to account for cases not reported over the weekend .
If the numbers are the same as this week or worse , the Swedish approach will likely change .

Yesterday I pointed out that this has been a tough week for Swedish officials attempting to guide the country through the coronavirus crisis. After suggesting the curve was flattening last week, they were hit with two days in a row of the highest ever jumps in the number of deaths (185 on Tuesday and 172 on Wednesday). In addition, Thursday saw a big jump in the number of new cases (751). Today the news was even worse:
Sweden has reported a record number of new coronavirus infections for the second day in a row – just as the country threatens to close bars and restaurants that do not follow social distancing measures. Sweden posted a record 812 new Covid-19 cases today, adding 61 to the record 751 tally it reached the day before. Major Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet declared ‘the corona curve is going in the wrong direction’ after the numbers were announced.
Likely because it has been such a bad week, some Swedish officials are now threatening to do the thing Sweden has thus far resisted doing: Shut down bars and restaurants:
Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg said there were worrying signs that as the weather got warmer, people in the capital were beginning to ignore social-distancing rules. “As the sun begins to shine, we are beginning to see some worrying reports of open-air restaurants full of customers, of places packed with people, and we have to take this seriously,” Damberg told a news conference. “I don’t want to see any full open-air restaurants in Stockholm or anywhere else. Otherwise, businesses will be closed.” He said this would apply to bars and restaurant around the country, not just Stockholm.
Bloomberg reports the mayor of Stockholm made a similar threat:
Authorities in Stockholm inspected 200 restaurants in the past two weeks, and have since expanded their vigil to ensure people are practicing social distancing. The city’s mayor warned that establishments caught in breach of guidelines will be shut. “In the past week, we have received reports that people in Stockholm are starting to relax and enjoy the weather, and I want to be very clear that the restrictions in place are not just general advice,” Stockholm mayor Anna Konig Jerlemyr said at the press conference. “This is a warning to all restaurants that are not taking responsibility — you will be closed down unless you follow restrictions.”
The Swedish approach appears to be on the bubble right now. On the one hand, this week’s surging numbers and the response of authorities shows that they do not have a solid handle on this and can’t necessarily control it with the softer approach. If we see another record-breaking day of deaths or infections, the Swedish approach may start to look more like the rest of Europe. We probably won’t see that this weekend because their numbers seem to drop every weekend as fewer cases get reported.
On the other hand, their approach could still work out. The Swedish approach has been to keep the number of cases below the threshold that hospitals can manage but, while doing that, to make social limits less draconian so the measures could continue for months if necessary without destroying the economy. The other, related goal was to get to herd immunity somewhat more quickly than if they had simply shut everything down completely and slowed the rate of infections to a crawl.
At least so far that bet hasn’t been shown to be a mistake. The hospitals are still managing and the measures seem easier on the economy than a lockdown, though that doesn’t mean the economy will escape unscathed. Today Sweden’s Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson said she expects to see a big drop in annual GDP:
“If were were to do an update of annual GDP today, the judgement is that we would land somewhere in the middle of … -4.2 and -10%,” Andersson told reporters at a news conference. The government gave a base-case and more negative case scenario in its Spring budget on Apri1 15.
The only thing we can do now is wait and see. As I said above, you can expect the numbers to drop this weekend. The real test will come next Tuesday and Wednesday when the numbers usually pick back up to account for cases not reported over the weekend. If the numbers are the same as this week or worse, the Swedish approach will likely change.


hotair--2020-04-24--Today's hot topics on Relevant Radio®: Reopening US, homeschooling value, defending America, contemp

Today's hot topics on Relevant Radio®: Reopening US, homeschooling value, defending America, contemplative prayer, and more!

Once again , I get to step outside the box and guest host the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio® from 3-6 ET today !
The Catholic talk-radio network is heard nationwide on the air , as well as online and through their free mobile app that plays live and podcast shows .
• Epidemiologist Dr. Timothy Flanigan , also a Catholic deacon , discusses all of the issues around reopening public squares in the COVID-19 pandemic .
• Brian Gibson of Pro-Life Action Ministries in St. Paul , brings us up to date on Planned Parenthood ’ s efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Franciscan University of Steubenville VP Joel Recznik discusses the university ’ s plan to offer tuition-free education to next year ’ s freshman class .
• Is America doomed to collapse based on its embrace of Enlightenment values of individual liberty ?
Robert Reilly says no , and explains that position in his new book , America on Trial : A Defense of the Founding .
• Why did one Harvard law professor urge America to ban homeschooling ?
Regine Caeli founder Kari Beckman rebuts this demand and discusses what it intends to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of contemplative prayer ?
Father Donald Haggerty joins us to explain this and how his new book Contemplative Enigmas can help us to overcome them .
• And more to come … stay tuned !
We may add more before the show starts today , plus we will have the chaplet of Divine Mercy in the second hour .
We will also take your calls at 1-888-914-9149 .
You can also listen on the Relevant Radio® app no matter where you are in the world , so download it now .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !

Once again, I get to step outside the box and guest host the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio® from 3-6 ET today! The Catholic talk-radio network is heard nationwide on the air, as well as online and through their free mobile app that plays live and podcast shows.
Today’s Relevant Radio® show includes:
Epidemiologist Dr. Timothy Flanigan, also a Catholic deacon, discusses all of the issues around reopening public squares in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brian Gibson of Pro-Life Action Ministries in St. Paul, brings us up to date on Planned Parenthood’s efforts to expand into rural Minnesota.
Franciscan University of Steubenville VP Joel Recznik discusses the university’s plan to offer tuition-free education to next year’s freshman class.
Is America doomed to collapse based on its embrace of Enlightenment values of individual liberty? Robert Reilly says no, and explains that position in his new book, America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding.
Why did one Harvard law professor urge America to ban homeschooling? Regine Caeli founder Kari Beckman rebuts this demand and discusses what it intends to accomplish.
What are the difficulties of contemplative prayer? Father Donald Haggerty joins us to explain this and how his new book Contemplative Enigmas can help us to overcome them.
And more to come … stay tuned!
We may add more before the show starts today, plus we will have the chaplet of Divine Mercy in the second hour. We will also take your calls at 1-888-914-9149. You can also listen on the Relevant Radio® app no matter where you are in the world, so download it now. I’ll look forward to talking with you!