hotair--2020-05-03--Sunday morning talking heads

Sunday morning talking heads

The looming end of the lockdown era is this morning ’ s hot topic on the Sunday shows .
Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer is in the eye of the storm , having extended her state ’ s emergency order this week despite threats of a lawsuit from Republicans in the state legislature and demonstrations at the state capitol by protesters , some toting guns .
She ’ ll chat with “ State of the Union ” about the timetable for Michigan businesses to reopen .
An interesting counterpart to Whitmer is Mississippi ’ s Republican Gov .
Tate Reeves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home order and was prepared to reopen some businesses this week .
Emphasis on “ was ” : He scrapped his plan when this week ’ s data showed a rise in new cases and deaths in his home state .
He ’ ll explain his thinking on “ Fox News Sunday.
” Deborah Birx will also speak to “ Fox News Sunday ” about whether some states are moving too quickly to get back to business , although it might not matter what she says .
The evidence is mounting that more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not orders have been lifted .
Elsewhere , the chairman of Gilead will talk with “ Face the Nation ” about the potential of the company ’ s antiviral drug , remdesivir , to improve outcomes in COVID-19 cases .
And Justin Amash will sit down with “ State of the Union ” to discuss the imminent end of his congressional career and the start of a presidential odyssey as the Libertarian Party candidate that just might end with him handing Michigan to Trump this fall by playing spoiler for Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP .

The looming end of the lockdown era is this morning’s hot topic on the Sunday shows. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is in the eye of the storm, having extended her state’s emergency order this week despite threats of a lawsuit from Republicans in the state legislature and demonstrations at the state capitol by protesters, some toting guns. She’ll chat with “State of the Union” about the timetable for Michigan businesses to reopen.
An interesting counterpart to Whitmer is Mississippi’s Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who was slow to issue a stay-at-home order and was prepared to reopen some businesses this week. Emphasis on “was”: He scrapped his plan when this week’s data showed a rise in new cases and deaths in his home state. He’ll explain his thinking on “Fox News Sunday.” Deborah Birx will also speak to “Fox News Sunday” about whether some states are moving too quickly to get back to business, although it might not matter what she says. The evidence is mounting that more Americans are beginning to flout lockdowns whether or not orders have been lifted.
Elsewhere, the chairman of Gilead will talk with “Face the Nation” about the potential of the company’s antiviral drug, remdesivir, to improve outcomes in COVID-19 cases. And Justin Amash will sit down with “State of the Union” to discuss the imminent end of his congressional career and the start of a presidential odyssey as the Libertarian Party candidate that just might end with him handing Michigan to Trump this fall by playing spoiler for Joe Biden. The full line-up is at the AP.


hotair--2020-05-04--Carnival: Who's up for a cruise in August?

August of which year ?
2024 ?
Maybe .
August of this year ?
Errrrr ….. what could go wrong ?
Plenty : Carnival Cruise Line on Monday announced a plan to phase in some North American cruises beginning August 1 .
Eight ships will depart from Miami , Port Canaveral , Florida and Galveston , Texas , Carnival said in a statement .
“ In connection with this plan , our pause in operations will be extended in all other North American and Australian markets through August 31 , ” the statement said .
Does this seem a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to jump onto a cruise while COVID-19 continues to circulate , especially if an effective vaccine has not been widely rolled out ?
Allahpundit noted earlier today that progress and optimism for a vaccine have both accelerated in recent days , but it ’ s highly doubtful that even the Oxford vaccine candidate will have completed all of its trials by August 1 , let alone be made available .
Some Americans will no doubt say “ Damn the torpedoes , full speed ahead , ” but enough to sail off one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sea ?
Let ’ s not forget that these ships require crews to cruise too .
Another major cruise provider has yet to even get their crews off of some of their ships .
ABC News reported shortly after Carnival ’ s announcement earlier today that negotiations continue between Royal Caribbean and the CDC to disembark employees from ships , crews that have been stuck for weeks in limbo : [ Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael ] Bayley said American crew members on ships close to the U.S. will be repatriated with private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crew members off the coast of Barbados and at its Perfect Day resort will be put on a ship to Miami then transferred to private transportation “ and are expected to be home no later than May 14.
” American crew members in the Mediterranean will be flown home by May 20 and American crew members in Asia will be flown home from the Philippines as soon as the airport in Manila reopens .
Bayley said in his note that the CDC will only let crew members disembark if company executives , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — subject to criminal penalties including imprisonment — that we will not use any public transportation and that each crew member will comply with certain conditions after disembarking the ships.
” Bayley added the company is “ happy ” to comply with the CDC ’ s requests , “ but the criminal penalties gave us ( and our lawyers ) pause.
” The CDC issued its own statement earlier today that it hasn ’ t received any plans yet from Royal Caribbean , but that they will expedite their review when received .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are taking into account “ the health of the communities to which they will be returning.
” After having gone through all of this trouble just to get home , how many experienced crew will want to rush back on board to serve people who might be spreading COVID-19 — or who knows what else — all over again ?
Especially knowing that these same companies kept sailing even though they knew the risks involved to passengers and crews alike ?
Early in March , the world ’ s cruise-ship operators had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ luxury liners were incubators for the new coronavirus .
Yet they continued to fill cruise ships with passengers , endangering those aboard and helping spread Covid-19 to the U.S. and around the globe , a Wall Street Journal investigation found .
All told , the Journal found that the cruise industry launched voyages on more than 100 ships on or after March 4—the day of the first confirmed Covid-19 death of a passenger from a cruise stopping in the U.S. , a marker of the pandemic ’ s long reach .
The Wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pause will hammer operators just as they normally would be preparing for their busiest and mosr lucrative season : One has to wonder whether Carnival ’ s decision doesn ’ t have something to do with those cancellation demands .
Right now they have no choice but to offer credits or refunds for scheduled cruises in May , June , and July , draining their coffers and their resources for rebounding .
The industry got shut out of the relief bills passed by Congress , thanks to their decisions to avoid US taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If they decide to start sailing again in August , they might end up arguing that they don ’ t owe anyone a refund or credit for customer-initiated cancellations , and perhaps no unemployment for crew members who choose not to show up for work , either .
Or , perhaps , everyone will be so anxious to celebrate a break from quarantine that they ’ ll rush on board cruise ships for an adventure .
They may end up going right back into another quarantine at the end if they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d better arrange for three weeks off from work on those vacations .

August of which year? 2024? Maybe. August of this year? Errrrr ….. what could go wrong? Plenty:
Carnival Cruise Line on Monday announced a plan to phase in some North American cruises beginning August 1. Eight ships will depart from Miami, Port Canaveral, Florida and Galveston, Texas, Carnival said in a statement. “In connection with this plan, our pause in operations will be extended in all other North American and Australian markets through August 31,” the statement said.
Does this seem a bit rushed? Just how many Americans will want to jump onto a cruise while COVID-19 continues to circulate, especially if an effective vaccine has not been widely rolled out? Allahpundit noted earlier today that progress and optimism for a vaccine have both accelerated in recent days, but it’s highly doubtful that even the Oxford vaccine candidate will have completed all of its trials by August 1, let alone be made available. Some Americans will no doubt say “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead,” but enough to sail off one of these massive resort hotels on the sea?
Let’s not forget that these ships require crews to cruise too. Another major cruise provider has yet to even get their crews off of some of their ships. ABC News reported shortly after Carnival’s announcement earlier today that negotiations continue between Royal Caribbean and the CDC to disembark employees from ships, crews that have been stuck for weeks in limbo:
[Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael] Bayley said American crew members on ships close to the U.S. will be repatriated with private transportation beginning on May 6. American crew members off the coast of Barbados and at its Perfect Day resort will be put on a ship to Miami then transferred to private transportation “and are expected to be home no later than May 14.” American crew members in the Mediterranean will be flown home by May 20 and American crew members in Asia will be flown home from the Philippines as soon as the airport in Manila reopens. Bayley said in his note that the CDC will only let crew members disembark if company executives, including himself, “are willing to attest — subject to criminal penalties including imprisonment — that we will not use any public transportation and that each crew member will comply with certain conditions after disembarking the ships.” Bayley added the company is “happy” to comply with the CDC’s requests, “but the criminal penalties gave us (and our lawyers) pause.”
The CDC issued its own statement earlier today that it hasn’t received any plans yet from Royal Caribbean, but that they will expedite their review when received. Nonetheless, they also made clear that they are taking into account “the health of the communities to which they will be returning.” After having gone through all of this trouble just to get home, how many experienced crew will want to rush back on board to serve people who might be spreading COVID-19 — or who knows what else — all over again? Especially knowing that these same companies kept sailing even though they knew the risks involved to passengers and crews alike?
Early in March, the world’s cruise-ship operators had ample evidence to believe their fleet of luxury liners were incubators for the new coronavirus. Yet they continued to fill cruise ships with passengers, endangering those aboard and helping spread Covid-19 to the U.S. and around the globe, a Wall Street Journal investigation found. All told, the Journal found that the cruise industry launched voyages on more than 100 ships on or after March 4—the day of the first confirmed Covid-19 death of a passenger from a cruise stopping in the U.S., a marker of the pandemic’s long reach.
The Wall Street Journal notes today that the lengthy pause will hammer operators just as they normally would be preparing for their busiest and mosr lucrative season:
The pandemic has dried up cruise bookings—decimating the industry—and companies are set to miss out on the usually lucrative summer months with the extended cancellations. Carnival in March posted a loss for the fiscal first quarter and expected to turn a loss for the year. It said advanced bookings for the remainder of the year were meaningfully lower than the prior year, with prices offered at a discount as demand evaporated.
One has to wonder whether Carnival’s decision doesn’t have something to do with those cancellation demands. Right now they have no choice but to offer credits or refunds for scheduled cruises in May, June, and July, draining their coffers and their resources for rebounding. The industry got shut out of the relief bills passed by Congress, thanks to their decisions to avoid US taxes and regulation by registering their operations elsewhere. If they decide to start sailing again in August, they might end up arguing that they don’t owe anyone a refund or credit for customer-initiated cancellations, and perhaps no unemployment for crew members who choose not to show up for work, either.
Or, perhaps, everyone will be so anxious to celebrate a break from quarantine that they’ll rush on board cruise ships for an adventure. They may end up going right back into another quarantine at the end if they do, though, so perhaps they’d better arrange for three weeks off from work on those vacations.


hotair--2020-05-04--Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine: My now-canceled order requiring everyone to wear masks in stores was a bridge

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine: My now-canceled order requiring everyone to wear masks in stores was a bridge too far

There ’ s wisdom in this answer , especially the bit near the end where he says that getting hung up on the issue of mandatory masks would impede his ability to communicate with Ohioans .
DeWine ’ s an old pro and knows a dopey culture-war sideshow in the making when he sees one .
If he ’ d tried to set a rule about mask-wearing , there ’ d be people carrying Gadsden flags asserting their natural rights to go maskless and people on the other side screaming at them that they ’ re mass murderers .
Best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public focused on the nuts-and-bolts of how to reopen safely .
I think that ’ s the right call , on the theory that government shouldn ’ t do more than it absolutely needs to do .
Many lockdown orders have outlived their usefulness for the same reason .
In the first weeks of the outbreak a lockdown order might be justified not just in terms of a public emergency but as a way to communicate the singular urgency of the crisis .
Social distancing had to begin immediately and on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the curve and preserve hospital capacity , so much so that businesses would be shuttered to slow the spread .
If anyone had doubts that COVID-19 was an unprecedented threat , the unprecedented safety measures taken should have been enough to shake them out of their denial .
Nothing says unique crisis like , “ What do you mean restaurants aren ’ t open anymore ?
” But we ’ re past that now .
Most Americans recognize the threat .
They understand that maintaining physical distance is the new normal and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Even if the surgeon general didn ’ t seem to understand that early on . )
We ’ re in the “ diminishing returns ” phase of lockdowns .
What ’ ll drive behavior going forward is the state of the epidemic locally .
If cases flare , people are going to hunker down again without being forced .
Remember , according to one data set , the reason Florida has escaped a disastrous surge of coronavirus deaths is because residents there began staying home voluntarily weeks before Ron DeSantis finally ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on mandatory masks is of a piece with that .
At this point , social pressure will probably do more to get people to wear masks than executive orders .
As long as Ohio is willing to stand by business owners ’ rights to protect their employees by requiring masks as a condition to entry , it ’ s fine to take the path of least resistance .
If everyone wore them , we might be able to have our cake and eat it too .
A grand reopening *and* declining transmission rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors like DeWine to step back and not lay down heavy-handed rules mandating masks and for citizens to step up and wear them voluntarily as an act of basic consideration towards others .
We all understand that there ’ s an enormous number of asymptomatic carriers walking around and that the only things limiting unwitting transmission from them to others are physical distance and masks .
But some culture warriors won ’ t be deterred from finding a new grievance to agitate about even in the middle of a pandemic , even where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people around them .
In some cases the great mask debate , which isn ’ t a debate for 90 percent of the country , has already turned dangerous : The Daily Beast noticed that early on in the pandemic mask-wearing was embraced by populist righties like Laura Ingraham for exactly the reason I noted , because it ’ s a form of compromise that reduces the need for lockdowns .
Want to weaken the government ’ s rationale for draconian top-down precautions against infection ?
Then adopt much less draconian bottom-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s position has apparently evolved into comparing mask-wearing to Antifa or something .
( She ’ s also grumbling about remdesivir , the one drug that ’ s been proven to work in clinical trials , because it doesn ’ t have the MAGA seal of approval that hydroxychloroquine does . )
“ Once the potential tools of liberation from stay-at-home orders , ” wrote Will Sommer , “ Trump supporters now see masks as a hated carryover from those same orders.
” Not all Trump supporters , certainly .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cash in the most from whatever the culture-war flashpoint du jour is ?
Sure : Talk radio host Rush Limbaugh , the recent recipient of a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump , was an early mask paranoiac .
On April 20 , he promoted the idea , later picked up by Ingraham , that masks are totems of control .
“ It is clear that the mask is a symbol of fear , and when you see various people suggesting that we may now have masks as part of our public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Limbaugh said .
“ Uh , why ?
” For some conservatives , refusing to wear a mask has become just the latest way to thumb their noses at social distancing mandates .
“ What kind of bizarre deity is it that makes it blasphemous to put on a face mask amid a deadly pandemic , because it ’ s a symbol of government control ?
” asks Rod Dreher of anti-lockdown protesters putting their health and the health of others at risk .
A selfish , juvenile one ?
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ control ” that ’ s being protested — many jurisdictions , including DeWine ’ s Ohio , don ’ t require masks to be worn — so much as denialism about the disease .
I also don ’ t buy this theory from NRO ’ s Peter Spiliakos , although I wish it were true : He ’ s presuming an awful lot in presuming that they ’ re capable of shame .
I think Politico got closest to the mark about what ’ s driving the anti-mask backlash : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is often seen as the symbol of a purported overreaction to the coronavirus , mask promotion is a target of ridicule , a sign that in a deeply polarized America almost anything can be politicized and turned into a token of tribal affiliation.
” That point about “ overreaction ” is key .
If you ’ re a COVID-19 truther of whatever stripe , there ’ s no better way to communicate that fact than by refusing to wear a mask .
Anyone can be in denial about a deadly contagion , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against infecting oneself and others is serious denial .
Anyway , DeWine understands that he ’ s competing with the truthers to influence Ohioans who remain open to persuasion on how seriously to take the disease .
If he uses a heavy hand by requiring masks , they ’ ll leverage that as a new grievance .
If he uses a lighter touch , there ’ s less material .
He ’ s better off with exhortations than with mandates .
Government usually is .

There’s wisdom in this answer, especially the bit near the end where he says that getting hung up on the issue of mandatory masks would impede his ability to communicate with Ohioans. DeWine’s an old pro and knows a dopey culture-war sideshow in the making when he sees one. If he’d tried to set a rule about mask-wearing, there’d be people carrying Gadsden flags asserting their natural rights to go maskless and people on the other side screaming at them that they’re mass murderers. Best not to touch the issue and keep the public focused on the nuts-and-bolts of how to reopen safely.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tells @MarthaRaddatz his statewide order mandating face masks be worn in stores went "too far." "It became clear to me that that was just a bridge too far. People were not going to accept the government telling them what to do." https://t.co/KUQPYmxrRD pic.twitter.com/qBiBq4PYMm — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 3, 2020
I think that’s the right call, on the theory that government shouldn’t do more than it absolutely needs to do. Many lockdown orders have outlived their usefulness for the same reason. In the first weeks of the outbreak a lockdown order might be justified not just in terms of a public emergency but as a way to communicate the singular urgency of the crisis. Social distancing had to begin immediately and on the widest possible scale in order to flatten the curve and preserve hospital capacity, so much so that businesses would be shuttered to slow the spread. If anyone had doubts that COVID-19 was an unprecedented threat, the unprecedented safety measures taken should have been enough to shake them out of their denial. Nothing says unique crisis like, “What do you mean restaurants aren’t open anymore?”
But we’re past that now. Most Americans recognize the threat. They understand that maintaining physical distance is the new normal and that masks are useful in preventing transmission. (Even if the surgeon general didn’t seem to understand that early on.) We’re in the “diminishing returns” phase of lockdowns. What’ll drive behavior going forward is the state of the epidemic locally. If cases flare, people are going to hunker down again without being forced. Remember, according to one data set, the reason Florida has escaped a disastrous surge of coronavirus deaths is because residents there began staying home voluntarily weeks before Ron DeSantis finally ordered them to. DeWine’s reversal on mandatory masks is of a piece with that. At this point, social pressure will probably do more to get people to wear masks than executive orders. As long as Ohio is willing to stand by business owners’ rights to protect their employees by requiring masks as a condition to entry, it’s fine to take the path of least resistance.
If everyone wore them, we might be able to have our cake and eat it too. A grand reopening *and* declining transmission rates:
Models show that if 80 percent of people wear masks that are 60 percent effective, easily achievable with cloth, we can get to an effective R0 of less than one. That’s enough to halt the spread of the disease. Many countries already have more than 80 percent of their population wearing masks in public, including Hong Kong, where most stores deny entry to unmasked customers, and the more than 30 countries that legally require masks in public spaces, such as Israel, Singapore, and the Czech Republic. Mask use in combination with physical distancing is even more powerful.
The obvious compromise here is for governors like DeWine to step back and not lay down heavy-handed rules mandating masks and for citizens to step up and wear them voluntarily as an act of basic consideration towards others. We all understand that there’s an enormous number of asymptomatic carriers walking around and that the only things limiting unwitting transmission from them to others are physical distance and masks. But some culture warriors won’t be deterred from finding a new grievance to agitate about even in the middle of a pandemic, even where their position poses a health hazard to the people around them. In some cases the great mask debate, which isn’t a debate for 90 percent of the country, has already turned dangerous:
In Flint, Mich., a security guard at a Family Dollar store was fatally shot on Friday afternoon after an altercation that the guard’s wife told The New York Times had occurred over a customer refusing to wear a face covering, which is required in Michigan in any enclosed public space… In Stillwater, Okla., an emergency proclamation mandating face coverings led to so much verbal abuse in its first three hours on Friday — and a threat involving a gun — that officials swiftly amended it. Masks became encouraged, not required.
The Daily Beast noticed that early on in the pandemic mask-wearing was embraced by populist righties like Laura Ingraham for exactly the reason I noted, because it’s a form of compromise that reduces the need for lockdowns. Want to weaken the government’s rationale for draconian top-down precautions against infection? Then adopt much less draconian bottom-up ones. Now, though, Ingraham’s position has apparently evolved into comparing mask-wearing to Antifa or something. (She’s also grumbling about remdesivir, the one drug that’s been proven to work in clinical trials, because it doesn’t have the MAGA seal of approval that hydroxychloroquine does.) “Once the potential tools of liberation from stay-at-home orders,” wrote Will Sommer, “Trump supporters now see masks as a hated carryover from those same orders.”
Not all Trump supporters, certainly. But the noisiest ones, who stand in to cash in the most from whatever the culture-war flashpoint du jour is? Sure:
Talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, the recent recipient of a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump, was an early mask paranoiac. On April 20, he promoted the idea, later picked up by Ingraham, that masks are totems of control. “It is clear that the mask is a symbol of fear, and when you see various people suggesting that we may now have masks as part of our public lives for the rest of our lives?” Limbaugh said. “Uh, why?” For some conservatives, refusing to wear a mask has become just the latest way to thumb their noses at social distancing mandates.
“What kind of bizarre deity is it that makes it blasphemous to put on a face mask amid a deadly pandemic, because it’s a symbol of government control?” asks Rod Dreher of anti-lockdown protesters putting their health and the health of others at risk. A selfish, juvenile one?
I don’t know that it’s “control” that’s being protested — many jurisdictions, including DeWine’s Ohio, don’t require masks to be worn — so much as denialism about the disease. I also don’t buy this theory from NRO’s Peter Spiliakos, although I wish it were true:
2. Most of them have since become among the most zealous social enforcers of masks and lockdowns without the slightest change in their smug, hectoring, and judgemental tone. — Peter Spiliakos (@petespiliakos) May 3, 2020
4. These right-wing talk show hosts prioritize finding pretexts to spite and troll the people who were right as a way of trying to reclaim their lost honor. See? You're not better than me.
See? You're not the boss of me. — Peter Spiliakos (@petespiliakos) May 3, 2020
He’s presuming an awful lot in presuming that they’re capable of shame. I think Politico got closest to the mark about what’s driving the anti-mask backlash: “On the right, where the mask is often seen as the symbol of a purported overreaction to the coronavirus, mask promotion is a target of ridicule, a sign that in a deeply polarized America almost anything can be politicized and turned into a token of tribal affiliation.” That point about “overreaction” is key. If you’re a COVID-19 truther of whatever stripe, there’s no better way to communicate that fact than by refusing to wear a mask. Anyone can be in denial about a deadly contagion, but declining to take the most basic precautions against infecting oneself and others is serious denial.
Anyway, DeWine understands that he’s competing with the truthers to influence Ohioans who remain open to persuasion on how seriously to take the disease. If he uses a heavy hand by requiring masks, they’ll leverage that as a new grievance. If he uses a lighter touch, there’s less material. He’s better off with exhortations than with mandates. Government usually is.


hotair--2020-05-04--China cracks down on threats to sue the government over coronavirus deaths in Wuhan

Lawyers have been warned not to file suit against the government .
The police have interrogated bereaved family members who connected with others like them online .
Volunteers who tried to thwart the state ’ s censorship apparatus by preserving reports about the outbreak have disappeared .
“ They are worried that if people defend their rights , the international community will know what the real situation is like in Wuhan and the true experiences of the families there , ” said Mr. Yang , who is living in New York , where he fled after he was briefly detained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crackdown underscores the party ’ s fear that any attempt to dwell on what happened in Wuhan , or to hold officials responsible , will undermine the state ’ s narrative that only China ’ s authoritarian system saved the country from a devastating health crisis .
One man whose father died of the virus in February spoke to news outlets about his father ’ s death and his feelings that local officials should be held responsible , but the stories were all killed before publication .
Now the government wants to send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Mr. Zhang said several Chinese reporters who had interviewed him about his demands later told him that their editors had pulled the articles before publication .
He posted calls online to set up a monument in honor of the victims of the epidemic in Wuhan , but censors quickly scrubbed the messages .
Officials have pressed him to bury his father ’ s ashes , but he has so far refused ; he says they have insisted on assigning him minders , who he believes would be there to ensure that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much time trying to control us , ” Mr. Zhang said .
“ Why can ’ t they use this energy to address our concerns instead ?
” As I wrote last week , the government has cracked down on a group of people who attempted to avoid Chinese internet censorship of documents related to the outbreak .
The group had created an illicit archive on Github but last week three of them were arrested .
That ’ s on top of the thousands of people police have threatened , fined and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ causing panic.
” This kind of crackdown after a disaster is par for the course in China .
The NY Times mentions in passing a train crash that took place in 2011 .
The crash killed 40 people and injured nearly 200 others .
The response by the government was to bury the wreckage at the site and warn the media not to cover the story except to highlight the positive response of rescue workers .
Specifically , reporters were told not to look into the cause of the accident .
Leaked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the causes and footage emerged of bulldozers shovelling dirt over carriages .
Wang , the railways spokesman , said no one could or would bury the story .
He said a colleague told him the wreckage was needed to fill in a muddy ditch to make rescue efforts easier .
But Hong Kong University ’ s China Media Project said propaganda authorities have ordered media not to send reporters to the scene , not to report too frequently and not to link the story to high-speed rail development .
“ There must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the accident ] , rather , statements from authoritative departments must be followed , ” said one directive .
Another ordered : “ No calling into doubt , no development [ of further issues ] , no speculation , and no dissemination [ of such things ] on personal microblogs !
” That reaction to a crisis sure does sound familiar .
As I wrote earlier , China has pushed back hard on suggestions from the U.S. and Australia that there should be some sort of international investigation into the origin of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can to keep the exact origin and timeline from being pinned down .
And there ’ s no reason to think this approach will end .
Even two years after the 2011 train crash , China was still sending minders out on the anniversary of the crash to prevent relatives from visiting the site where their loved-ones died .
Security was tightened around the accident site yesterday to discourage survivors and the families of the dead from making some kind of public display to mark the anniversary , according to residents .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , stopped me and my friend and told us that we had better not approach the bridge , ” said resident Terry Xie , who saw both uniformed and plain-clothes police officers at the site .
“ I said we were not doing anything illegal .
He said he was just following the order of keeping people away from the bridge today and he hoped we can understand his job.
” China insists victims of CCP failure move on without placing any blame on the government , just as it insist the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Lawyers have been warned not to file suit against the government. The police have interrogated bereaved family members who connected with others like them online. Volunteers who tried to thwart the state’s censorship apparatus by preserving reports about the outbreak have disappeared. “They are worried that if people defend their rights, the international community will know what the real situation is like in Wuhan and the true experiences of the families there,” said Mr. Yang, who is living in New York, where he fled after he was briefly detained for his work in China. The crackdown underscores the party’s fear that any attempt to dwell on what happened in Wuhan, or to hold officials responsible, will undermine the state’s narrative that only China’s authoritarian system saved the country from a devastating health crisis.
One man whose father died of the virus in February spoke to news outlets about his father’s death and his feelings that local officials should be held responsible, but the stories were all killed before publication. Now the government wants to send minders to his father’s funeral:
Mr. Zhang said several Chinese reporters who had interviewed him about his demands later told him that their editors had pulled the articles before publication. He posted calls online to set up a monument in honor of the victims of the epidemic in Wuhan, but censors quickly scrubbed the messages. Officials have pressed him to bury his father’s ashes, but he has so far refused; he says they have insisted on assigning him minders, who he believes would be there to ensure that he caused no trouble. “They spend so much time trying to control us,” Mr. Zhang said. “Why can’t they use this energy to address our concerns instead?”
As I wrote last week, the government has cracked down on a group of people who attempted to avoid Chinese internet censorship of documents related to the outbreak. The group had created an illicit archive on Github but last week three of them were arrested. That’s on top of the thousands of people police have threatened, fined and jailed for “spreading rumors” and “causing panic.”
This kind of crackdown after a disaster is par for the course in China. The NY Times mentions in passing a train crash that took place in 2011. The crash killed 40 people and injured nearly 200 others. The response by the government was to bury the wreckage at the site and warn the media not to cover the story except to highlight the positive response of rescue workers. Specifically, reporters were told not to look into the cause of the accident.
Leaked propaganda directives ordered journalists not to investigate the causes and footage emerged of bulldozers shovelling dirt over carriages. Wang, the railways spokesman, said no one could or would bury the story. He said a colleague told him the wreckage was needed to fill in a muddy ditch to make rescue efforts easier. But Hong Kong University’s China Media Project said propaganda authorities have ordered media not to send reporters to the scene, not to report too frequently and not to link the story to high-speed rail development. “There must be no seeking after the causes [of the accident], rather, statements from authoritative departments must be followed,” said one directive. Another ordered: “No calling into doubt, no development [of further issues], no speculation, and no dissemination [of such things] on personal microblogs!”
That reaction to a crisis sure does sound familiar. As I wrote earlier, China has pushed back hard on suggestions from the U.S. and Australia that there should be some sort of international investigation into the origin of the coronavirus. They are doing all they can to keep the exact origin and timeline from being pinned down. And there’s no reason to think this approach will end. Even two years after the 2011 train crash, China was still sending minders out on the anniversary of the crash to prevent relatives from visiting the site where their loved-ones died.
Security was tightened around the accident site yesterday to discourage survivors and the families of the dead from making some kind of public display to mark the anniversary, according to residents. “A police officer, in his uniform, stopped me and my friend and told us that we had better not approach the bridge,” said resident Terry Xie, who saw both uniformed and plain-clothes police officers at the site. “I said we were not doing anything illegal. He said he was just following the order of keeping people away from the bridge today and he hoped we can understand his job.”
China insists victims of CCP failure move on without placing any blame on the government, just as it insist the rest of the world do the same thing.


hotair--2020-05-04--Latest round of New York City antibody testing shows lower percentage infected than thought

A leftover from Saturday in case you missed it .
The good news is that , after three rounds and 15,000 people tested , New York is still seeing infection rates in the 20 percent range .
The original number after one round of testing , 21.2 percent , was no fluke .
There ’ s every reason at this point to believe that one-fifth of the City ’ s population — 1.68 million people — have had the virus and all but 19,000 or so have survived , a fatality rate of slightly more than one percent .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths ” in that count , the number would be a bit higher .
The bad news is that hopes of a much higher incidence of infection in NYC after six weeks of a raging epidemic appear to be dashed after three rounds of testing .
We all wanted to see rates much closer to herd immunity , which in the case of COVID-19 should be something like 60 percent .
Instead the latest round of testing points to *lower* prevalence than the first two rounds did .
Round one showed 21.2 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that number bumped up to 24.7 percent .
Now , after round three , it ’ s dipped to a shade under 20 percent .
Nearly 20 percent have been infected and just about 19,000 have died .
If that ratio continued , with a thousand people dying for roughly every percentage point in prevalence gained ( or one death for every 84 people immunized ) , NYC alone would still have 40,000 deaths to go before herd immunity is achieved .
If that ratio held for the entire country ( and if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could reach 60 percent immunity at the cost of … 2.4 million dead .
Better hurry up with that vaccine , is what I ’ m saying .
One of the many mysteries of COVID is why New York City got it so much worse than everywhere else in the U.S. , including other major population centers .
Here ’ s something that caught my eye over the weekend : Could the virus have been spreading in NYC , one of the world ’ s foremost travel destinations , sooner than everyone believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( or knows someone who has a story ) about having had a curiously severe flu in January or even December of last year , and not just in New York .
I myself know someone who works in airport security in NYC , normally hardy , who had a “ flu ” in early January that went on for two weeks , replete with a dry cough .
Presumably well north of 99 percent of these “ mystery flu ” cases were in fact the actual flu and nothing more , reimagined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection due to the power of suggestion .
But an unusually early outbreak in New York could help explain the unusual degree of prevalence now .
There are other possibilities .
The Times had a story this weekend about doctors puzzling over why some cities and countries get blitzed by the disease and others shake it off without much damage .
Scientists are focusing on four factors : ( 1 ) How young the population is , which explains why Africa and parts of the Middle East have escaped a severe outbreak ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” which refers to how often people are likely to make physical contact , such as with handshakes ; ( 3 ) hot , sunny weather , which may do less than we think to kill the virus *but* may encourage people to be outdoors more , which limits transmission ; and ( 4 ) strict , early lockdowns by the local government .
It occurred to me while reading it that NYC failed three of the four metrics .
The population isn ’ t particularly old but extreme density ( especially the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grayer weather of March plus the slow-footedness of de Blasio and Cuomo made for a bad combination .
On the other hand , the WSJ looked today at why Florida has mysteriously avoided a crushing outbreak even though it hosted spring break this year , is a major tourist destination , and has a famously old population .
It was a recipe for disaster — but the disaster didn ’ t happen , thankfully .
One possibility is a weather effect : Floridians spend more time outdoors in March than New Yorkers do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another reason , perhaps , is early precautions taken by the population as they watched what was happening in NYC .
A key factor , many say , is a change in the behavior of Floridians .
Though the governor didn ’ t impose a statewide stay-at-home order until April 3 , people began hunkering down en masse in mid-March , according to firms that analyze anonymous cellphone data .
That was around the same time deaths in the U.S. topped 100 and residents of New York , many of whom have ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pandemic ’ s progression in Florida was about a week behind its trajectory in New York , so that social-distancing measures effectively kicked in earlier , said Thomas Hladish , research scientist at the University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute .
“ In the early , exponential-growth phase of an epidemic , starting an intervention a week earlier is absolutely huge , ” he said .
According to smartphone location data , Floridians ’ mobility started dropping dramatically on March 15 and continued that way until it was down more than 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County it was down more than 80 percent .
Ron DeSantis may have been slow to issue statewide lockdown orders but it may not have mattered .
Floridians were under self-imposed lockdown .
They may have spared themselves a catastrophe .

A leftover from Saturday in case you missed it. The good news is that, after three rounds and 15,000 people tested, New York is still seeing infection rates in the 20 percent range. The original number after one round of testing, 21.2 percent, was no fluke. There’s every reason at this point to believe that one-fifth of the City’s population — 1.68 million people — have had the virus and all but 19,000 or so have survived, a fatality rate of slightly more than one percent.
Although if we were to include “excess deaths” in that count, the number would be a bit higher.
The bad news is that hopes of a much higher incidence of infection in NYC after six weeks of a raging epidemic appear to be dashed after three rounds of testing. We all wanted to see rates much closer to herd immunity, which in the case of COVID-19 should be something like 60 percent. Instead the latest round of testing points to *lower* prevalence than the first two rounds did. Round one showed 21.2 percent in NYC infected; after round two that number bumped up to 24.7 percent. Now, after round three, it’s dipped to a shade under 20 percent.
NYC overall: 19.9% positive for antibodies. Bronx: 27.6%
Brooklyn: 19.2%
Manhattan: 17.3%
Queens: 18.4%
Staten Island: 19.2% (Results are weighted.) — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) May 2, 2020
Nearly 20 percent have been infected and just about 19,000 have died. If that ratio continued, with a thousand people dying for roughly every percentage point in prevalence gained (or one death for every 84 people immunized), NYC alone would still have 40,000 deaths to go before herd immunity is achieved. If that ratio held for the entire country (and if my math is correct), we could reach 60 percent immunity at the cost of … 2.4 million dead.
Better hurry up with that vaccine, is what I’m saying.
One of the many mysteries of COVID is why New York City got it so much worse than everywhere else in the U.S., including other major population centers. Here’s something that caught my eye over the weekend:
The patient, a 53-year-old man, had not travelled to China in weeks before falling ill, the doctor, Yves Cohen, said on @BFMTV Unclear if he had been in contact with people who had. He infected his two children but not his wife, and has now recovered — David Chazan (@davidchazan) May 3, 2020
Could the virus have been spreading in NYC, one of the world’s foremost travel destinations, sooner than everyone believes? Everyone seems to have a story (or knows someone who has a story) about having had a curiously severe flu in January or even December of last year, and not just in New York. I myself know someone who works in airport security in NYC, normally hardy, who had a “flu” in early January that went on for two weeks, replete with a dry cough. Presumably well north of 99 percent of these “mystery flu” cases were in fact the actual flu and nothing more, reimagined after the fact as an early COVID infection due to the power of suggestion. But an unusually early outbreak in New York could help explain the unusual degree of prevalence now.
There are other possibilities. The Times had a story this weekend about doctors puzzling over why some cities and countries get blitzed by the disease and others shake it off without much damage. Scientists are focusing on four factors: (1) How young the population is, which explains why Africa and parts of the Middle East have escaped a severe outbreak; (2) “cultural distance,” which refers to how often people are likely to make physical contact, such as with handshakes; (3) hot, sunny weather, which may do less than we think to kill the virus *but* may encourage people to be outdoors more, which limits transmission; and (4) strict, early lockdowns by the local government. It occurred to me while reading it that NYC failed three of the four metrics. The population isn’t particularly old but extreme density (especially the subway system) plus the colder, grayer weather of March plus the slow-footedness of de Blasio and Cuomo made for a bad combination.
On the other hand, the WSJ looked today at why Florida has mysteriously avoided a crushing outbreak even though it hosted spring break this year, is a major tourist destination, and has a famously old population. It was a recipe for disaster — but the disaster didn’t happen, thankfully. One possibility is a weather effect: Floridians spend more time outdoors in March than New Yorkers do, I’m sure. But another reason, perhaps, is early precautions taken by the population as they watched what was happening in NYC.
A key factor, many say, is a change in the behavior of Floridians. Though the governor didn’t impose a statewide stay-at-home order until April 3, people began hunkering down en masse in mid-March, according to firms that analyze anonymous cellphone data. That was around the same time deaths in the U.S. topped 100 and residents of New York, many of whom have ties to Florida, started staying home. The pandemic’s progression in Florida was about a week behind its trajectory in New York, so that social-distancing measures effectively kicked in earlier, said Thomas Hladish, research scientist at the University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute. “In the early, exponential-growth phase of an epidemic, starting an intervention a week earlier is absolutely huge,” he said.
According to smartphone location data, Floridians’ mobility started dropping dramatically on March 15 and continued that way until it was down more than 50 percent within a week. In Miami-Dade County it was down more than 80 percent. Ron DeSantis may have been slow to issue statewide lockdown orders but it may not have mattered. Floridians were under self-imposed lockdown. They may have spared themselves a catastrophe.


hotair--2020-05-04--Internal Chinese report warns country faces biggest backlash since Tiananmen Square

If you were wondering why China has been pushing out so much anti-U.S. propaganda lately , here ’ s your answer .
An internal report compiled by a think tank connected to China ’ s intelligence service concludes the coronavirus is creating the biggest anti-China backlash since 1989 : The report , presented early last month by the Ministry of State Security to top Beijing leaders including President Xi Jinping , concluded that global anti-China sentiment is at its highest since the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown , the sources said .
As a result , Beijing faces a wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the aftermath of the pandemic and needs to be prepared in a worst-case scenario for armed confrontation between the two global powers , according to people familiar with the report ’ s content , who declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the matter .
The report was drawn up by the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations ( CICIR ) , a think tank affiliated with the Ministry of State Security , China ’ s top intelligence body .
China has reacted strongly to any suggestion that it could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
Last week a Chinese ambassador made threats of a boycott after Australia recommended an investigation into the origins of the virus : China has accused Australia of parroting the United States in its call for an inquiry independent of the World Health Organization to determine the origins of COVID-19 and how the world responded to the emerging pandemic .
Chinese Ambassador Cheng Jingye used an Australian newspaper interview this week to warn that pursuing an inquiry could spark a Chinese consumer boycott of students and tourists visiting Australia as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beef and wine… U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attacked China ’ s coercion and urged U.S. partner countries to also demand transparency and answers .
“ I saw some comments from the Chinese foreign ministry talking about coercive activity with respect to Australia , who had the temerity to ask for an investigation .
Who in the world wouldn ’ t want an investigation of how this happened to the world ?
” Pompeo told reporters in Washington .
There are probably lots of reasons China doesn ’ t want the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the details of its response .
Jazz wrote about one of those earlier today , i.e .
China spent the early weeks of the outbreak downplaying the severity of the virus while simultaneously buying up the world ’ s supply of PPE and other medical supplies .
For the moment China continues it ’ s two-track approach to the world response .
On the one hand it is issuing diplomatically worded pleas for for international cooperation .
On the other hand it is openly lying about the origin of the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lies and also openly mocking other nations .
The most recent example of the mockery approach is this video which China ’ s Xinhua state media put out last week .
The full clip is here .
It was not only shared by state media but by China ’ s Embassy in Paris :

If you were wondering why China has been pushing out so much anti-U.S. propaganda lately, here’s your answer. An internal report compiled by a think tank connected to China’s intelligence service concludes the coronavirus is creating the biggest anti-China backlash since 1989:
The report, presented early last month by the Ministry of State Security to top Beijing leaders including President Xi Jinping, concluded that global anti-China sentiment is at its highest since the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, the sources said. As a result, Beijing faces a wave of anti-China sentiment led by the United States in the aftermath of the pandemic and needs to be prepared in a worst-case scenario for armed confrontation between the two global powers, according to people familiar with the report’s content, who declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the matter. The report was drawn up by the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), a think tank affiliated with the Ministry of State Security, China’s top intelligence body.
China has reacted strongly to any suggestion that it could be held accountable for the damage caused by the coronavirus. Last week a Chinese ambassador made threats of a boycott after Australia recommended an investigation into the origins of the virus:
China has accused Australia of parroting the United States in its call for an inquiry independent of the World Health Organization to determine the origins of COVID-19 and how the world responded to the emerging pandemic. Chinese Ambassador Cheng Jingye used an Australian newspaper interview this week to warn that pursuing an inquiry could spark a Chinese consumer boycott of students and tourists visiting Australia as well as of sales of major exports including beef and wine… U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attacked China’s coercion and urged U.S. partner countries to also demand transparency and answers. “I saw some comments from the Chinese foreign ministry talking about coercive activity with respect to Australia, who had the temerity to ask for an investigation. Who in the world wouldn’t want an investigation of how this happened to the world?” Pompeo told reporters in Washington.
There are probably lots of reasons China doesn’t want the world looking into the origin of the virus and the details of its response. Jazz wrote about one of those earlier today, i.e. China spent the early weeks of the outbreak downplaying the severity of the virus while simultaneously buying up the world’s supply of PPE and other medical supplies.
For the moment China continues it’s two-track approach to the world response. On the one hand it is issuing diplomatically worded pleas for for international cooperation. On the other hand it is openly lying about the origin of the virus, threatening those who push back on the lies and also openly mocking other nations. The most recent example of the mockery approach is this video which China’s Xinhua state media put out last week. The full clip is here. It was not only shared by state media but by China’s Embassy in Paris:


hotair--2020-05-04--Scientist: We are not alone. We have never been alone.

Last week we talked about the rather casual way that the Pentagon re-released some interesting US Navy videos we ’ d already had for a couple of years and confirmed that UFOs are real .
Were this any other period in modern history besides the current crapstorm sweeping the planet , this would have been a remarkable admission that fundamentally altered our perception of our place in the universe .
As things are today , however , it seems like most of the media ( and the public , for that matter ) responded with a collective shrug .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out how to fight the Murder Hornets while wearing surgical masks .
Call us when the aliens are actually ready to attack , mate.
” Not everyone just shrugged it off , however .
The fact that these… things are flying around out there and that the government admits it opens the door to some obvious questions .
Who , if anyone , is flying them ?
Who built them ?
Where did they come from ?
One scientist has been studying the available data from those encounters and has taken a rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pool with an answer .
You may recall Canadian quantum physicist and tech CEO Deep Prasad , who I ’ ve interviewed here before .
He ’ s had time to digest his findings and published an article at Medium where he proposes an answer to those questions .
He concludes that we ’ re basically living in an alien playground and there are not one , but many species of advanced , non-human intelligence in our neighborhood .
They may even be out there walking the streets with you and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m just tossing this out there for your entertainment and to perhaps spur some discussion and speculation .
I ’ m not saying you need to accept all of this .
Heck , I ’ m not even sure I do .
But it ’ s all just so fascinating .
So let ’ s get into it .
The whole article is digestible for the layman and worth a full read , but I ’ ll start by sharing a section where Deep explains that the aliens are here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long time .
First of all I believe that Alien spacecraft crashed on Earth in different countries around the world from the 1940s onwards .
Some of these crashes could not stay under wraps , hence embarrassments like Roswell .
At first the generals involved had no idea what to do with the bodies or technology involved .
All they knew was that this had to be kept absolutely top secret , and the nature of the situation immediately led to the greediest and most fearful but powerful of the bunch taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known fact in upper echelon military and tech circles that Aliens exist and sometimes bring technology to Earth that can also be theoretically reverse engineered for military/tactical purposes .
I ’ ll just acknowledge right off that bat that Deep sounds like he ’ s quoting some of the crustiest , ancient UFO conspiracy theories that have been making the rounds for ages .
But I would also note that every conspiracy theory has to start somewhere , generally with a grain of truth .
And some of them turn out to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask Deep one question about this portion of his theory it would be the following .
Let ’ s assume that some hyper-advanced alien species is out there somewhere and they ’ ve developed the technology required to journey between the stars , further assuming that they would find Earth interesting enough to visit .
If they ’ re that advanced , how is it that they arrive here and suddenly start driving like a bunch of blue-haired Florida ladies and crashing into everything in sight ?
To be fair , he touches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying that “ some ETs that are only slightly more advanced than us often get here in super worn down spaceships which need repair or can ’ t function well enough for a return trip.
” I ’ m guessing that means that the really advanced ones don ’ t crash .
Fair enough .
Let ’ s get back to this idea that it ’ s not just one group of aliens , but many .
Here ’ s where Deep expands on that concept .
Just like with humans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intent and motivations .
With some groups looking to influence us when they get here , some to work with us as almost equals , and others who are completely indifferent to our existence .
This means it ’ s not far fetched to imagine a world where some are flying around in fancy ships and never talk to us , while some are engaging with humans in very controlled environments such as military bases or remote locations owned by private corporations .
Then others still are interacting with us in ways we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s a lot to swallow in one bite , but since we ’ re engaging in some harmless contemplation of the possibilities , why not ?
As someone who follows the literature in ufology pretty closely , there do seem to be at least three different styles of craft being regularly reported .
There are the old-school disks ( flying saucers , if you prefer ) , the black triangles , and , of course , the now-infamous Tic Tacs .
The latter have actually been reported for years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as “ cigar-shaped ” or “ tubular.
” Perhaps they all belong to different species , each with their own agenda and level of technology .
Hey… why not ?
Finally , near the end of the article , Deep proposes that not only are the aliens visiting , but they have established bases here .
Not just on Earth , but also on the moon .
Just for the record , alien bases on the dark side of the moon is where I get off this bus and go looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may vary .
But seriously… are there alien bases ?
Deep plans on finding out .
Once this pandemic passes by , a group he ’ s working with is mounting an expedition out into the Pacific in an effort to not only track down some of these alien craft , but potentially hunt for a base of operations they ’ re coming from .
I for one wish him nothing but the best of luck .
If anyone out there is smart enough to do that , it ’ s Deep Prasad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I offer all of this as only a conversation starter for everyone during a tense time when we could use something besides the damned pandemic to talk about .
If we ’ re willing to accept the reality of incredible vehicles in our airspace that violate all known laws of physics , why is the idea of some extraterrestrial pilots so far of a leap to make ?

Last week we talked about the rather casual way that the Pentagon re-released some interesting US Navy videos we’d already had for a couple of years and confirmed that UFOs are real. Were this any other period in modern history besides the current crapstorm sweeping the planet, this would have been a remarkable admission that fundamentally altered our perception of our place in the universe. As things are today, however, it seems like most of the media (and the public, for that matter) responded with a collective shrug. “We’re kind of busy figuring out how to fight the Murder Hornets while wearing surgical masks. Call us when the aliens are actually ready to attack, mate.”
Not everyone just shrugged it off, however. The fact that these… things are flying around out there and that the government admits it opens the door to some obvious questions. Who, if anyone, is flying them? Who built them? Where did they come from? One scientist has been studying the available data from those encounters and has taken a rather radical plunge into the deep end of the pool with an answer. You may recall Canadian quantum physicist and tech CEO Deep Prasad, who I’ve interviewed here before. He’s had time to digest his findings and published an article at Medium where he proposes an answer to those questions. He concludes that we’re basically living in an alien playground and there are not one, but many species of advanced, non-human intelligence in our neighborhood. They may even be out there walking the streets with you and you wouldn’t even know it.
I’m just tossing this out there for your entertainment and to perhaps spur some discussion and speculation. I’m not saying you need to accept all of this. Heck, I’m not even sure I do. But it’s all just so fascinating. So let’s get into it. The whole article is digestible for the layman and worth a full read, but I’ll start by sharing a section where Deep explains that the aliens are here. And they’ve been here for a long time.
First of all I believe that Alien spacecraft crashed on Earth in different countries around the world from the 1940s onwards. Some of these crashes could not stay under wraps, hence embarrassments like Roswell. At first the generals involved had no idea what to do with the bodies or technology involved. All they knew was that this had to be kept absolutely top secret, and the nature of the situation immediately led to the greediest and most fearful but powerful of the bunch taking control. Overtime, it became well known fact in upper echelon military and tech circles that Aliens exist and sometimes bring technology to Earth that can also be theoretically reverse engineered for military/tactical purposes.
I’ll just acknowledge right off that bat that Deep sounds like he’s quoting some of the crustiest, ancient UFO conspiracy theories that have been making the rounds for ages. But I would also note that every conspiracy theory has to start somewhere, generally with a grain of truth. And some of them turn out to be true. But if I had to ask Deep one question about this portion of his theory it would be the following.
Let’s assume that some hyper-advanced alien species is out there somewhere and they’ve developed the technology required to journey between the stars, further assuming that they would find Earth interesting enough to visit. If they’re that advanced, how is it that they arrive here and suddenly start driving like a bunch of blue-haired Florida ladies and crashing into everything in sight? To be fair, he touches on that question later in the article, saying that “some ETs that are only slightly more advanced than us often get here in super worn down spaceships which need repair or can’t function well enough for a return trip.”
I’m guessing that means that the really advanced ones don’t crash. Fair enough. Let’s get back to this idea that it’s not just one group of aliens, but many. Here’s where Deep expands on that concept.
Just like with humans, Aliens come in a vast array of intent and motivations. With some groups looking to influence us when they get here, some to work with us as almost equals, and others who are completely indifferent to our existence. This means it’s not far fetched to imagine a world where some are flying around in fancy ships and never talk to us, while some are engaging with humans in very controlled environments such as military bases or remote locations owned by private corporations. Then others still are interacting with us in ways we probably can’t conceptualize so well.
That’s a lot to swallow in one bite, but since we’re engaging in some harmless contemplation of the possibilities, why not? As someone who follows the literature in ufology pretty closely, there do seem to be at least three different styles of craft being regularly reported. There are the old-school disks (flying saucers, if you prefer), the black triangles, and, of course, the now-infamous Tic Tacs. The latter have actually been reported for years, but described with different words and phrases, such as “cigar-shaped” or “tubular.” Perhaps they all belong to different species, each with their own agenda and level of technology. Hey… why not?
Finally, near the end of the article, Deep proposes that not only are the aliens visiting, but they have established bases here. Not just on Earth, but also on the moon.
Finally, tangible evidence exists of Alien bases that are inhabited by species a few hundred to maybe tens of thousands of years or more ahead of us. This evidence will be readily found the day a private space company like SpaceX goes to the dark side of the moon where there are multiple massive structures there that were not built by man. They existed before we even landed on the moon. Key people in NASA/DoD as well as high level officials from Russia and China are well aware of these non-human bases.
Just for the record, alien bases on the dark side of the moon is where I get off this bus and go looking for a stiff drink. Your mileage may vary.
But seriously… are there alien bases? Deep plans on finding out. Once this pandemic passes by, a group he’s working with is mounting an expedition out into the Pacific in an effort to not only track down some of these alien craft, but potentially hunt for a base of operations they’re coming from. I for one wish him nothing but the best of luck. If anyone out there is smart enough to do that, it’s Deep Prasad.
Anyway, as I suggested upfront, I offer all of this as only a conversation starter for everyone during a tense time when we could use something besides the damned pandemic to talk about. If we’re willing to accept the reality of incredible vehicles in our airspace that violate all known laws of physics, why is the idea of some extraterrestrial pilots so far of a leap to make?


hotair--2020-05-04--"Good luck Lacy!" Trump endorsement takes aim at Omar in MN-05, but ...

No one questions Donald Trump ’ s desire to see Ilhan Omar ousted from Congress in November .
The question is whether Ilhan Omar hang around long enough for Trump ’ s endorsement of this challenger to matter .
Republican nominee Lacy Johnson picked up the presidential endorsement on Twitter this morning , as Trump described Omar as a “ disaster ” who “ hates our Military & our Vets.
” Trump concluded with a “ Good luck Lacy !
” , and Lacy will need it : Johnson will need more than luck to win in MN-05 as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miracle .
The Cook index for this Minneapolis-centered district officially rates as D+26 .
In practice , Republican candidates for this House seat get around 25 % of the vote in every election and lose by 40 points or more .
Even when Democrats fail to get the other 75 % , it ’ s because they have shared the vote with an even more leftward minor-party candidate .
Omar won her first election in 2018 with 78 % of the vote in a two-way race against GOP nominee Jennifer Zielinski — even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s marriage emerging during that campaign .
In the last two decades , the most votes won by a GOP nominee for this seat was 88,753 , by Chris Fields in 2012 .
The fewest votes won by a Democrat was 136,060 in 2010 by Keith Ellison in his first attempt at the seat , which was still 56 % of the vote in a four way race where Independence Party nominee Tammy Lee and Republican Alan Fine both won 21 % .
The last Democratic presidential nominee to get less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gore in 2000 ; Hillary Clinton led Donald Trump in 2016 by 74/19 in MN-05 .
Trump ’ s endorsement here won ’ t do Johnson any favors , in other words .
Omar won ’ t lose her seat to a Republican in November , clearly .
However , will she even get the opportunity to prove that ?
A far bigger threat has emerged in the primary , the Star Tribune reports today , one that could actually send Omar back into obscurity : After a turbulent first term in Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge from political newcomer Antone Melton-Meaux , an attorney and professional mediator who has promised a more collaborative style for a Minneapolis-based congressional seat that has been in DFL hands since 1963 .
Political handicappers expect Omar , 37 , to retain the endorsement of DFL Party delegates later this month .
But Melton-Meaux , 47 , who has raised more than $ 400,000 for his fledgling campaign , intends to take the race to Minnesota ’ s Aug. 11 primary and a broader set of voters .
… “ He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , ” said Mike Erlandson , a former DFL chairman .
But Erlandson , a one-time chief of staff to former Fifth District congressman Martin Sabo , said Omar would be hard to unseat .
“ Few have the fundraising prowess she has behind her .
Incumbents are powerful , she has very high name ID , and she ’ s been relatively quiet this year compared to last , ” he said .
Omar has built up a war chest of $ 3.4 million , which probably would mostly be for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a walkover district in the general election .
The “ very high name ID ” cuts both ways , though .
Omar may have built a reputation for taking on Trump , but she has also created headaches with her remarks about Jews , who have a significant constituency in MN-05 and who have been supportive of the Somali refugee community .
Having an affair with her campaign fundraiser and then divorcing her Somali husband to marry her non-Somali benefactor didn ’ t do her any favors back home , either .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Omar ’ s apparent tax violations or the suspicion that she married her brother to commit immigration fraud .
At some point , Democrats in MN-05 might choose a safer option rather than line up behind a one-term disaster just for the sake of party politics .
If Antone Melton-Meaux can pass muster and not embarrass the district , it would be an easy argument for Omar ’ s retirement .
In fact , although the Star Tribune thinks Omar will retain the DFL endorsement before the primary in August , party leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get rid of its biggest headache .
About the only way Melton-Meaux could lose is … if he got an endorsement from Trump .

No one questions Donald Trump’s desire to see Ilhan Omar ousted from Congress in November. The question is whether Ilhan Omar hang around long enough for Trump’s endorsement of this challenger to matter. Republican nominee Lacy Johnson picked up the presidential endorsement on Twitter this morning, as Trump described Omar as a “disaster” who “hates our Military & our Vets.”
Trump concluded with a “Good luck Lacy!”, and Lacy will need it:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1257286796523814914
Johnson will need more than luck to win in MN-05 as a Republican — he’ll need a miracle. The Cook index for this Minneapolis-centered district officially rates as D+26. In practice, Republican candidates for this House seat get around 25% of the vote in every election and lose by 40 points or more. Even when Democrats fail to get the other 75%, it’s because they have shared the vote with an even more leftward minor-party candidate. Omar won her first election in 2018 with 78% of the vote in a two-way race against GOP nominee Jennifer Zielinski — even with ethics charges and questions about Omar’s marriage emerging during that campaign.
In the last two decades, the most votes won by a GOP nominee for this seat was 88,753, by Chris Fields in 2012. The fewest votes won by a Democrat was 136,060 in 2010 by Keith Ellison in his first attempt at the seat, which was still 56% of the vote in a four way race where Independence Party nominee Tammy Lee and Republican Alan Fine both won 21%. The last Democratic presidential nominee to get less than 70% from this district was Al Gore in 2000; Hillary Clinton led Donald Trump in 2016 by 74/19 in MN-05. Trump’s endorsement here won’t do Johnson any favors, in other words.
Omar won’t lose her seat to a Republican in November, clearly. However, will she even get the opportunity to prove that? A far bigger threat has emerged in the primary, the Star Tribune reports today, one that could actually send Omar back into obscurity:
After a turbulent first term in Congress, Omar faces an unexpectedly strong primary challenge from political newcomer Antone Melton-Meaux, an attorney and professional mediator who has promised a more collaborative style for a Minneapolis-based congressional seat that has been in DFL hands since 1963. Political handicappers expect Omar, 37, to retain the endorsement of DFL Party delegates later this month. But Melton-Meaux, 47, who has raised more than $400,000 for his fledgling campaign, intends to take the race to Minnesota’s Aug. 11 primary and a broader set of voters. … “He’s got some significant names and resources behind him,” said Mike Erlandson, a former DFL chairman. But Erlandson, a one-time chief of staff to former Fifth District congressman Martin Sabo, said Omar would be hard to unseat. “Few have the fundraising prowess she has behind her. Incumbents are powerful, she has very high name ID, and she’s been relatively quiet this year compared to last,” he said.
Omar has built up a war chest of $3.4 million, which probably would mostly be for primary campaigning, since it’s a walkover district in the general election. The “very high name ID” cuts both ways, though. Omar may have built a reputation for taking on Trump, but she has also created headaches with her remarks about Jews, who have a significant constituency in MN-05 and who have been supportive of the Somali refugee community. Having an affair with her campaign fundraiser and then divorcing her Somali husband to marry her non-Somali benefactor didn’t do her any favors back home, either. And that doesn’t even touch on Omar’s apparent tax violations or the suspicion that she married her brother to commit immigration fraud.
At some point, Democrats in MN-05 might choose a safer option rather than line up behind a one-term disaster just for the sake of party politics. If Antone Melton-Meaux can pass muster and not embarrass the district, it would be an easy argument for Omar’s retirement. In fact, although the Star Tribune thinks Omar will retain the DFL endorsement before the primary in August, party leaders might decide to force the issue and get rid of its biggest headache. About the only way Melton-Meaux could lose is … if he got an endorsement from Trump.


hotair--2020-05-04--Leaked CDC model projects: Next month daily deaths will reach 3,000, new daily cases will reach ...

Leaked CDC model projects: Next month daily deaths will reach 3,000, new daily cases will reach ... 200,000; Update: "Unfinished projections?"

This is why it ’ s a bad idea for Trump to keep tossing projections into his public statements .
The numbers are getting worse .
The more he has to move the goalposts to keep up with them , the more he inadvertently highlights how much worse they ’ ve gotten .
If he ’ s going to do a forecast , he should set the bar high .
“ Anything less than 500,000 dead — wait , I mean a million dead — is a win.
” The Times somehow got hold of a FEMA chart based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( How they got hold of it is itself an interesting question . )
Most of us are already grimly inured to daily reports of 1,500-2,000 dead and 30,000 more infected .
Imagine how much more inured we ’ ll be on June 1 if this data pans out .
One death is a tragedy ; 3,000 deaths every 24 hours is a statistic .
Note the difference between modeled deaths and reported deaths .
Right now the U.S. is averaging around 1,700 daily , with numbers somewhat below that on weekends and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ model had expected fewer than that .
If it ’ s trending conservative , how much worse might the daily death toll be on June 1 if than the 3,000 per day that the agency is expecting ?
That is , the red line represents a 50th percentile projection .
The model suggests that deaths could be lower somewhere in the red band — or higher .
Interestingly , the CDC ’ s projection on new cases doesn ’ t track with its projection on deaths .
Remember that we ’ re averaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now : The model expects daily deaths to rise by 40 percent or so over the next month but it expects daily cases to rise by around 750 percent .
How does that square ?
All I can think is that the CDC assumes there ’ ll be a massive increase in testing across the U.S. this month , which would be great news , and that we ’ ll begin detecting many more extremely mild or even asymptomatic cases .
Either that or they ’ re expecting the disease to become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , and that can ’ t be right .
Not even remdesivir has shown a mortality benefit in treating COVID-19 .
Er , why is this leaking today ?
Theories are being kicked around : I don ’ t understand Silver ’ s point .
The projections hurt the White House more than help it by predicting that the crisis is about to deepen , and the fact that the CDC model *underestimated* the number of daily deaths to this point suggests that the feds have done an even worse job in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Bernstein ’ s theory , maybe whoever leaked it did so to try to spook governors into rethinking their plans to reopen more widely .
Jeremy Faust is an ER doctor in Massachusetts who ’ s worried that some states are reopening too soon even though he understands the urgent need to restart the economy .
It ’ ll backfire , he thinks , by spooking consumers more than a delayed reopening would : Faust is convinced that the average person doesn ’ t appreciate the risk of infection , partly because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s had the disease ( New Yorkers are different , of course ) and partly because they ’ re gauging their personal exposure based on the number of confirmed cases locally .
But confirmed cases don ’ t tell us much , he notes .
We all understand that the number of asymptomatic carriers walking around is much greater than the number of people with confirmed infections .
What does that mean in practice ?
Quote : Here ’ s an instructive way to think about this .
In Atlanta , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system , have a seating capacity of 64 and a total capacity of 96 .
Georgia had reported 26,000 cases as of Friday , though many experts assume the number is far higher .
But assuming that is right , the chance of being on MARTA car with someone with the virus is 21 percent .
Even if somehow only 10,000 people in Georgia have the virus , the chance of being exposed to someone with the virus during one single train ride is still around 9 percent .
But if the real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even 100,000 , as some believe , the chances are 36 to 60 percent .
And that doesn ’ t even take into account the viral particles left by the commuters who have already left the train .
Nor repeated rides day after day .
Anyway .
The White House is disavowing the CDC model — but not because it ’ s “ fake news ” or the assumptions are necessarily wrong .
The claim is that it hasn ’ t been vetted by the coronavirus task force led by Mike Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be deeply weird that the CDC , the country ’ s foremost agency devoted to disease control , has been largely sidelined in the federal response .
The model that leaked to the Times wasn ’ t from the Commerce Department or some other arm of the government that has no business making projections about the pandemic .
It ’ s from the CDC .
Why shouldn ’ t we take it seriously ?
By the same token , why shouldn ’ t they be held to account for it if , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn out to have badly overestimated the number of deaths and new cases ?
We should want to know if the CDC knows what it ’ s doing or not .
Based on the early evidence this year , it ’ s emphatically “ not.
” Here ’ s Scott Gottlieb summing up the past six weeks .
The lockdown era helped , but it didn ’ t quite achieve what we hoped it would .
Update : I leave you to judge whether this is spin by the feds to clean up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quickly disavowed the report , though the slides carry the CDC ’ s logo .
The creator of the model said the numbers are unfinished projections shown to the CDC as a work in progress .
The work contained a wide range of possibilities and modeling was not complete , according to Justin Lessler , an associate professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , who created the model… “ I had no role in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown .
This data was presented as an FYI to CDC … it was not in any way intended to be a forecast , ” Lessler said .
Lessler insisted , however , the numbers show how moving to reopen the country could spiral out of control .
He said 100,000 cases per day by the end of the month is within the realm of possibility .

This is why it’s a bad idea for Trump to keep tossing projections into his public statements. The numbers are getting worse. The more he has to move the goalposts to keep up with them, the more he inadvertently highlights how much worse they’ve gotten.
If he’s going to do a forecast, he should set the bar high. “Anything less than 500,000 dead — wait, I mean a million dead — is a win.”
The Times somehow got hold of a FEMA chart based on numbers put together by the CDC. (How they got hold of it is itself an interesting question.) Most of us are already grimly inured to daily reports of 1,500-2,000 dead and 30,000 more infected. Imagine how much more inured we’ll be on June 1 if this data pans out. One death is a tragedy; 3,000 deaths every 24 hours is a statistic.
Note the difference between modeled deaths and reported deaths. Right now the U.S. is averaging around 1,700 daily, with numbers somewhat below that on weekends and above it on weekdays. The CDC model had expected fewer than that. If it’s trending conservative, how much worse might the daily death toll be on June 1 if than the 3,000 per day that the agency is expecting?
That is, the red line represents a 50th percentile projection. The model suggests that deaths could be lower somewhere in the red band — or higher.
Interestingly, the CDC’s projection on new cases doesn’t track with its projection on deaths. Remember that we’re averaging around 25-30,000 new confirmed cases per day right now:
The model expects daily deaths to rise by 40 percent or so over the next month but it expects daily cases to rise by around 750 percent. How does that square? All I can think is that the CDC assumes there’ll be a massive increase in testing across the U.S. this month, which would be great news, and that we’ll begin detecting many more extremely mild or even asymptomatic cases. Either that or they’re expecting the disease to become much less lethal over the next 30 days, and that can’t be right. Not even remdesivir has shown a mortality benefit in treating COVID-19.
Er, why is this leaking today? Theories are being kicked around:
Worth considering, as is the possibility that the White House has absolutely no idea what it's doing at all. I suppose it's also possible the leaked slapped-together numbers are aimed at Trump in an attempt to move him back to the mitigation side. https://t.co/Tsf49y9Vr9 — Jonathan Bernstein (@jbview) May 4, 2020
I don’t understand Silver’s point. The projections hurt the White House more than help it by predicting that the crisis is about to deepen, and the fact that the CDC model *underestimated* the number of daily deaths to this point suggests that the feds have done an even worse job in mitigating the outbreak than expected.
As for Bernstein’s theory, maybe whoever leaked it did so to try to spook governors into rethinking their plans to reopen more widely. Jeremy Faust is an ER doctor in Massachusetts who’s worried that some states are reopening too soon even though he understands the urgent need to restart the economy. It’ll backfire, he thinks, by spooking consumers more than a delayed reopening would:
One that's even harder to bounce back from. People in these states will have felt LIED to by their governments if re-opening turns out to have been unsafe. They won't believe them "next time." And we will have an even harder time re-opening. All except the funeral industry 🙁 — Jeremy Faust MD MS (ER physician) (@jeremyfaust) May 4, 2020
Faust is convinced that the average person doesn’t appreciate the risk of infection, partly because they don’t know anyone who’s had the disease (New Yorkers are different, of course) and partly because they’re gauging their personal exposure based on the number of confirmed cases locally. But confirmed cases don’t tell us much, he notes. We all understand that the number of asymptomatic carriers walking around is much greater than the number of people with confirmed infections. What does that mean in practice? Quote:
Here’s an instructive way to think about this. In Atlanta, the cars of MARTA, the rapid transit system, have a seating capacity of 64 and a total capacity of 96. Georgia had reported 26,000 cases as of Friday, though many experts assume the number is far higher. But assuming that is right, the chance of being on MARTA car with someone with the virus is 21 percent. Even if somehow only 10,000 people in Georgia have the virus, the chance of being exposed to someone with the virus during one single train ride is still around 9 percent. But if the real number of cases in Georgia is 50,000 or even 100,000, as some believe, the chances are 36 to 60 percent. And that doesn’t even take into account the viral particles left by the commuters who have already left the train. Nor repeated rides day after day.
Anyway. The White House is disavowing the CDC model — but not because it’s “fake news” or the assumptions are necessarily wrong. The claim is that it hasn’t been vetted by the coronavirus task force led by Mike Pence:
White House statement on @nytimes reporting a CDC doc suggests US could see 3k deaths a day… pic.twitter.com/IpzwkJ7Gi7 — Paula Reid (@PaulaReidCBS) May 4, 2020
Fair enough, although it continues to be deeply weird that the CDC, the country’s foremost agency devoted to disease control, has been largely sidelined in the federal response. The model that leaked to the Times wasn’t from the Commerce Department or some other arm of the government that has no business making projections about the pandemic. It’s from the CDC. Why shouldn’t we take it seriously?
By the same token, why shouldn’t they be held to account for it if, a month from now, their projections turn out to have badly overestimated the number of deaths and new cases? We should want to know if the CDC knows what it’s doing or not. Based on the early evidence this year, it’s emphatically “not.”
Here’s Scott Gottlieb summing up the past six weeks. The lockdown era helped, but it didn’t quite achieve what we hoped it would.
ICYMI: There are about 20 states where cases are rising on a daily basis, @ScottGottliebMD told @margbrennan on @FaceTheNation, saying that mitigation wasn’t as effective as anticipated. "While mitigation didn't fail… it didn't work as we expected."https://t.co/UkQZ2ytRux pic.twitter.com/V1zaOQeJlA — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 4, 2020
Update: I leave you to judge whether this is spin by the feds to clean up a distressing leak or the actual truth.


hotair--2020-05-04--Three Russian doctors have recently fallen out of windows

Last week I mentioned a curious story coming out of Russia .
A doctor named Yelena Nepomnyashchaya fell out of a fifth floor window .
She was in critical condition after the fall but has since died from her injuries .
Some reports said this happened as she was on a teleconference .
Dr. Nepomnyashchaya had been resisting some planned changes at the hospital and had also complained about a lack of PPE : Nepomnyashchaya was allegedly opposed to repurposing another of the hospital ’ s buildings to house 80 Covid-19 patients because of its shortage of protective gear and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TVK cited an unnamed source as saying .
“ Perhaps these were the circumstances that prompted the woman to commit a desperate act , ” the source was quoted as saying… The incident with Nepomnyashchaya follows a spate of mysterious deaths by falling out of windows among Russian journalists in recent years .
As the last line of that Moscow Times story suggests , there is a prior pattern in Russia .
People who embarrass the government have accidents around windows .
Keep that in mind because today the Moscow Times is reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total of three doctors have mysteriously fallen out of windows .
And , coincidentally , all of them had complained about working conditions : Alexander Shulepov is in critical condition with a skull fracture after falling from the second floor of a rural hospital where he was being treated for Covid-19 , the local crisis center told the Vesti Voronezh outlet Saturday .
Shulepov , 37 , and his colleague filmed a video on April 22 complaining that the chief doctor of the Novaya Usman village hospital forced him to work despite the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A second video appeared three days later in which Shulepov denied his initial “ emotional ” claims .
His colleague Alexander Kosyakin reportedly faces criminal charges for spreading “ fake news ” about the virus , which carries a prison sentence of up to five years under a recently passed federal law .
The Daily Mail published a story about this trend .
Here ’ s their description of the third incident : In another case , Dr Natalya Lebedeva , 48 , plunged 60ft to her death from the sixth floor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was unfairly blamed for the spread of coronavirus at her clinic in Star City , near Moscow , the training centre for cosmonauts .
She had become infected from Covid-19 .
Meanwhile , the spread of the virus in Russia is accelerating and both the economy and Putin ’ s approval ratings are taking a hit : Russia hit a grim milestone over the weekend , officially recording the highest number of coronavirus cases the country has seen in a 24-hour period , with 10,633 people testing positive .
And the economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on state television that he had never seen a crisis like Covid-19 .
“ I don ’ t recall anything like this , ” he said , adding that plummeting global oil prices — a primary source of Russian state revenue — had delivered a “ double hit ” to the country ’ s economy .
It adds up to a dangerous political moment for Russian President Vladimir Putin .
In a new survey published by independent pollster Levada-Center , less than half of respondents — 46 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded adequately to the crisis .
Putin was in the midst of making himself president for life when the virus hit .
Now he ’ s suddenly trapped in a historic crisis .
Maybe that explains why there is so much pressure on doctors on the front lines of the crisis to only offer praise for the government response right now .
Here ’ s video of Dr. Shulepov ’ s statements before his fall via the Daily Mail :

Last week I mentioned a curious story coming out of Russia. A doctor named Yelena Nepomnyashchaya fell out of a fifth floor window. She was in critical condition after the fall but has since died from her injuries. Some reports said this happened as she was on a teleconference. Dr. Nepomnyashchaya had been resisting some planned changes at the hospital and had also complained about a lack of PPE:
Nepomnyashchaya was allegedly opposed to repurposing another of the hospital’s buildings to house 80 Covid-19 patients because of its shortage of protective gear and lack of proper training among staff, TVK cited an unnamed source as saying. “Perhaps these were the circumstances that prompted the woman to commit a desperate act,” the source was quoted as saying… The incident with Nepomnyashchaya follows a spate of mysterious deaths by falling out of windows among Russian journalists in recent years.
As the last line of that Moscow Times story suggests, there is a prior pattern in Russia. People who embarrass the government have accidents around windows. Keep that in mind because today the Moscow Times is reporting that in the last few weeks a total of three doctors have mysteriously fallen out of windows. And, coincidentally, all of them had complained about working conditions:
Alexander Shulepov is in critical condition with a skull fracture after falling from the second floor of a rural hospital where he was being treated for Covid-19, the local crisis center told the Vesti Voronezh outlet Saturday. Shulepov, 37, and his colleague filmed a video on April 22 complaining that the chief doctor of the Novaya Usman village hospital forced him to work despite the fact that he tested positive for Covid-19. A second video appeared three days later in which Shulepov denied his initial “emotional” claims. His colleague Alexander Kosyakin reportedly faces criminal charges for spreading “fake news” about the virus, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years under a recently passed federal law.
The Daily Mail published a story about this trend. Here’s their description of the third incident:
In another case, Dr Natalya Lebedeva, 48, plunged 60ft to her death from the sixth floor of a Moscow hospital after colleagues said she was unfairly blamed for the spread of coronavirus at her clinic in Star City, near Moscow, the training centre for cosmonauts. She had become infected from Covid-19.
Meanwhile, the spread of the virus in Russia is accelerating and both the economy and Putin’s approval ratings are taking a hit:
Russia hit a grim milestone over the weekend, officially recording the highest number of coronavirus cases the country has seen in a 24-hour period, with 10,633 people testing positive. And the economic pain is worsening: Last week, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on state television that he had never seen a crisis like Covid-19. “I don’t recall anything like this,” he said, adding that plummeting global oil prices — a primary source of Russian state revenue — had delivered a “double hit” to the country’s economy. It adds up to a dangerous political moment for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a new survey published by independent pollster Levada-Center, less than half of respondents — 46% — said the Russian government had responded adequately to the crisis.
Putin was in the midst of making himself president for life when the virus hit. Now he’s suddenly trapped in a historic crisis. Maybe that explains why there is so much pressure on doctors on the front lines of the crisis to only offer praise for the government response right now.
Here’s video of Dr. Shulepov’s statements before his fall via the Daily Mail: