hotair--2020-10-05--The Trump/COVID weekend update

The Trump/COVID weekend update

Regarding the President ’ s current health status , things aren ’ t looking all that different than they did when we checked in over the weekend .
There are still unconfirmed suggestions that President Trump could be released from Walter Reed as soon as today , but that ’ s still far from certain as of this morning .
The pattern that I noted yesterday has continued , however .
There seems to be more of a food fight going on over the optics of Donald Trump ’ s current diagnosis and the political ramifications than the actual health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President ’ s personal physician , Dr. Sean Conley , has turned into the ringmaster of a very poorly run circus and he ’ s feeding a media frenzy that ’ s breaking down along predictable partisan lines .
Before we start digging into that hot mess , let ’ s look at the latest update from the Associated Press and Trump ’ s most recent video offering his own observations on the experience .
As far as the AP goes , they ’ re trying to sort through the things we think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitely still don ’ t know .
WHAT WE KNOW : TRUMP ’ S MEDICAL CONDITION Dr. Sean Conley , the president ’ s physician , said Trump was given a steroid dexamethasone after his blood oxygen level had dropped suddenly twice in recent days , but he “ has continued to improve ” since then .
Conley said Trump could be discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as early as Monday .
Conley said Trump had a “ high fever ” and a blood oxygen level below 94 % on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday… WHAT WE DON ’ T KNOW : TRUMP ’ S MEDICAL CONDITION Trump ’ s medical team continued to dodge many questions Sunday , such as the specific timing of the president ’ s dip in oxygen and the impact of the disease on his lungs .
Asked repeatedly about what lung scan tests found and whether there have been any signs of pneumonia or other damage , Conley responded : “ We ’ re tracking all of that .
There ’ s some expected findings but nothing of any major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the President ’ s latest video from the hospital .
He ’ s still grateful for all of the prayers and support but claims that having COVID has been an educational experience .
I read through all of the medical questions that Allahpundit raised yesterday regarding which medicines the President has been given , when he got them , and if those decisions signal good news or worrisome warnings .
I ’ ll just be honest with you here .
I ’ m not a doctor and I have no idea which one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving their various hot takes to CNN and Fox News are right or wrong .
All through this pandemic , we ’ ve heard from medical authorities around the world who were arguing with each other about how to deal with this virus and how infected patients progressed through their treatment .
No matter which analysis you prefer , you can find some doctors out there willing to support your personal favorite .
My own theory is that the virus is actually some sort of Artificial Intelligence that keeps switching up what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
From an uneducated layman ’ s perspective , I ’ ll just say that Trump ’ s voice sounds fairly normal and strong in his videos .
He doesn ’ t look or sound like somebody with any serious degradation of his lungs and he seems to be getting around pretty well .
But as I said , I ’ m no doctor .
Your mileage may vary .
What I do know , however , is that Dr. Conley is not handling these press conferences well at all .
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific questions which only feeds more fuel to the firestorm of speculation going on in the media .
And let ’ s not pretend that this has anything to do with HIPAA privacy guidelines .
Presidents ( and presidential candidates ) pretty much give up their privacy about their medical records the moment they step into the spotlight .
And neither the President nor his doctors have invoked any sort of privacy issues when discussing this situation .
So if it ’ s not a privacy issue , why is Conley being so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things like supplemental oxygen or the last time Trump had a negative test ?
As I wrote over the weekend , he answers questions more like a politician who just got caught sexting with his secretary than a physician reporting medical facts about his patient .
We could save the country a lot of angst if he would just spit out the facts and get away from the lectern before he jams his foot in his mouth again .
All he ’ s doing is feeding grist to the ongoing media rumor mill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media in their efforts to alternately claim that Trump is close to being on death ’ s doorstep or he ’ s recklessly endangering everyone around him .
When he went for a spin in a Secret Service SUV to wave to all the people who came out to support him ( while wearing a mask and with the windows rolled up , by the way ) , CNN quickly turned him into Typhoid Mary again .
Meanwhile , the New York Times is suggesting Trump has “ severe ” COVID .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtained the “ stages of COVID ” scale and where “ severe ” falls on it .
The faux doctors at Vox were on the borderline of cheering for a more serious diagnosis and the imminent collapse of the President ’ s health .
The Los Angeles Times takes a similar tone , suggesting that the “ powerful drug ” prescribed for the President is indicative of “ more serious symptoms ” that we ’ re not being told about .
It ’ s not unreasonable to suspect that Donald Trump is painting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The guy doesn ’ t want to send the country into a panic and leave them wondering if he might not pull through .
But as I said , he clearly doesn ’ t look like he ’ s camping on death ’ s doorstep at this point and he sounds pretty upbeat .
That doesn ’ t mean that things might not take a turn for the worse by this weekend , but we should probably all just remain positive , keep the First Family in our prayers , and hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last three and a half years confounding the low expectations of his most vocal critics .
Don ’ t be shocked if he does it again and ends up shaking off this virus like a duck coming out of the water .

Regarding the President’s current health status, things aren’t looking all that different than they did when we checked in over the weekend. There are still unconfirmed suggestions that President Trump could be released from Walter Reed as soon as today, but that’s still far from certain as of this morning. The pattern that I noted yesterday has continued, however. There seems to be more of a food fight going on over the optics of Donald Trump’s current diagnosis and the political ramifications than the actual health of the patient in question. The President’s personal physician, Dr. Sean Conley, has turned into the ringmaster of a very poorly run circus and he’s feeding a media frenzy that’s breaking down along predictable partisan lines.
Before we start digging into that hot mess, let’s look at the latest update from the Associated Press and Trump’s most recent video offering his own observations on the experience. As far as the AP goes, they’re trying to sort through the things we think we know and the details that we definitely still don’t know.
WHAT WE KNOW: TRUMP’S MEDICAL CONDITION Dr. Sean Conley, the president’s physician, said Trump was given a steroid dexamethasone after his blood oxygen level had dropped suddenly twice in recent days, but he “has continued to improve” since then. Conley said Trump could be discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as early as Monday. Conley said Trump had a “high fever” and a blood oxygen level below 94% on Friday and during “another episode” on Saturday… WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: TRUMP’S MEDICAL CONDITION Trump’s medical team continued to dodge many questions Sunday, such as the specific timing of the president’s dip in oxygen and the impact of the disease on his lungs. Asked repeatedly about what lung scan tests found and whether there have been any signs of pneumonia or other damage, Conley responded: “We’re tracking all of that. There’s some expected findings but nothing of any major clinical concern.”
And here’s the President’s latest video from the hospital. He’s still grateful for all of the prayers and support but claims that having COVID has been an educational experience.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1312864232711520257
I read through all of the medical questions that Allahpundit raised yesterday regarding which medicines the President has been given, when he got them, and if those decisions signal good news or worrisome warnings. I’ll just be honest with you here. I’m not a doctor and I have no idea which one of the army of supposed medical experts giving their various hot takes to CNN and Fox News are right or wrong. All through this pandemic, we’ve heard from medical authorities around the world who were arguing with each other about how to deal with this virus and how infected patients progressed through their treatment. No matter which analysis you prefer, you can find some doctors out there willing to support your personal favorite. My own theory is that the virus is actually some sort of Artificial Intelligence that keeps switching up what it does just to mess with our heads.
From an uneducated layman’s perspective, I’ll just say that Trump’s voice sounds fairly normal and strong in his videos. He doesn’t look or sound like somebody with any serious degradation of his lungs and he seems to be getting around pretty well. But as I said, I’m no doctor. Your mileage may vary. What I do know, however, is that Dr. Conley is not handling these press conferences well at all. He’s continued to be evasive when asked specific questions which only feeds more fuel to the firestorm of speculation going on in the media. And let’s not pretend that this has anything to do with HIPAA privacy guidelines. Presidents (and presidential candidates) pretty much give up their privacy about their medical records the moment they step into the spotlight. And neither the President nor his doctors have invoked any sort of privacy issues when discussing this situation.
So if it’s not a privacy issue, why is Conley being so coy when he’s asked about things like supplemental oxygen or the last time Trump had a negative test? As I wrote over the weekend, he answers questions more like a politician who just got caught sexting with his secretary than a physician reporting medical facts about his patient. We could save the country a lot of angst if he would just spit out the facts and get away from the lectern before he jams his foot in his mouth again. All he’s doing is feeding grist to the ongoing media rumor mill.
None of this is slowing down the media in their efforts to alternately claim that Trump is close to being on death’s doorstep or he’s recklessly endangering everyone around him. When he went for a spin in a Secret Service SUV to wave to all the people who came out to support him (while wearing a mask and with the windows rolled up, by the way), CNN quickly turned him into Typhoid Mary again.
Meanwhile, the New York Times is suggesting Trump has “severe” COVID. I’m not sure where they obtained the “stages of COVID” scale and where “severe” falls on it. The faux doctors at Vox were on the borderline of cheering for a more serious diagnosis and the imminent collapse of the President’s health. The Los Angeles Times takes a similar tone, suggesting that the “powerful drug” prescribed for the President is indicative of “more serious symptoms” that we’re not being told about.
It’s not unreasonable to suspect that Donald Trump is painting the sunniest picture of his situation possible. The guy doesn’t want to send the country into a panic and leave them wondering if he might not pull through. But as I said, he clearly doesn’t look like he’s camping on death’s doorstep at this point and he sounds pretty upbeat. That doesn’t mean that things might not take a turn for the worse by this weekend, but we should probably all just remain positive, keep the First Family in our prayers, and hope for the best. Trump has spent the last three and a half years confounding the low expectations of his most vocal critics. Don’t be shocked if he does it again and ends up shaking off this virus like a duck coming out of the water.


hotair--2020-10-05--White House not doing contact-tracing for attendees at Barrett ceremony for some reason

We all know the reason .
It ’ s the same attitude that led Trump to say with regret for many months that America only has more confirmed cases than other countries because we do more testing than other countries .
If only we were all more ignorant of the facts on the ground , there wouldn ’ t be so much bad news in the papers to make trouble for the president .
Doing extensive contact-tracing on the possible superspreader event in the Rose Garden for Amy Coney Barrett 10 days ago might uncover some unpleasant facts .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people across the country are now part of the chain of transmission created that day by a reckless White House that used flawed tests on its guests and advised them incorrectly that it was fine not to wear masks during the proceedings .
Eventually there may be deaths among that group .
Or , alternately , contact-tracing might uncover that Trump himself was part of the original cluster of cases that turned into a superspreader event during the festivities for Barrett .
He , Chris Christie , Kellyanne Conway , and Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few days earlier during debate prep and then brought it with them to the Rose Garden .
Either one of those revelations would be a political disaster for Trump .
And so , forced to choose between his political interests and the basic safety of everyone who was at the event and everyone else who ’ s been in contact with those people before or after , the White House is going to put his interests first , naturally .
[ The White House ] has limited its efforts to notifying people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in the two days before his Covid diagnosis Thursday evening .
It has also cut the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , which has the government ’ s most extensive knowledge and resources for contact tracing , out of the process.… “ This is a total abdication of responsibility by the Trump administration , ” said Dr. Joshua Barocas , a public health expert at Boston University , who has advised the City of Boston on contact tracing .
“ The idea that we ’ re not involving the C.D.C .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems like a massive public health threat.
” … After Mr. Trump ’ s illness was diagnosed , an internal C.D.C .
email on Friday asked the agency ’ s scientists to be ready to go to Washington for contact tracing , but a request from the White House for assistance never came , according to two senior C.D.C .
scientists… The timing of the diagnosis of Mr. Trump ’ s illness makes it highly likely that he and the others became infected on Saturday , medical experts said .
Symptoms typically appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus ; Mr. Trump began showing symptoms on Thursday , “ right smack dab in the day ” he would be expected to , Dr. Maldonado said .
The White House told the Times that the CDC typically recommends tracing contacts only during the two-day period before diagnosis , which in Trump ’ s case was Thursday afternoon .
The Barrett event was five days earlier .
But that ’ s silly in a case where we know there was a cluster of infected people in the Rose Garden on that Saturday and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump becoming symptomatic lines up with the Barrett ceremony .
“ There were a lot of people working at that event , and so they need to be contact tracing that whole event , ” one doctor told the Times , while another reminded the paper that lots of working-class people work at the White House in support roles .
Some number of them could have been infected and carried the virus back to their neighborhoods , where outbreaks might be under way .
At the very least , the White House should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day to phone anyone they had contact with in the days afterward to let them know they might be at risk .
But that would be bad PR , highlighting the fact that the White House might have mismanaged its way into a superspreader event on its own lawn that ’ s already put three senators out of commission .
So they ’ re not going to do it .
The fact that the CDC is on call , ready to help here , but hasn ’ t been asked to intervene is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes the Times , the agency can ’ t contribute unless its assistance is requested . )
Members of the Trump White House , including cronies installed at HHS like Michael Caputo , have grumbled for months about the CDC undermining Trump ’ s “ back to normal ” political message with allegedly alarmist guidance about the virus .
Just today there was a new story about Caputo ’ s “ science advisor ” ( who ’ s since left the administration ) leaning on the agency to change a report about COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make the report more supportive of Trump ’ s pitch to reopen schools .
Some of Trump ’ s political aides , like Caputo , seem to believe that a “ deep state ” at the CDC is trying to actively undermine him .
The CDC itself would doubtless say that they ’ re trying to give the public the most accurate guidance they can even if it doesn ’ t necessarily serve Trump ’ s political goals .
Either way , you can see why the White House wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event .
The agency might actually do a thorough job and then might accurately report its findings , leading to one or more of the political disasters I described above .
The CDC simply can ’ t be trusted to loyally suppress facts that might make Trump look bad , especially in the home stretch of a campaign .
So they haven ’ t been asked to help out , never mind the risk to hundreds of White House staffers .
Care to guess who ’ s in charge of the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , instead ?
It ’ s the White House Medical Unit , headed by Sean Conley .
That ’ s the same Sean Conley who misled Americans on Saturday about whether the president had received oxygen at any point , then said yesterday that he did so in order to be “ upbeat ” about Trump ’ s condition ( which is what a press flack , not a doctor , might say ) , and then refused to give answers today about when Trump ’ s last negative test was and whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The White House naturally wants to keep contact-tracing under Conley ’ s jurisdiction because at this point they know that he ’ ll put Trump ’ s political interests above the public interest in deciding which information to release .
They ’ ve had evidence of it for days .
As for how Senate Republicans are dealing with the political fallout from all of this , I ’ ll give you three examples highlighting the different electoral predicaments they find themselves .
Here ’ s what you say about Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running in a state that ’ s turning purple , where Democrats nearly knocked off your Senate colleague two years ago and you ’ re eager to appeal to the center : “ I think he let his guard down , and I think in his desire to try to demonstrate that we are somehow coming out of this and that the danger is not still with us — I think he got out over his skis and frankly , I think it ’ s a lesson to all of us that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cornyn told the Houston Chronicle editorial board… Cornyn also said the president “ should ’ ve known ” that comments he made to journalist Bob Woodward about downplaying the virus in his public statements would be published .
He said that while he believes Trump ’ s policy actions on the virus — including shutting off travel to and from China and supporting stimulus packages worth trillions of dollars — “ demonstrated the seriousness of the virus , ” the president ’ s rhetoric at times “ creates confusion.
” “ He tries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well you know , we got this.
’ And clearly we don ’ t have this , ” Cornyn said .
“ I think the biggest mistake people make in public life is not telling the truth , particularly in something with as much public interest as here because you know the real story is going to come out.
” Cornyn ’ s highly likely to hold his seat in Texas , but between Trump ’ s debate performance and the ongoing PR clusterfark of a massive COVID outbreak at the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be off a few weeks from now .
Here ’ s what you say about Trump and COVID if you ’ re running in a “ jungle primary ” in a state that ’ s turning purple but your main competition happens to come from a populist Republican who ’ s threatening to consolidate the president ’ s voters : There ’ s no pander too low-rent for Loeffler in trying to show off her MAGA allegiance to Trump fans in Georgia .
Doug Collins is a much more genuine populist than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ married to the head of the Intercontinental Exchange , but Loeffler ’ s betting Trump voters won ’ t mind that so long as she kisses the president ’ s ass and makes broad culture-war gestures against groups like BLM .
She ’ s probably right .
Finally , here ’ s what you say about Trump and COVID if you ’ re not up for election this year and represent a solid red state where you can hold your seat as long as you want without worrying about a primary so long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s talking points : Kennedy ’ s already all-in on the “ Trump beating COVID proves it ’ s not a threat ” message even before POTUS has cleared the virus from his system .
That ’ s a strong commitment to the “ reopen everything now ” program .
I ’ ll leave you with this scene of Trump striding out the front door of Walter Reed today after being discharged .
He took off his mask upon arrival at the White House and didn ’ t put it back on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby , for reasons known only to him .
The unspoken answer to the question shouted at him in the clip is , “ Let ’ s not do any contact-tracing to find out , just in case I am .
”

We all know the reason. It’s the same attitude that led Trump to say with regret for many months that America only has more confirmed cases than other countries because we do more testing than other countries.
If only we were all more ignorant of the facts on the ground, there wouldn’t be so much bad news in the papers to make trouble for the president.
Doing extensive contact-tracing on the possible superspreader event in the Rose Garden for Amy Coney Barrett 10 days ago might uncover some unpleasant facts. Like, for instance, that many hundreds of people across the country are now part of the chain of transmission created that day by a reckless White House that used flawed tests on its guests and advised them incorrectly that it was fine not to wear masks during the proceedings. Eventually there may be deaths among that group.
Or, alternately, contact-tracing might uncover that Trump himself was part of the original cluster of cases that turned into a superspreader event during the festivities for Barrett. He, Chris Christie, Kellyanne Conway, and Bill Stepien could have all contracted the virus a few days earlier during debate prep and then brought it with them to the Rose Garden.
Either one of those revelations would be a political disaster for Trump. And so, forced to choose between his political interests and the basic safety of everyone who was at the event and everyone else who’s been in contact with those people before or after, the White House is going to put his interests first, naturally.
[The White House] has limited its efforts to notifying people who came in close contact with Mr. Trump in the two days before his Covid diagnosis Thursday evening. It has also cut the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has the government’s most extensive knowledge and resources for contact tracing, out of the process.… “This is a total abdication of responsibility by the Trump administration,” said Dr. Joshua Barocas, a public health expert at Boston University, who has advised the City of Boston on contact tracing. “The idea that we’re not involving the C.D.C. to do contact tracing at this point seems like a massive public health threat.”… After Mr. Trump’s illness was diagnosed, an internal C.D.C. email on Friday asked the agency’s scientists to be ready to go to Washington for contact tracing, but a request from the White House for assistance never came, according to two senior C.D.C. scientists… The timing of the diagnosis of Mr. Trump’s illness makes it highly likely that he and the others became infected on Saturday, medical experts said. Symptoms typically appear around five days after exposure to the virus; Mr. Trump began showing symptoms on Thursday, “right smack dab in the day” he would be expected to, Dr. Maldonado said.
The White House told the Times that the CDC typically recommends tracing contacts only during the two-day period before diagnosis, which in Trump’s case was Thursday afternoon. The Barrett event was five days earlier. But that’s silly in a case where we know there was a cluster of infected people in the Rose Garden on that Saturday and even sillier given that the timeline for Trump becoming symptomatic lines up with the Barrett ceremony. “There were a lot of people working at that event, and so they need to be contact tracing that whole event,” one doctor told the Times, while another reminded the paper that lots of working-class people work at the White House in support roles. Some number of them could have been infected and carried the virus back to their neighborhoods, where outbreaks might be under way. At the very least, the White House should be encouraging everyone who was there that day to phone anyone they had contact with in the days afterward to let them know they might be at risk.
But that would be bad PR, highlighting the fact that the White House might have mismanaged its way into a superspreader event on its own lawn that’s already put three senators out of commission. So they’re not going to do it.
The fact that the CDC is on call, ready to help here, but hasn’t been asked to intervene is also telling. (Under regulations, notes the Times, the agency can’t contribute unless its assistance is requested.) Members of the Trump White House, including cronies installed at HHS like Michael Caputo, have grumbled for months about the CDC undermining Trump’s “back to normal” political message with allegedly alarmist guidance about the virus. Just today there was a new story about Caputo’s “science advisor” (who’s since left the administration) leaning on the agency to change a report about COVID’s risks to kids in order to make the report more supportive of Trump’s pitch to reopen schools. Some of Trump’s political aides, like Caputo, seem to believe that a “deep state” at the CDC is trying to actively undermine him. The CDC itself would doubtless say that they’re trying to give the public the most accurate guidance they can even if it doesn’t necessarily serve Trump’s political goals.
Either way, you can see why the White House wouldn’t trust the CDC to contact-trace the Barrett event. The agency might actually do a thorough job and then might accurately report its findings, leading to one or more of the political disasters I described above. The CDC simply can’t be trusted to loyally suppress facts that might make Trump look bad, especially in the home stretch of a campaign. So they haven’t been asked to help out, never mind the risk to hundreds of White House staffers.
Care to guess who’s in charge of the White House contact-tracing effort, such as it is, instead? It’s the White House Medical Unit, headed by Sean Conley. That’s the same Sean Conley who misled Americans on Saturday about whether the president had received oxygen at any point, then said yesterday that he did so in order to be “upbeat” about Trump’s condition (which is what a press flack, not a doctor, might say), and then refused to give answers today about when Trump’s last negative test was and whether his lung scans showed evidence of pneumonia. The White House naturally wants to keep contact-tracing under Conley’s jurisdiction because at this point they know that he’ll put Trump’s political interests above the public interest in deciding which information to release. They’ve had evidence of it for days.
As for how Senate Republicans are dealing with the political fallout from all of this, I’ll give you three examples highlighting the different electoral predicaments they find themselves. Here’s what you say about Trump’s bout with COVID if you’re running in a state that’s turning purple, where Democrats nearly knocked off your Senate colleague two years ago and you’re eager to appeal to the center:
“I think he let his guard down, and I think in his desire to try to demonstrate that we are somehow coming out of this and that the danger is not still with us — I think he got out over his skis and frankly, I think it’s a lesson to all of us that we need to exercise self discipline,” Cornyn told the Houston Chronicle editorial board… Cornyn also said the president “should’ve known” that comments he made to journalist Bob Woodward about downplaying the virus in his public statements would be published. He said that while he believes Trump’s policy actions on the virus — including shutting off travel to and from China and supporting stimulus packages worth trillions of dollars — “demonstrated the seriousness of the virus,” the president’s rhetoric at times “creates confusion.” “He tries to balance that with saying, ‘Well you know, we got this.’ And clearly we don’t have this,” Cornyn said. “I think the biggest mistake people make in public life is not telling the truth, particularly in something with as much public interest as here because you know the real story is going to come out.”
Cornyn’s highly likely to hold his seat in Texas, but between Trump’s debate performance and the ongoing PR clusterfark of a massive COVID outbreak at the White House seeded by administrative negligence, all bets might be off a few weeks from now.
Here’s what you say about Trump and COVID if you’re running in a “jungle primary” in a state that’s turning purple but your main competition happens to come from a populist Republican who’s threatening to consolidate the president’s voters:
There’s no pander too low-rent for Loeffler in trying to show off her MAGA allegiance to Trump fans in Georgia. Doug Collins is a much more genuine populist than an ultra-rich former CEO who’s married to the head of the Intercontinental Exchange, but Loeffler’s betting Trump voters won’t mind that so long as she kisses the president’s ass and makes broad culture-war gestures against groups like BLM. She’s probably right.
Finally, here’s what you say about Trump and COVID if you’re not up for election this year and represent a solid red state where you can hold your seat as long as you want without worrying about a primary so long as you continue to advance the president’s talking points:
Sen. Kennedy (R-LA) says Trump’s diagnosis shows COVID is “not nearly as lethal as the experts told us it would be.” pic.twitter.com/yaTFQyoZKp — The Recount (@therecount) October 5, 2020
Kennedy’s already all-in on the “Trump beating COVID proves it’s not a threat” message even before POTUS has cleared the virus from his system. That’s a strong commitment to the “reopen everything now” program.
I’ll leave you with this scene of Trump striding out the front door of Walter Reed today after being discharged. He took off his mask upon arrival at the White House and didn’t put it back on when entering the building, with others nearby, for reasons known only to him. The unspoken answer to the question shouted at him in the clip is, “Let’s not do any contact-tracing to find out, just in case I am.”


hotair--2020-10-05--NYT: Say, why is Biden being so "cagey" about his health?

A fair question , albeit a surprising query coming from the New York Times .
Joe Biden has gone out of his way to set a good public example of social distancing and mask-wearing in the COVID-19 pandemic , in contrast with Donald Trump ’ s efforts to make things look more normal than they really are .
However , Biden and his campaign have been remarkably opaque about the protocols in place to protect the septuagenarian ’ s health in this election , the NYT notes , and it ’ s beginning to worry them .
Is something going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of safety precautions , Mr. Biden ’ s health protocols have remained largely under wraps , with his campaign saying little about what steps it is taking to protect the 77-year-old Democratic nominee .
His aides will not answer questions about whether Mr. Biden is tested daily ; they say simply that he is tested “ regularly.
” Until this weekend , they had promised to inform the public only if he had a confirmed positive case .
Then , on Saturday night , after two days of refusing to provide details about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign committed to releasing the results of all of his tests .
He tested negative on Sunday , the campaign said .
Transparency has taken on new significance in the presidential race given the conflicting information about Mr. Trump ’ s health and the fact that his Democratic rival , who is also in an age group that is particularly susceptible to Covid-19 , was exposed to the president during their 90-minute debate on Tuesday .
Mr. Biden , who is ahead in national polls and many battleground state surveys , still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; he is continuing to campaign rather than quarantine , and his campaign has been cagey about his health protocols .
The questions about Mr. Biden ’ s health come as he is confronting an unprecedented political reality : He would be the oldest president ever elected if he wins in November , and he faces the daily personal risks of a pandemic that has killed more than 209,000 people in the United States .
Mr. Trump ’ s diagnosis , and the apparent health threat he posed during a debate where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , are forcing the Biden campaign to grapple with its own next steps and disclosures regarding the health of the Democratic nominee .
The caginess is at least in some part driven by the same impulse Trump has — to maintain the appearance of vitality .
The truth is that we have two elderly men running for the toughest job in America , and a large part of getting people to vote is convincing them that the candidates are up to the task .
Hence we have Trump driving around in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his supporters outside Walter Reed and his desire to get back to the White House ASAP rather than recuperate at his lush hospital suite .
Symone Sanders tried to cast the “ caginess ” as a security issue : Nice try .
In fact , the controversies surrounding Trump demonstrate why this isn ’ t a security issue at all , but a transparency and credibility issue , exactly as the NYT points out .
Media outlets are heavily criticizing Trump and his team for not being transparent about the timing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately prior to it , when Trump was apparently not feeling well .
That expectation of transparency applies to Biden too , and to his own protocols for avoiding infection and what they plan to do if those fail .
Other than blame Trump , that is , which will be high up on their to-do lists if that happens .
Right now , though , Team Biden has an opening to correct this .
They can take advantage of the controversy of Trump ’ s hospitalization to expand their own transparency about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michelson points out the obvious political benefit that is practically falling into Team Biden ’ s lap at the moment : So why aren ’ t Biden and his handlers taking advantage of this opening ?
The NYT never answers that question , but it ’ s worth asking .
One has to wonder if something ’ s going on , and maybe not even related to a virus .
At the very least , it seems to be related to judgment .

A fair question, albeit a surprising query coming from the New York Times. Joe Biden has gone out of his way to set a good public example of social distancing and mask-wearing in the COVID-19 pandemic, in contrast with Donald Trump’s efforts to make things look more normal than they really are. However, Biden and his campaign have been remarkably opaque about the protocols in place to protect the septuagenarian’s health in this election, the NYT notes, and it’s beginning to worry them. Is something going on?
But beyond the public examples of safety precautions, Mr. Biden’s health protocols have remained largely under wraps, with his campaign saying little about what steps it is taking to protect the 77-year-old Democratic nominee. His aides will not answer questions about whether Mr. Biden is tested daily; they say simply that he is tested “regularly.” Until this weekend, they had promised to inform the public only if he had a confirmed positive case. Then, on Saturday night, after two days of refusing to provide details about Mr. Biden’s testing procedures, the campaign committed to releasing the results of all of his tests. He tested negative on Sunday, the campaign said. Transparency has taken on new significance in the presidential race given the conflicting information about Mr. Trump’s health and the fact that his Democratic rival, who is also in an age group that is particularly susceptible to Covid-19, was exposed to the president during their 90-minute debate on Tuesday. Mr. Biden, who is ahead in national polls and many battleground state surveys, still faces the possibility of a positive test; he is continuing to campaign rather than quarantine, and his campaign has been cagey about his health protocols. The questions about Mr. Biden’s health come as he is confronting an unprecedented political reality: He would be the oldest president ever elected if he wins in November, and he faces the daily personal risks of a pandemic that has killed more than 209,000 people in the United States. Mr. Trump’s diagnosis, and the apparent health threat he posed during a debate where he was often talking or shouting over Mr. Biden, are forcing the Biden campaign to grapple with its own next steps and disclosures regarding the health of the Democratic nominee.
The caginess is at least in some part driven by the same impulse Trump has — to maintain the appearance of vitality. The truth is that we have two elderly men running for the toughest job in America, and a large part of getting people to vote is convincing them that the candidates are up to the task. Hence we have Trump driving around in his limo last night for a drive-by salute to his supporters outside Walter Reed and his desire to get back to the White House ASAP rather than recuperate at his lush hospital suite.
Symone Sanders tried to cast the “caginess” as a security issue:
“Much like I wouldn’t discuss our security plans here on national television, I’m not going to talk about our inner workings of our health plans,” Symone D. Sanders, a senior adviser for the Biden campaign, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday when asked what the campaign would do if Mr. Biden tested positive.
Nice try. In fact, the controversies surrounding Trump demonstrate why this isn’t a security issue at all, but a transparency and credibility issue, exactly as the NYT points out. Media outlets are heavily criticizing Trump and his team for not being transparent about the timing of the diagnosis and the assumptions of risks immediately prior to it, when Trump was apparently not feeling well. That expectation of transparency applies to Biden too, and to his own protocols for avoiding infection and what they plan to do if those fail. Other than blame Trump, that is, which will be high up on their to-do lists if that happens.
Right now, though, Team Biden has an opening to correct this. They can take advantage of the controversy of Trump’s hospitalization to expand their own transparency about Biden’s health. Dr. Kelly Michelson points out the obvious political benefit that is practically falling into Team Biden’s lap at the moment:
“It engenders trust in the community, it helps allay fears and concerns, and I also don’t really see why you would not be transparent about what’s happening,” she said. “I think that it’s important that the public knows what’s going on.”
So why aren’t Biden and his handlers taking advantage of this opening? The NYT never answers that question, but it’s worth asking. One has to wonder if something’s going on, and maybe not even related to a virus. At the very least, it seems to be related to judgment.


hotair--2020-10-05--Evidence of some kind of chemical spill in remote Kamchatka region of Russia

Kamchatka is a peninsula along the Pacific Ocean north of Japan .
It ’ s remote and is famous for its active volcanoes and black sand beaches where local and some adventure tourists like to surf .
But recently something happened in Kamchatka .
The ocean turned yellow and surfers complained about burning eyes and an illness that made gave them a fever and made them vomit in some cases .
At the same time dead animals began to wash up along the shoreline in significant numbers : Surfers in Russia ’ s far eastern region of Kamchatka have reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s poisoning them , and may behind a mysterious mass die-off of sea life along the peninsula ’ s Pacific coast .
Pictures and videos circulating widely on social media show thousands of dead animals washed up on the region ’ s beaches in recent days , including octopuses , sea stars , fish and shellfish .
Yekaterina Dyba , a geographer who runs the Snowave Kamchatka surfing school , first raised the alarm on social media about a week ago , saying surfers were complaining of poisoning-like symptoms after exposure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , all surfers have experienced problems with their eyes after returning from the water .
White shroud , blurred vision , dryness .
Sore throat .
Many had nausea , weakness , high fever , ” Dyba wrote in a Facebook post .
Local surfers also noted a change in the water ’ s color .
You can see some of the hundreds of animals that washed up on the beach in this video .
WWF Russia has collected samples of the animals washed ashore and is sending them to Moscow to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In this brief clip you can see the color of the water is strikingly yellow : Initial tests showed elevated levels of petroleum and phenols in the water and locals are suggesting those may have come from one of two military sites in the area .
The governor of the region has promised tests at those two sites tomorrow : The Kamchatka governor , dressed in a “ I/We are the Pacific Ocean ” T-shirt , vowed on Instagram to lead a “ transparent ” investigation and sack any official who covered up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said there would be checks on Tuesday at two military testing sites , Radygino and Kozelsky , that could be responsible , citing a “ yellow film ” on a local river… Vladimir Burkanov , a biologist specialising in seals , in a comment published by the Novaya Gazeta opposition newspaper , suggested old stores of rocket fuel kept in Radygino could have rusted and the fuel leaked into streams .
The other site , Kozelsky , has been used to bury toxic chemicals and pesticides , according to the governor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level , Environmental Resources Minister Dmitry Kobylkin is downplaying the whole thing : “ You asked what the scale of the disaster is – for us , there is no scale of disaster .
No one has died , no one was hurt , ” he was quoted as saying by RIA news agency .
“ I was talking to the guys – eight surfers wrote they received cornea burns of the eye , but in fact this can be treated with eye drops .
This is not a severe burn , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not appear to be manmade in origin .
It is still possible that there is some sort of natural source or explanation for whatever is happening , but Greenpeace Russia released some satellite photos which seemed to show something flowing out of the river and into the ocean starting in early September .
That would be consistent with the idea this is coming from a site upstream : Probably the one thing we can count on is that if this is a leak of rocket fuel or buried chemicals we won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of President Putin .

Kamchatka is a peninsula along the Pacific Ocean north of Japan. It’s remote and is famous for its active volcanoes and black sand beaches where local and some adventure tourists like to surf. But recently something happened in Kamchatka. The ocean turned yellow and surfers complained about burning eyes and an illness that made gave them a fever and made them vomit in some cases. At the same time dead animals began to wash up along the shoreline in significant numbers:
Surfers in Russia’s far eastern region of Kamchatka have reported ocean water pollution so bad that it’s poisoning them, and may behind a mysterious mass die-off of sea life along the peninsula’s Pacific coast. Pictures and videos circulating widely on social media show thousands of dead animals washed up on the region’s beaches in recent days, including octopuses, sea stars, fish and shellfish. Yekaterina Dyba, a geographer who runs the Snowave Kamchatka surfing school, first raised the alarm on social media about a week ago, saying surfers were complaining of poisoning-like symptoms after exposure to the water. “For several weeks now, all surfers have experienced problems with their eyes after returning from the water. White shroud, blurred vision, dryness. Sore throat. Many had nausea, weakness, high fever,” Dyba wrote in a Facebook post. Local surfers also noted a change in the water’s color.
You can see some of the hundreds of animals that washed up on the beach in this video. WWF Russia has collected samples of the animals washed ashore and is sending them to Moscow to try to identify what killed them:
‼Alertan de un desastre medioambiental en #Kamchatka, Lejano Oriente ruso, tras un presunto vertido químico que ha acabado con la vida de millones de animales marinos y ha hecho enfermar a surferos y buceadores. No hay versión oficial.
pic.twitter.com/VMBnw3Fwkk — eSPAINews (@eSPAINews) October 5, 2020
In this brief clip you can see the color of the water is strikingly yellow:
Initial tests showed elevated levels of petroleum and phenols in the water and locals are suggesting those may have come from one of two military sites in the area. The governor of the region has promised tests at those two sites tomorrow:
The Kamchatka governor, dressed in a “I/We are the Pacific Ocean” T-shirt, vowed on Instagram to lead a “transparent” investigation and sack any official who covered up the scale of the pollution. He said there would be checks on Tuesday at two military testing sites, Radygino and Kozelsky, that could be responsible, citing a “yellow film” on a local river… Vladimir Burkanov, a biologist specialising in seals, in a comment published by the Novaya Gazeta opposition newspaper, suggested old stores of rocket fuel kept in Radygino could have rusted and the fuel leaked into streams. The other site, Kozelsky, has been used to bury toxic chemicals and pesticides, according to the governor’s website.
Meanwhile, at the national level, Environmental Resources Minister Dmitry Kobylkin is downplaying the whole thing:
“You asked what the scale of the disaster is – for us, there is no scale of disaster. No one has died, no one was hurt,” he was quoted as saying by RIA news agency. “I was talking to the guys – eight surfers wrote they received cornea burns of the eye, but in fact this can be treated with eye drops. This is not a severe burn,” Kobylkin said. He added the pollution did not appear to be manmade in origin.
It is still possible that there is some sort of natural source or explanation for whatever is happening, but Greenpeace Russia released some satellite photos which seemed to show something flowing out of the river and into the ocean starting in early September. That would be consistent with the idea this is coming from a site upstream:
Probably the one thing we can count on is that if this is a leak of rocket fuel or buried chemicals we won’t get a straight story about it out of President Putin.


hotair--2020-10-05--Trump: I'm checking out of the hospital at 6:30 and I feel better than I have in 20 years

A perfect illustration of what I said in the last post about his two big mistakes in handling the pandemic .
One : He ’ s willing to sacrifice safety for a return to normalcy , or at least the perception that normalcy is returning .
That ’ s what he did by pushing states early to reopen for business , that ’ s what he ’ s doing now with his own treatment .
Two : He ’ s tailoring his message to people who already support him , not the people he needs to win over .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet below and think , “ Yes !
He ’ s a warrior !
” The other two-thirds will read it and think , “ Reckless .
Don ’ t leave until you ’ re out of the woods.
” I do kind of believe him when he says he feels better than he did 20 years ago , though .
He ’ s on a powerful steroid right now .
It has real psychological side effects .
There ’ s nothing worth saying about the lines , “ Don ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let it dominate your life.
” You ’ re either in the group that thinks that ’ s defiant and inspiring or you ’ re in the group that thinks it ’ s callous in light of the death toll and easy to say for someone who has his own fleet of doctors to tend to him and a dedicated suite for his use at a nearby hospital .
A disease that twice caused your blood oxygen saturation to drop to worrisome levels ; that affected your lungs enough to require supplemental oxygen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sufficiently rapidly to warrant an antiviral and an *experimental* antibody cocktail is a disease you probably should be afraid of .
Especially since a quarter million people will have died of it within a month or two , you know .
In spite of all the elite doctors tending to him and all the medication he ’ s received , Trump ’ s doctor felt obliged to note at today ’ s briefing about him being released that he ’ s still not out of the woods .
He *did* meet the criteria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say , but whether you trust Conley after he ’ s deceived Americans once before to make Trump ’ s condition seem less worrisome is up to you .
He still won ’ t give a straight answer to the question of when Trump last tested negative for the disease , in fact .
*If* the president were being tested every day , as he ought to be , the answer to that logically should be “ Wednesday.
” Trump got his first positive test on Thursday evening so his last negative should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that Conley won ’ t clearly say that almost certainly means that the last negative didn ’ t come on Wednesday , Which means Trump probably wasn ’ t being tested every day .
Why not ?
Conley also wouldn ’ t say what was on Trump ’ s lung scans , as Trump didn ’ t authorize him to do so under HIPAA laws .
If those scans were clean I ’ m sure the president himself would be crowing about it ; since he isn ’ t , it probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has — pneumonia .
Does that sound like someone who ’ s fit to go home ?
Outside doctors were shocked yesterday when one of Trump ’ s Walter Reed physicians suggested that he might be released today .
Even allowing for the fact that the White House has medical facilities on site , someone in his condition should be hospitalized : Robert Wachter , chairman of the University of California at San Francisco ’ s department of medicine , said any patient of his with Trump ’ s symptoms and treatment who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three days after their admission would need to sign out against doctors ’ orders because it would be so ill-advised .
“ For someone sick enough to have required remdesivir and dexamethasone , I can ’ t think of a situation in which a patient would be okay to leave on day three , even with the White House ’ s medical capacity , ” Wachter said .
“ Absolutely not , ” William Schaffner , a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University ’ s medical school , said of the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House on Monday .
“ I will bet dollars to doughnuts it ’ s the president and his political aides who are talking about discharge , not his doctors , ” Schaffner added .
Some are worried that releasing him now flies in the face of COVID basics , namely that patients who aren ’ t out of the proverbial woods can take a turn and deteriorate quickly .
Others fear that because Trump received Regeneron ’ s experimental antibody drug , there ’ s no way to know what side effects he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turns out to mix badly with dexamethasone or some of his therapeutics .
One obvious response to that is , “ Well , most patients don ’ t have their own helicopters to ferry them to the hospital at a moment ’ s notice.
” True enough , but that ’ s where the politics of this get dicey .
Trump going to the hospital once because he needed more aggressive treatment is perfectly understandable and sympathetic .
Trump having to go to the hospital a second time would make him or his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reckless for checking him out the first time at a moment when people like Wachter and Schaffner were warning that he ’ s in no condition to be discharged .
Phil Klein is right : Ari Fleischer echoed the point about Trump isolating himself : It would be the prudent thing to do , which is why he won ’ t do it .
Once again the public wants to see a “ safety first ” message from him and once again he ’ s going to take risks instead because he thinks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admire him than resent him for doing so .
For Trump , in fact , I bet the whole point of checking out of the hospital early is so that he *doesn ’ t* need to stay isolated : Last night the Times reported that “ Mr .
Trump , who historically hates hospitals and anything related to illness , has been hankering to get released , according to two people close to him , and some aides expressed fear that he would pressure Dr. Conley into releasing him by claiming to feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that what the bit in the tweet about feeling younger than he has in 20 years is aimed at — giving Conley some cover to discharge him even though Trump shouldn ’ t be leaving ?
Or did Trump simply tell Conley , “ I ’ m leaving whether you like it or not , ” to which Conley replied , “ sir , yes , sir ” ?
The same Times story quotes a doctor who said this of Trump ’ s ill-advised SUV ride yesterday , “ At what point does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the commander in chief and subordinate relationship begin , and were those doctors ordered to allow this to happen ?
” Maybe Trump ’ s calling all of the shots here , right down to a demand for the experimental Regeneron treatment , and Conley feels obliged to just go along .
Here ’ s a sneak preview of what I think is going to be the message once he returns to the trail .
Not only has he demonstrated “ strength ” by fighting it off — the 200,000 people who died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he ’ s now gained firsthand experience on what it ’ s like to have the virus .
He made that point in a video he posted from the hospital last night too , insisting that he ’ d “ learned a lot ” about COVID from enduring his illness .
I think that talking point could work for him if he turned it into a very belated way of signaling that he feels Americans ’ pain .
“ I ’ ve been there , I know the suffering , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But instead , in light of the new tweet up top , it sounds like he ’ s going to do the opposite .
“ I ’ ve been there , I know the suffering … and I ’ m telling you to man up and stop complaining about your dead grandma .
Don ’ t let this virus that caused me to be urgently hospitalized and treated with experimental drugs dominate your life .
Reopen everything !
” We ’ ll see how it works out for him .

A perfect illustration of what I said in the last post about his two big mistakes in handling the pandemic. One: He’s willing to sacrifice safety for a return to normalcy, or at least the perception that normalcy is returning. That’s what he did by pushing states early to reopen for business, that’s what he’s doing now with his own treatment.
Two: He’s tailoring his message to people who already support him, not the people he needs to win over. A third of the country will read the tweet below and think, “Yes! He’s a warrior!” The other two-thirds will read it and think, “Reckless. Don’t leave until you’re out of the woods.”
I do kind of believe him when he says he feels better than he did 20 years ago, though. He’s on a powerful steroid right now. It has real psychological side effects.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1313186529058136070
There’s nothing worth saying about the lines, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.” You’re either in the group that thinks that’s defiant and inspiring or you’re in the group that thinks it’s callous in light of the death toll and easy to say for someone who has his own fleet of doctors to tend to him and a dedicated suite for his use at a nearby hospital. A disease that twice caused your blood oxygen saturation to drop to worrisome levels; that affected your lungs enough to require supplemental oxygen and a steroid; and that spread sufficiently rapidly to warrant an antiviral and an *experimental* antibody cocktail is a disease you probably should be afraid of.
Especially since a quarter million people will have died of it within a month or two, you know.
In spite of all the elite doctors tending to him and all the medication he’s received, Trump’s doctor felt obliged to note at today’s briefing about him being released that he’s still not out of the woods.
“He may not be entirely out of the woods yet” pic.twitter.com/Mm4ieQRzRh — Acyn (@Acyn) October 5, 2020
He *did* meet the criteria for discharge, Conley went on to say, but whether you trust Conley after he’s deceived Americans once before to make Trump’s condition seem less worrisome is up to you. He still won’t give a straight answer to the question of when Trump last tested negative for the disease, in fact. *If* the president were being tested every day, as he ought to be, the answer to that logically should be “Wednesday.” Trump got his first positive test on Thursday evening so his last negative should have come the day before.
The fact that Conley won’t clearly say that almost certainly means that the last negative didn’t come on Wednesday, Which means Trump probably wasn’t being tested every day. Why not?
Conley also wouldn’t say what was on Trump’s lung scans, as Trump didn’t authorize him to do so under HIPAA laws. If those scans were clean I’m sure the president himself would be crowing about it; since he isn’t, it probably means that he recently had — or has — pneumonia. Does that sound like someone who’s fit to go home?
Outside doctors were shocked yesterday when one of Trump’s Walter Reed physicians suggested that he might be released today. Even allowing for the fact that the White House has medical facilities on site, someone in his condition should be hospitalized:
Robert Wachter, chairman of the University of California at San Francisco’s department of medicine, said any patient of his with Trump’s symptoms and treatment who wanted to be discharged from the hospital three days after their admission would need to sign out against doctors’ orders because it would be so ill-advised. “For someone sick enough to have required remdesivir and dexamethasone, I can’t think of a situation in which a patient would be okay to leave on day three, even with the White House’s medical capacity,” Wachter said. “Absolutely not,” William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University’s medical school, said of the idea of sending Trump back to the White House on Monday. “I will bet dollars to doughnuts it’s the president and his political aides who are talking about discharge, not his doctors,” Schaffner added.
Some are worried that releasing him now flies in the face of COVID basics, namely that patients who aren’t out of the proverbial woods can take a turn and deteriorate quickly. Others fear that because Trump received Regeneron’s experimental antibody drug, there’s no way to know what side effects he might develop — especially if the drugs turns out to mix badly with dexamethasone or some of his therapeutics. One obvious response to that is, “Well, most patients don’t have their own helicopters to ferry them to the hospital at a moment’s notice.” True enough, but that’s where the politics of this get dicey. Trump going to the hospital once because he needed more aggressive treatment is perfectly understandable and sympathetic. Trump having to go to the hospital a second time would make him or his doctors, or both, seem egregiously reckless for checking him out the first time at a moment when people like Wachter and Schaffner were warning that he’s in no condition to be discharged. Phil Klein is right:
Two immediate thoughts on Trump leaving hospital: 1) Let's hope this means doctors are highly confident worst is over. Bc readmission at this point would be a severely bad sign.
2) Let's hope WH has a plan to isolate Trump and keep staff safe https://t.co/ASm4JBb5oU — Philip Klein (@philipaklein) October 5, 2020
Ari Fleischer echoed the point about Trump isolating himself:
If he does return to the WH, he will be tempted to go to the Oval. He can’t do that. He can’t break quarantine, or do things that the rest of us aren’t supposed to do if we get COVID. How he handles himself is a metaphor for how he handles the nation. The WH must realize that. — Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) October 5, 2020
It would be the prudent thing to do, which is why he won’t do it. Once again the public wants to see a “safety first” message from him and once again he’s going to take risks instead because he thinks there are more people who’ll admire him than resent him for doing so. For Trump, in fact, I bet the whole point of checking out of the hospital early is so that he *doesn’t* need to stay isolated:
A source familiar with POTUS phone calls from the hospital today tells me he said “I need to get out of here.” He's being warned that if he rushes to leave the hospital and has a setback it would be bad for not just his health, but his re-election campaign. — Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) October 5, 2020
Last night the Times reported that “Mr. Trump, who historically hates hospitals and anything related to illness, has been hankering to get released, according to two people close to him, and some aides expressed fear that he would pressure Dr. Conley into releasing him by claiming to feel better than he actually does.” Is that what the bit in the tweet about feeling younger than he has in 20 years is aimed at — giving Conley some cover to discharge him even though Trump shouldn’t be leaving? Or did Trump simply tell Conley, “I’m leaving whether you like it or not,” to which Conley replied, “sir, yes, sir”? The same Times story quotes a doctor who said this of Trump’s ill-advised SUV ride yesterday, “At what point does the physician-patient relationship end, and does the commander in chief and subordinate relationship begin, and were those doctors ordered to allow this to happen?” Maybe Trump’s calling all of the shots here, right down to a demand for the experimental Regeneron treatment, and Conley feels obliged to just go along.
Here’s a sneak preview of what I think is going to be the message once he returns to the trail. Not only has he demonstrated “strength” by fighting it off — the 200,000 people who died were “weak,” implicitly — but he’s now gained firsthand experience on what it’s like to have the virus. He made that point in a video he posted from the hospital last night too, insisting that he’d “learned a lot” about COVID from enduring his illness. I think that talking point could work for him if he turned it into a very belated way of signaling that he feels Americans’ pain. “I’ve been there, I know the suffering, I’m with you,” etc. But instead, in light of the new tweet up top, it sounds like he’s going to do the opposite. “I’ve been there, I know the suffering … and I’m telling you to man up and stop complaining about your dead grandma. Don’t let this virus that caused me to be urgently hospitalized and treated with experimental drugs dominate your life. Reopen everything!” We’ll see how it works out for him.


hotair--2020-10-05--#TrumpCovidHoax is now trending on Twitter

The left has really been losing what ’ s left of its collective mind over Trump ’ s COVID diagnosis .
Last week I wrote about Michael Moore and many other blue-checked progressives who were spreading the idea that Trump coming down with COVID was possibly a hoax intended to change the subject and reset the campaign .
But over the weekend as Trump ’ s doctors gave updates and several more people connected to the White House tested positive , it seemed the left and the media had moved on to other concerns .
Specifically , the new worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s illness was being covered up and that he was carelessly spreading the virus .
But now that Trump has announced he ’ s leaving the hospital ( more on that shortly from Allahpundit ) some on the left seem to have reverted back to the original conspiracy theory , which is why # TrumpCovidHoax is now trending on Twitter : The first tweet is right on the line : And the next tweet goes right over the line into tinfoil hat territory .
Others are content to suggest without quite going all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hashtag ) .
I ’ m only grabbing tweets from people with a lot of followers but for every person like this there are dozens of people with a handful of followers saying the same thing .
Needless to say the fact that this conspiracy it trending on the left is all the fault of the White House : As happened last week when this conspiracy theory popped up , it ’ s getting some pushback now as well : True it doesn ’ t make a lot of sense but thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many on the left operate these days , at least not when it comes to Trump .
What matters is emoting a lot and always thinking the worst of your enemies even if that ’ s the opposite of what you were thinking yesterday .

The left has really been losing what’s left of its collective mind over Trump’s COVID diagnosis. Last week I wrote about Michael Moore and many other blue-checked progressives who were spreading the idea that Trump coming down with COVID was possibly a hoax intended to change the subject and reset the campaign. But over the weekend as Trump’s doctors gave updates and several more people connected to the White House tested positive, it seemed the left and the media had moved on to other concerns. Specifically, the new worry was that the severity of Trump’s illness was being covered up and that he was carelessly spreading the virus.
But now that Trump has announced he’s leaving the hospital (more on that shortly from Allahpundit) some on the left seem to have reverted back to the original conspiracy theory, which is why #TrumpCovidHoax is now trending on Twitter:
I want to see Trump’s positive covid test results.#TrumpCovidHoax — Mystery Solvent (@MysterySolvent) October 5, 2020
https://twitter.com/johnpavlovitz/status/1313190356775731203
Let’s just say Trump DID have COVID and this treatment worked. Like all of us, I want a vaccine and a cure. His treatment to “beat” it needs to immediately go into effect for every American with COVID. If not, Im going to assume it’s all a lie.#TrumpCovidHoax? We’ll see. — Steve Marmel (@Marmel) October 5, 2020
The first tweet is right on the line:
Hmmm, no one feels better after getting Covid but Trump claims he feels better now than 20 years ago. All he has done is cause #TrumpCovidHoax to become that much more believable — (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) October 5, 2020
And the next tweet goes right over the line into tinfoil hat territory.
Trump is running out of the hospital today because he got ZERO sympathy bump in the polls. He will need to come up with something better now.#TrumpCovidHoax #TrumpCovid19 #TrumpLied200KDied — (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) October 5, 2020
Others are content to suggest without quite going all the way (but he still used the hashtag).
COVID-19 is such a mysterious virus I’m not going to say Trump doesn’t have it. But I am going to say that I workout about five times a week and eat healthy, he doesn’t, but the post COVID syndrome put me in the hospital twice. If that means anything. #TrumpCovidHoax — Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) October 5, 2020
#TrumpCovidHoax We can't trust anything from the Trump administration . Many people think Trump is faking and I can't blame them. — Peter 🌊 Concerned Citizen and Voter (@Pajjr2016) October 5, 2020
I’m only grabbing tweets from people with a lot of followers but for every person like this there are dozens of people with a handful of followers saying the same thing. Needless to say the fact that this conspiracy it trending on the left is all the fault of the White House:
oh look, #TrumpCovidHoax is trending. I am shocked, shocked to learn that people don't trust any information that comes out of this White House. Why on earth would that be? https://t.co/GcGxoidSKC — Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) October 5, 2020
As happened last week when this conspiracy theory popped up, it’s getting some pushback now as well:
The #TrumpCovidHoax theory only works if you believe that Trump: 1) wanted to tank the stock market
2) wanted COVID to be the biggest story of the month
3) wanted to pass up all those rallies
4) is clever. — John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) October 5, 2020
True it doesn’t make a lot of sense but thinking things through isn’t really where many on the left operate these days, at least not when it comes to Trump. What matters is emoting a lot and always thinking the worst of your enemies even if that’s the opposite of what you were thinking yesterday.


hotair--2020-10-05--Swiss city goes off the deep end on minimum wage

Most of you are likely familiar with the city of Geneva , Switzerland .
It ’ s famous for being the home of the United Nations and some of the world ’ s most lucrative ( and secretive ) banks , as well as the birthplace of the Geneva Convention .
One other fact is that it ’ s among the most expensive places to live on the planet .
As a result , it ’ s rather hard to get along there if you ’ re not part of the fabulously wealthy set .
But now they ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue and it ’ s one that was probably predictable given Switzerland ’ s socialist leanings .
They ’ re going to raise the minimum wage .
Big deal , right ?
I mean , we have people constantly pushing to raise the minimum wage here in the United States .
But Geneva doesn ’ t do things in half measures .
The new minimum wage there is going to work out to $ 53,000 per year .
Seriously .
If you go to a burger shop in Geneva and order some fries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earning more than the median family income in America .
( NY Post ) One of the world ’ s richest cities is instituting a minimum wage which proponents say is only relatively sumptuous .
Geneva , which by most metrics ranks in the top five for the globe ’ s priciest places to live , has approved a minimum wage which would be considered lavish elsewhere but is intended to just get food on the table for its poorest workers .
The Swiss city voted in a two-thirds majority Sunday to introduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( $ 25 ) an hour for a 41-hour workweek , CNBC reported .
That adds up to somewhere in the range of $ 4,100 a month , or $ 53,300 annually , making it the highest minimum wage ever .
The city attempted to pass other versions of this law twice , back in 2011 and 2014 , but referendums to put the measure in place failed with the voters each time .
But as with so many other things in the world these days , the arrival of the novel coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of work as many businesses closed down and even their generous social safety net programs could not cope .
A recent report indicates that thousands of people have been standing in line since before dawn to get free meals at food banks .
The new measure still had opponents , however .
And they cited some fairly basic reasons that this isn ’ t a good idea .
First of all , the employers who are still in business can ’ t simply absorb these massively increased labor costs .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on virtually everything .
And much as we ’ ve seen in the restaurant industry here in the United States , many of them will also have to lay some people off or cut their hours to make up the difference .
Taking those facts into account , let ’ s see if we can ’ t figure out what the government of Geneva is about to do .
In a city that ’ s already too expensive for working-class people to live in and with rising unemployment , they ’ re about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work while raising the cost of living for everyone even higher .
The new minimum wage will no doubt be a boon to those who manage to hang onto their jobs , so that part is great .
But for all of the people who were already out of work and all the newly furloughed workers about to join them , it ’ s going to cost even more money that they don ’ t have to simply survive in the city .
There was an alternative to this plan under consideration up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ cross-border workers ” who primarily commute back and forth from France .
( The minimum wage in France is less than half of what it ’ s about to be in Geneva . )
If they had closed the borders to such workers , more employment opportunities would have immediately appeared for the city ’ s residents .
Then they could have probably afforded to leave the minimum wage where it was and control the prices .
So why didn ’ t they go that route ?
Because the cross-border workers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closure idea , claiming that it would have “ jeopardized the free movement of nearly 200,000 people.
” If that story sounds familiar , it ’ s because it shares a number of similarities with the Fight for Fifteen movement among labor unions in the United States .
I guess some things really are universal , huh ?

Most of you are likely familiar with the city of Geneva, Switzerland. It’s famous for being the home of the United Nations and some of the world’s most lucrative (and secretive) banks, as well as the birthplace of the Geneva Convention. One other fact is that it’s among the most expensive places to live on the planet. As a result, it’s rather hard to get along there if you’re not part of the fabulously wealthy set. But now they’ve come up with a solution to that issue and it’s one that was probably predictable given Switzerland’s socialist leanings. They’re going to raise the minimum wage.
Big deal, right? I mean, we have people constantly pushing to raise the minimum wage here in the United States. But Geneva doesn’t do things in half measures. The new minimum wage there is going to work out to $53,000 per year. Seriously. If you go to a burger shop in Geneva and order some fries, the person making them will be earning more than the median family income in America. (NY Post)
One of the world’s richest cities is instituting a minimum wage which proponents say is only relatively sumptuous. Geneva, which by most metrics ranks in the top five for the globe’s priciest places to live, has approved a minimum wage which would be considered lavish elsewhere but is intended to just get food on the table for its poorest workers. The Swiss city voted in a two-thirds majority Sunday to introduce a minimum wage of 23 Swiss francs ($25) an hour for a 41-hour workweek, CNBC reported. That adds up to somewhere in the range of $4,100 a month, or $53,300 annually, making it the highest minimum wage ever.
The city attempted to pass other versions of this law twice, back in 2011 and 2014, but referendums to put the measure in place failed with the voters each time. But as with so many other things in the world these days, the arrival of the novel coronavirus has changed everything. More people were out of work as many businesses closed down and even their generous social safety net programs could not cope. A recent report indicates that thousands of people have been standing in line since before dawn to get free meals at food banks.
The new measure still had opponents, however. And they cited some fairly basic reasons that this isn’t a good idea. First of all, the employers who are still in business can’t simply absorb these massively increased labor costs. They’re going to have to raise prices on virtually everything. And much as we’ve seen in the restaurant industry here in the United States, many of them will also have to lay some people off or cut their hours to make up the difference.
Taking those facts into account, let’s see if we can’t figure out what the government of Geneva is about to do. In a city that’s already too expensive for working-class people to live in and with rising unemployment, they’re about to put even more people out of work while raising the cost of living for everyone even higher. The new minimum wage will no doubt be a boon to those who manage to hang onto their jobs, so that part is great. But for all of the people who were already out of work and all the newly furloughed workers about to join them, it’s going to cost even more money that they don’t have to simply survive in the city.
There was an alternative to this plan under consideration up until now. Geneva hosts approximately 200,000 “cross-border workers” who primarily commute back and forth from France. (The minimum wage in France is less than half of what it’s about to be in Geneva.) If they had closed the borders to such workers, more employment opportunities would have immediately appeared for the city’s residents. Then they could have probably afforded to leave the minimum wage where it was and control the prices.
So why didn’t they go that route? Because the cross-border workers have a union and they fought the border closure idea, claiming that it would have “jeopardized the free movement of nearly 200,000 people.” If that story sounds familiar, it’s because it shares a number of similarities with the Fight for Fifteen movement among labor unions in the United States. I guess some things really are universal, huh?


hotair--2020-10-05--Durbin: If the Judiciary Committee was a football team, we'd cancel Barrett's confirmation hearing,

Durbin: If the Judiciary Committee was a football team, we'd cancel Barrett's confirmation hearing, or something

To quote the esteemed sportsman and philosopher Charles Barkley — If ifs and buts were beer and nuts , we ’ d all have a hell of a party .
It ’ s tough to figure out what point Dick Durbin was trying to make here , as we all know that Supreme Court confirmation hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee have nothing at all in common with either baseball or football .
Gladiatorial combat , maybe , but those rarely get canceled over epidemic concerns either : Thus far the video of that exchange hasn ’ t made its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another exchange in the same interview with MSNBC has been clipped , in which Durbin claims that Mitch McConnell is “ hell bent to get this done , ” which adds nothing either .
Durbin ’ s sports analogy makes it pretty clear that he ’ s just as “ hell-bent ” to block Amy Coney Barrett ’ s confirmation : Not to belabor the obvious , but the reason that football and baseball games get postponed is because they can ’ t be played on Zoom .
Sports have to be played @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorts can take place over teleconferencing platforms .
As the RNC is gleefully pointing out today , none other than Dick Durbin made that argument forcefully seven months ago in demanding that McConnell allow the Senate to operate remotely , even for floor votes .
“ Why is it required that we be physically present on the floor , ” Durbin objected on March 19 , “ closer to one another perhaps than we should be , at this moment of a public-health crisis ?
” With the SCOTUS Apocalypse upon them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tune , and it ’ s not just Durbin who ’ s hit reverse on virtual hearings and votes on the Judiciary Committee .
Amy Klobuchar tried arguing on Fox News Sunday yesterday that a Supreme Court confirmation process requires in-person hearings , but Chris Wallace wasn ’ t having any of it — which the Senate Republicans ’ comms group noted on Twitter yesterday .
( Note that they have edited the exchange ; the transcript has the full exchange . )
Eventually , Klobuchar just changes the subject to the Phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — but , Senator , the fact is that you can hold hearings in different ways .
In fact , last May , when the chairman of the Judiciary Committee , Lindsey Graham , held a virtual hearing , you very much praised him and thanked him for doing that .
So you could hold a virtual hearing for — for Judge Barrett , which raises the question again , are you trying to use the fact that there has been this outbreak , at least three Republican senators , to try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , oppose fiercely ?
KLOBUCHAR : Absolutely not .
This is for the highest court of the land .
And , yes we have had virtual hearings .
I helped to put them together .
It ’ s important to give senators that option .
But you want to be able to go back and forth with this nominee .
Given her views on the Affordable Care Act , given that she has clearly criticized Justice Roberts , who again , not exactly a blazing liberal , for upholding the constitutional — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep their insurance when they ’ ve got pre-existing conditions , and she has criticized that , yes , we want to be able to ask her — WALLACE : Yes , but we ’ re doing — we ’ re doing this virtually — Senator , we ’ re doing this virtually — WALLACE : So why can ’ t you question Judge Barrett virtually ?
KLOBUCHAR : Again , we believe you should have an in person hearing .
That doesn ’ t mean the virtual option wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ram — I guess I turn the question around here , even though you get to ask the questions , why would you ram this through when we don ’ t even have a Covid package done to make sure that people have health care , that we have the testing I just talked about , that we have the funding for that .
And of course , all of this ignores the obvious problem with the objection from Durbin and Klobuchar .
They don ’ t want a hearing to vet Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Barrett , at length and on camera , to appease their party ’ s progressive-activist wing .
Democrats planned for gladiatorial combat in a last-ditch effort to derail her confirmation and addition to the Supreme Court .
This is just another tactic to short-circuit the process and grind it to a halt .
With that said , though , it ’ s unclear why Democrats couldn ’ t conduct their gladiatorial combat over Zoom .
All they want is sound bites , and a virtual hearing gives them the same opportunities to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as if they ’ re keeping an open mind about their confirmation vote anyway .

To quote the esteemed sportsman and philosopher Charles Barkley — If ifs and buts were beer and nuts, we’d all have a hell of a party. It’s tough to figure out what point Dick Durbin was trying to make here, as we all know that Supreme Court confirmation hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee have nothing at all in common with either baseball or football.
Gladiatorial combat, maybe, but those rarely get canceled over epidemic concerns either:
Durbin tells MSNBC: “If this were a baseball team or a football team and three of the players came down with COVID-19, we would have cancelled the game and postponed it to a future date." — Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) October 5, 2020
Thus far the video of that exchange hasn’t made its way onto social media or YouTube. Another exchange in the same interview with MSNBC has been clipped, in which Durbin claims that Mitch McConnell is “hell bent to get this done,” which adds nothing either. Durbin’s sports analogy makes it pretty clear that he’s just as “hell-bent” to block Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52VUfPmCGWY
Not to belabor the obvious, but the reason that football and baseball games get postponed is because they can’t be played on Zoom. Sports have to be played in person, whereas meetings of all sorts can take place over teleconferencing platforms. As the RNC is gleefully pointing out today, none other than Dick Durbin made that argument forcefully seven months ago in demanding that McConnell allow the Senate to operate remotely, even for floor votes.
“Why is it required that we be physically present on the floor,” Durbin objected on March 19, “closer to one another perhaps than we should be, at this moment of a public-health crisis?”
With the SCOTUS Apocalypse upon them, suddenly Senate Democrats are singing a different tune, and it’s not just Durbin who’s hit reverse on virtual hearings and votes on the Judiciary Committee. Amy Klobuchar tried arguing on Fox News Sunday yesterday that a Supreme Court confirmation process requires in-person hearings, but Chris Wallace wasn’t having any of it — which the Senate Republicans’ comms group noted on Twitter yesterday. (Note that they have edited the exchange; the transcript has the full exchange.)
Eventually, Klobuchar just changes the subject to the Phase 4 relief bill:
WALLACE: In May, when Chairman Graham held a virtual hearing, you very much praised him & thanked him for doing that. So you could hold a virtual hearing for Judge Barrett? KLOBUCHAR: I helped to put them [virtual hearings] together, it's important to give Senators that option. pic.twitter.com/8nPxHDdYdA — Senate Republican Communications Center (@SRCC) October 4, 2020
WALLACE: Senator — but, Senator, the fact is that you can hold hearings in different ways. In fact, last May, when the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham, held a virtual hearing, you very much praised him and thanked him for doing that. So you could hold a virtual hearing for — for Judge Barrett, which raises the question again, are you trying to use the fact that there has been this outbreak, at least three Republican senators, to try to block a nomination that you, frankly, oppose fiercely? KLOBUCHAR: Absolutely not. This is for the highest court of the land. And, yes we have had virtual hearings. I helped to put them together. It’s important to give senators that option. But you want to be able to go back and forth with this nominee. Given her views on the Affordable Care Act, given that she has clearly criticized Justice Roberts, who again, not exactly a blazing liberal, for upholding the constitutional — the Affordable Care Act, which allows people to keep their insurance when they’ve got pre-existing conditions, and she has criticized that, yes, we want to be able to ask her — WALLACE: Yes, but we’re doing — we’re doing this virtually — Senator, we’re doing this virtually — KLOBUCHAR: Yes. WALLACE: So why can’t you question Judge Barrett virtually? KLOBUCHAR: Again, we believe you should have an in person hearing. That doesn’t mean the virtual option wouldn’t be available, but why would you ram — I guess I turn the question around here, even though you get to ask the questions, why would you ram this through when we don’t even have a Covid package done to make sure that people have health care, that we have the testing I just talked about, that we have the funding for that.
And of course, all of this ignores the obvious problem with the objection from Durbin and Klobuchar. They don’t want a hearing to vet Barrett; they want a hearing to vent about Barrett, at length and on camera, to appease their party’s progressive-activist wing. Democrats planned for gladiatorial combat in a last-ditch effort to derail her confirmation and addition to the Supreme Court. This is just another tactic to short-circuit the process and grind it to a halt.
With that said, though, it’s unclear why Democrats couldn’t conduct their gladiatorial combat over Zoom. All they want is sound bites, and a virtual hearing gives them the same opportunities to produce those. It’s not as if they’re keeping an open mind about their confirmation vote anyway.


hotair--2020-10-05--A man wanted to open an ice cream shop, unfortunately he was in San Francisco

It ’ s difficult to open a business in some parts of the country because of all the red tape involved .
One of the places where that ’ s definitely the case is San Francisco .
Last Friday the San Francisco Chronicle published a column outlining Jason Yu ’ s attempt to open an ice cream shop in the city and the months and months of delays he has faced trying to take his project through various slow-moving departments .
Yu decided he wanted to open a shop selling green tea flavored ice cream back in 2018 .
Eventually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June 2019 he signed a lease which cost him $ 7,300 per month .
He knew it would take a few months to open but he was prepared for that .
He hired an architect to make plans for new electrical and plumbing but there were no structural changes needed and no changes to the outside of the building .
Six months later , in June 2019 , he submitted his plans to the Department of Building Inspection .
And that ’ s when his real nightmare began : The first step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department to operate the ice cream shop — even though a restaurant had already operated there and his shop fit the corridor ’ s zoning rules .
The Planning Department , like always , required him to notify neighbors of the plan and allowed any one of them within 150 feet to object .
Neighbors learned about the project in late February and had until mid-April to complain .
And someone did complain , triggering a hearing at the Planning Commission , which can take 12 weeks to schedule .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one neighbor doesn ’ t like what ’ s allowed by the city… In Yu ’ s case , the complaining neighbor was a competing ice cream shop .
It doesn ’ t take a genius to see why that shop might gripe , but nevertheless Yu had to hire a lawyer and wait until the hearing on June 11 to do any more work on his shop .
One year from the date he ’ d signed his lease , the Planning Department voted 7-0 to grant Yu ’ s shop a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Building Inspection Department only to discover they had a backlog which meant more delays : His file was assigned to a plan reviewer at the Department of Building Inspection in late June , and it took about two months for any response — compared with the usual response time of two weeks .
The reviewer gave Yu ’ s architect 30 comments on the plans in late August , and about half of them have been dealt with , according to Daniel Lowrey , deputy director for permit services .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans will still need approval from a mechanical plan checker at the Department of Building Inspection , the Fire Department , Public Works and the Department of Public Health .
The President of San Francisco ’ s Small Business Commission says the process is so slow you have to already be wealthy to open a small business .
Jason Yu , who will likely spend a minimum of $ 200,000 before his shop can even open now wishes he hadn ’ t tried to open a business in San Francisco .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francisco this fall which could improve things .
Prop H is called the “ Save Our Small Businesses Initiative ” and if passed is intended to cut the permitting process from one year down to a month .
Mayor London Breed introduced Prop H and it currently has bipartisan support .
So maybe there ’ s hope on the horizon though it ’ s gong to come too late for Jason Yu .

It’s difficult to open a business in some parts of the country because of all the red tape involved. One of the places where that’s definitely the case is San Francisco. Last Friday the San Francisco Chronicle published a column outlining Jason Yu’s attempt to open an ice cream shop in the city and the months and months of delays he has faced trying to take his project through various slow-moving departments.
Yu decided he wanted to open a shop selling green tea flavored ice cream back in 2018. Eventually, he found an empty storefront and in June 2019 he signed a lease which cost him $7,300 per month. He knew it would take a few months to open but he was prepared for that. He hired an architect to make plans for new electrical and plumbing but there were no structural changes needed and no changes to the outside of the building. Six months later, in June 2019, he submitted his plans to the Department of Building Inspection. And that’s when his real nightmare began:
The first step was getting the OK from the Planning Department to operate the ice cream shop — even though a restaurant had already operated there and his shop fit the corridor’s zoning rules. The Planning Department, like always, required him to notify neighbors of the plan and allowed any one of them within 150 feet to object. Neighbors learned about the project in late February and had until mid-April to complain. And someone did complain, triggering a hearing at the Planning Commission, which can take 12 weeks to schedule. That’s many months of rent flushed away because one neighbor doesn’t like what’s allowed by the city… In Yu’s case, the complaining neighbor was a competing ice cream shop. It doesn’t take a genius to see why that shop might gripe, but nevertheless Yu had to hire a lawyer and wait until the hearing on June 11 to do any more work on his shop.
One year from the date he’d signed his lease, the Planning Department voted 7-0 to grant Yu’s shop a permit to operate. He went back to the Building Inspection Department only to discover they had a backlog which meant more delays:
His file was assigned to a plan reviewer at the Department of Building Inspection in late June, and it took about two months for any response — compared with the usual response time of two weeks. The reviewer gave Yu’s architect 30 comments on the plans in late August, and about half of them have been dealt with, according to Daniel Lowrey, deputy director for permit services. But even once those are resolved, the plans will still need approval from a mechanical plan checker at the Department of Building Inspection, the Fire Department, Public Works and the Department of Public Health.
The President of San Francisco’s Small Business Commission says the process is so slow you have to already be wealthy to open a small business.
“You need to have a quarter million dollars on hand to open a f—ing ice cream store?” Laguana asked, clearly angry. “San Francisco with all its magic and glory should be the easiest place to open a business in America, and right now it’s among the hardest.
Jason Yu, who will likely spend a minimum of $200,000 before his shop can even open now wishes he hadn’t tried to open a business in San Francisco.
There is an initiative on the ballot in San Francisco this fall which could improve things. Prop H is called the “Save Our Small Businesses Initiative” and if passed is intended to cut the permitting process from one year down to a month. Mayor London Breed introduced Prop H and it currently has bipartisan support. So maybe there’s hope on the horizon though it’s gong to come too late for Jason Yu.
Here’s an ad for Prop H: