hotair--2020-07-27--Antifa violence in Portland? "That's a myth," says ...

Want to know why politicians usually refuse to respond to stand-up interviews in the street ?
Most of them know that they risk looking like idiots — as Rep. Jerrold Nadler did in this quick exchange with Austen “ Fleccas ” Fletcher .
An aide to the chair of the House Judiciary Committee tries his best to hustle Nadler into his vehicle — sans mask , notably — but doesn ’ t succeed before Nadler sticks his foot in his mouth .
Antifa violence ?
“ That ’ s a myth , ” Nadler declares , “ that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fletcher responds , “ That ’ s crazy , Mr. Nadler ” ( via Jeff Dunetz ) : A myth ?
Maybe someone should explain that to the Portland police .
They declared a riot the night before Nadler ’ s commentary , thanks to the sustained violence from the demonstrators , especially around the federal courthouse .
In the meantime , protesters insisted that this was a “ revolution , ” not a protest .
Are they spending too much time in Washington DC too ?
Protests in several major cities across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as weeks of civil unrest and clashes between activists and authorities boiled over , sending thousands of people teeming into public squares demanding racial justice .
… In Portland , the authorities declared a riot after protesters breached a fence surrounding the city ’ s federal courthouse building .
The “ violent conduct of people downtown ” created a “ grave risk of public alarm , ” the Portland police wrote on Twitter .
Early Sunday morning , federal agents and local police demanded that protesters leave the area and used tear gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , blocking intersections .
Several people were arrested .
Seems like Nadler is a little uninformed about police activity and public peace .
That ’ s okay .
He only chairs the House Judiciary Committee , whose portfolio covers those issues .
No problemo .
About the only way Nadler can explain that comment is to say that Antifa ’ s participation in the violence is the “ myth ” he meant .
With all sorts of Antifa-esque iconography being spraypainted on the walls and its revolutionary radical-left agenda being proclaimed on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thin dodge .
It ’ s pretty clearly not a Tea Party demonstration on the streets , and it ’ s also been profoundly violent for weeks now .
Calling that a “ myth ” on camera — and offering no explanation for it — is about as Orwellian as it gets .
Portland has never been at war , Winston .
Well , maybe not quite as Orwellian as it gets .
For that , we go to ABC News ’ version of the events at a California riot , captured by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What happens when a peaceful demonstration “ intensifie [ s ] ” ?
Shouldn ’ t it get even more intensely peaceful ?
That ’ s not a news report — it ’ s a public-relations release on behalf of the rioters .
The ratio on that tweet must have embarrassed ABC , because a few hours later , they finally included the word “ violent ” in its headline : There ’ s a lot of mythmaking going on in Washington DC and in national media about the riots of 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he ’ s hardly the only one .

Want to know why politicians usually refuse to respond to stand-up interviews in the street? Most of them know that they risk looking like idiots — as Rep. Jerrold Nadler did in this quick exchange with Austen “Fleccas” Fletcher. An aide to the chair of the House Judiciary Committee tries his best to hustle Nadler into his vehicle — sans mask, notably — but doesn’t succeed before Nadler sticks his foot in his mouth.
Antifa violence? “That’s a myth,” Nadler declares, “that’s being spread only in Washington DC.” Fletcher responds, “That’s crazy, Mr. Nadler” (via Jeff Dunetz):
I ran into Jerry Nadler in DC and asked him to disavow the Antifa violence/rioting in Portland. His response? “THATS A MYTH” pic.twitter.com/veImyE2rju — Essential Fleccas 🇺🇸 (@fleccas) July 27, 2020
A myth? Maybe someone should explain that to the Portland police. They declared a riot the night before Nadler’s commentary, thanks to the sustained violence from the demonstrators, especially around the federal courthouse. In the meantime, protesters insisted that this was a “revolution,” not a protest.
Are they spending too much time in Washington DC too?
Protests in several major cities across the country turned violent this weekend, as weeks of civil unrest and clashes between activists and authorities boiled over, sending thousands of people teeming into public squares demanding racial justice. … In Portland, the authorities declared a riot after protesters breached a fence surrounding the city’s federal courthouse building. The “violent conduct of people downtown” created a “grave risk of public alarm,” the Portland police wrote on Twitter. Early Sunday morning, federal agents and local police demanded that protesters leave the area and used tear gas. But the activists stood their ground, blocking intersections. Several people were arrested.
Seems like Nadler is a little uninformed about police activity and public peace. That’s okay. He only chairs the House Judiciary Committee, whose portfolio covers those issues. No problemo.
About the only way Nadler can explain that comment is to say that Antifa’s participation in the violence is the “myth” he meant. With all sorts of Antifa-esque iconography being spraypainted on the walls and its revolutionary radical-left agenda being proclaimed on the streets, that’s a pretty thin dodge. It’s pretty clearly not a Tea Party demonstration on the streets, and it’s also been profoundly violent for weeks now. Calling that a “myth” on camera — and offering no explanation for it — is about as Orwellian as it gets. Portland has never been at war, Winston.
Well, maybe not quite as Orwellian as it gets. For that, we go to ABC News’ version of the events at a California riot, captured by Power Line’s Steven Hayward:
Protesters in California set fire to a courthouse, damaged a police station and assaulted officers after a peaceful demonstration intensified. https://t.co/fUZTABUM21 — ABC News (@ABC) July 26, 2020
What happens when a peaceful demonstration “intensifie[s]”? Shouldn’t it get even more intensely peaceful? That’s not a news report — it’s a public-relations release on behalf of the rioters. The ratio on that tweet must have embarrassed ABC, because a few hours later, they finally included the word “violent” in its headline:
Peaceful protests against police brutality and the presence of federal agents at demonstrations turned violent as police in several large cities across the country declared riots. https://t.co/lihZVKSUyp — ABC News (@ABC) July 26, 2020
There’s a lot of mythmaking going on in Washington DC and in national media about the riots of 2020. Nadler’s one of the perpetrators, but he’s hardly the only one.


hotair--2020-07-27--A quick dive into the Senate stimulus package

We ’ re expecting to get the full version of the Senate stimulus bill today , or at least a detailed review of the major components .
This may or may not matter in the larger scheme of things since both Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have pretty much already rejected it without even seeing what ’ s in it .
( More on why that could be a political minefield for them in a moment . )
You can read a full rundown of what we ’ re pretty sure will be in it , along with some economists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be at Forbes this morning .
But before that food fight starts in earnest , I wanted to run through a few of the highlights and lowlights .
The first item to note is that the total cost is expected to come in at roughly one trillion dollars .
That would be a staggering and depressing figure were it not for the fact that it looks almost austere compared to the three trillion dollar price tag on the Democrats ’ version of the bill currently in the House .
We could spend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the national debt and deficit , but clearly nobody in Washington cares about that so I won ’ t waste my time on it .
Despite some initial hesitation by the Senate GOP , it looks like there will be another $ 1,200 check for everyone making less than $ 75K per year .
Yes , it would have been nice to see some means testing in there , reserving the checks for those most in need , out of work , etc .
But we ’ re told that any sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so the checks will probably go out the same way they did last time .
And what ’ s another quarter of a trillion dollars between friends under these conditions , right ?
There ’ s also almost certainly going to be some renewal of the federal enhancements to unemployment benefits .
Rather than a continuation of the full $ 600 per week that was previously issued , the GOP seems to be angling toward something more in the range of 200 to 400 dollars per week .
Ideally , they could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cap imposed when the amount reaches some significant percentage of the unemployed worker ’ s previous wages .
But , again , we ’ re being told that ’ s “ too complicated ” to figure out .
This one is a particularly thorny problem for Pelosi and Schumer .
If they balk at the offer and insist on the full $ 600 , who will unemployed workers blame when the federal enhancement goes to zero instead of 200 or 400 ?
It won ’ t be Cocaine Mitch ’ s fault , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures extended through the end of the year or close to it .
I wrote about this one a few weeks ago and nothing much has changed since then .
This isn ’ t actually a solution for anything .
We ’ re only kicking the can down the road for a few more months while driving more individual and small-business landlords out of the real estate market and tanking property values .
The bill for all of the missed rent is going to come due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the taxpayers will be left holding the bag yet again .
We also expect the Senate GOP to include a five-year liability shield for businesses , non-profits , schools , medical providers and professionals .
Pelosi and Schumer have already blasted the idea as being a giveaway to “ the Republicans ’ big business friends.
” But that ’ s a tough line to sell when they ’ re including schools , charities and healthcare workers .
I still don ’ t understand why this isn ’ t a no-brainer for both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employers if an outbreak of the flu sweeps through the office over the course of the winter ?
It ’ s nobody ’ s fault that the pandemic arrived on our shores except for the Chinese Communist Party .
Sue them if you like .
Once it was here , it was a disease like any other , only with better PR management .
The last item we expect to see that I wanted to touch on was the “ Return to Work Bonus ” program .
This would supposedly provide a cash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs rather than staying home and living off of those fat , federally enhanced unemployment benefits .
It kind of rankles me to think that we would actually need to bribe people to take back their old jobs when they ’ re offered .
If you turn down work you were willing to do before , you shouldn ’ t qualify for unemployment .
But this is 2020 , so I suppose we ’ re going to roll with the new normal .
What we need to find out now is whether Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting point and move to negotiate a compromise bill in reconciliation .
But they don ’ t have much time to do that .
The House is supposed to go on vacation on Friday with the Senate to follow shortly after that .
If everyone who is out of work has to wait until Labor Day before any more action is taken , you can expect a lot of grumbling around the country .

We’re expecting to get the full version of the Senate stimulus bill today, or at least a detailed review of the major components. This may or may not matter in the larger scheme of things since both Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have pretty much already rejected it without even seeing what’s in it. (More on why that could be a political minefield for them in a moment.) You can read a full rundown of what we’re pretty sure will be in it, along with some economists’ predictions regarding what the missing pieces will be at Forbes this morning. But before that food fight starts in earnest, I wanted to run through a few of the highlights and lowlights.
The first item to note is that the total cost is expected to come in at roughly one trillion dollars. That would be a staggering and depressing figure were it not for the fact that it looks almost austere compared to the three trillion dollar price tag on the Democrats’ version of the bill currently in the House. We could spend some time carping over this next blow to the national debt and deficit, but clearly nobody in Washington cares about that so I won’t waste my time on it.
Despite some initial hesitation by the Senate GOP, it looks like there will be another $1,200 check for everyone making less than $75K per year. Yes, it would have been nice to see some means testing in there, reserving the checks for those most in need, out of work, etc. But we’re told that any sort of testing would overly complicate the issue so the checks will probably go out the same way they did last time. And what’s another quarter of a trillion dollars between friends under these conditions, right?
There’s also almost certainly going to be some renewal of the federal enhancements to unemployment benefits. Rather than a continuation of the full $600 per week that was previously issued, the GOP seems to be angling toward something more in the range of 200 to 400 dollars per week. Ideally, they could have left it at 600 but with a cap imposed when the amount reaches some significant percentage of the unemployed worker’s previous wages. But, again, we’re being told that’s “too complicated” to figure out.
This one is a particularly thorny problem for Pelosi and Schumer. If they balk at the offer and insist on the full $600, who will unemployed workers blame when the federal enhancement goes to zero instead of 200 or 400? It won’t be Cocaine Mitch’s fault, folks.
We’re also expecting to see the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures extended through the end of the year or close to it. I wrote about this one a few weeks ago and nothing much has changed since then. This isn’t actually a solution for anything. We’re only kicking the can down the road for a few more months while driving more individual and small-business landlords out of the real estate market and tanking property values. The bill for all of the missed rent is going to come due at some point and the odds suggest that the taxpayers will be left holding the bag yet again.
We also expect the Senate GOP to include a five-year liability shield for businesses, non-profits, schools, medical providers and professionals. Pelosi and Schumer have already blasted the idea as being a giveaway to “the Republicans’ big business friends.” But that’s a tough line to sell when they’re including schools, charities and healthcare workers. I still don’t understand why this isn’t a no-brainer for both parties. Do people routinely sue their employers if an outbreak of the flu sweeps through the office over the course of the winter? It’s nobody’s fault that the pandemic arrived on our shores except for the Chinese Communist Party. Sue them if you like. Once it was here, it was a disease like any other, only with better PR management.
The last item we expect to see that I wanted to touch on was the “Return to Work Bonus” program. This would supposedly provide a cash incentive to people who return to their jobs rather than staying home and living off of those fat, federally enhanced unemployment benefits. It kind of rankles me to think that we would actually need to bribe people to take back their old jobs when they’re offered. If you turn down work you were willing to do before, you shouldn’t qualify for unemployment. But this is 2020, so I suppose we’re going to roll with the new normal.
What we need to find out now is whether Pelosi and Schumer will accept this as a starting point and move to negotiate a compromise bill in reconciliation. But they don’t have much time to do that. The House is supposed to go on vacation on Friday with the Senate to follow shortly after that. If everyone who is out of work has to wait until Labor Day before any more action is taken, you can expect a lot of grumbling around the country.


hotair--2020-07-27--Graham: The FBI lied about the Steele dossier to Congress in 2018 -- and "somebody needs to go to ja

Graham: The FBI lied about the Steele dossier to Congress in 2018 -- and "somebody needs to go to jail"

“ Stay tuned next week , ” Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) told Fox News ’ Maria Bartiromo yesterday .
The documents released on Friday by Graham as chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee show that the FBI knew full well that the subsource for the Steele dossier was not based in Russia — and that he himself called it unreliable “ bar talk ” rather than actual sourced intelligence .
The memo that Graham declassified shows that the FBI knew full well what that meant to the credibility of Christopher Steele ’ s dossier , and never told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to surveil Carter Page .
Not only did the FBI repeatedly lie to the FISA court , Graham tells Bartiromo , he ’ s about to prove that the FBI lied to Congress about it , too .
“ Somebody needs to go to jail , ” Graham warns : BARTIROMO : What did the FBI say to Congress ?
Because I remember John Brennan in testimony to — in front of Trey Gowdy .
And he said to Trey Gowdy , we did not use the dossier .
It was a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the FBI and what it told Congress ?
Is lying to Congress a 10-year felony , as Trey Gowdy has said on this program ?
GRAHAM : So , stay tuned .
Next week , you are going to learn more .
Not only do we now know that the FBI lied to the FISA court about the reliability of the dossier .
They told the court that the subsource was truthful and cooperative and Russian-based .
The truth of the matter is that the subsource was American-based .
He was an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the payroll of the Democratic Party .
And he told Christopher Steele , this is all a bunch of hearsay .
And when the FBI understood that the dossier was no longer reliable , they continued to use it .
But we also now have found — and this will come out next week — that Congress got suspicious about the Russian subsource and the reliability of the Steele dossier and that members of Congress asked to be briefed about it .
I will tell you next week what I found .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m going to be able to show to the public .
Not only did the FBI lie to the court about the reliability of the Steele dossier .
They also relied — lied to the Congress .
And that is a separate crime .
BARTIROMO : So , that is a second criminal — that is a second criminal act , then ?
GRAHAM : And this is in 2018 .
So , again , I want to emphasize this , that the Congress got suspicious , the Intelligence Committee did , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dossier .
The intelligence community did not want to include the dossier in the intelligence assessment provided to President Trump about the 2016 campaign because they didn ’ t trust it .
So , they started asking questions at the FBI in 2018 about the subsource and how reliable this information was .
And I found the notes that the FBI used to prepare that briefing .
Mr. Horowitz told us about them .
I found them .
Stay tuned next week .
You ’ re going to find , not only did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They lied their ass off to the Congress .
So who was this subsource ?
Graham doesn ’ t name him in the interview , but the memos reveal him to be Igor Dancheko , a researcher connected to the Brookings Institute .
As Graham says , Dancheko was based in the US rather than Russia , which makes him a very odd choice for gathering intel from Russian sources .
The New York Times complained over the weekend about Dancheko ’ s outing , but that seems like a strange complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the early 2017 publication of a notorious dossier about President Trump jolted Washington , an expert in Russian politics told the F.B.I .
he had been one of its key sources , drawing on his contacts to deliver information that would make up some of the most salacious and unproven assertions in the document .
The F.B.I .
had approached the expert , a man named Igor Danchenko , as it vetted the dossier ’ s claims .
He agreed to tell investigators what he knew with an important condition , people familiar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ F.B.I .
keep his identity secret so he could protect himself , his sources and his family and friends in Russia .
But his hope of remaining anonymous evaporated last week after Attorney General William P. Barr directed the F.B.I .
to declassify a redacted report about its three-day interview of Mr. Danchenko in 2017 and hand it over to Senator Lindsey Graham , Republican of South Carolina and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee .
Mr. Graham promptly made the interview summary public while calling the entire Russia investigation “ corrupt.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however ; Dancheko worked for Steele , and the FBI needed to verify Dancheko ’ s reliability as Steele ’ s subsource , perhaps the primary subsource for the dossier .
The FBI found that Dancheko not only didn ’ t think the information was reliable , he disputed that some of the information attributed to Dancheko had come from him at all : This isn ’ t outing a whistleblower , no matter how the NYT spins it .
Dancheko worked for Steele in putting together a bogus dossier , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US and its ability to govern properly .
In fact , had the FBI been doing its job , Dancheko would have been less of a source and more of a suspect in what looks like a Russian disinformation campaign .
We can go one further than that : if the FBI had been doing their job in January 2017 , there would have been no need to declassify this document now , because the FBI would have called a stop to Operation Crossfire Hurricane and would have instead started investigating Steele .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ridiculous Russia-collusion probe requires a complete and transparent probe into those decisions , who made them , and why .
And if the FBI lied to the FISA court and also to Congress , then the people conveying and coordinating those lies intended to cover up something .
Jail sounds like the appropriate place for those who participated in such a scheme , if Graham and John Durham can provide evidence of it .

“Stay tuned next week,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo yesterday. The documents released on Friday by Graham as chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee show that the FBI knew full well that the subsource for the Steele dossier was not based in Russia — and that he himself called it unreliable “bar talk” rather than actual sourced intelligence. The memo that Graham declassified shows that the FBI knew full well what that meant to the credibility of Christopher Steele’s dossier, and never told the FISA court in securing more warrants to surveil Carter Page.
Not only did the FBI repeatedly lie to the FISA court, Graham tells Bartiromo, he’s about to prove that the FBI lied to Congress about it, too. “Somebody needs to go to jail,” Graham warns:
BARTIROMO: What did the FBI say to Congress? Because I remember John Brennan in testimony to — in front of Trey Gowdy. And he said to Trey Gowdy, we did not use the dossier. It was a small part of the overall mosaic. What about the FBI and what it told Congress? Is lying to Congress a 10-year felony, as Trey Gowdy has said on this program? GRAHAM: So, stay tuned. Next week, you are going to learn more. Not only do we now know that the FBI lied to the FISA court about the reliability of the dossier. They told the court that the subsource was truthful and cooperative and Russian-based. The truth of the matter is that the subsource was American-based. He was an employee of Christopher Steele, who was on the payroll of the Democratic Party. And he told Christopher Steele, this is all a bunch of hearsay. And when the FBI understood that the dossier was no longer reliable, they continued to use it. But we also now have found — and this will come out next week — that Congress got suspicious about the Russian subsource and the reliability of the Steele dossier and that members of Congress asked to be briefed about it. I will tell you next week what I found. And here is what I think I’m going to be able to show to the public. Not only did the FBI lie to the court about the reliability of the Steele dossier. They also relied — lied to the Congress. And that is a separate crime. BARTIROMO: So, that is a second criminal — that is a second criminal act, then? GRAHAM: And this is in 2018. So, again, I want to emphasize this, that the Congress got suspicious, the Intelligence Committee did, about Steele and the reliability of the dossier. The intelligence community did not want to include the dossier in the intelligence assessment provided to President Trump about the 2016 campaign because they didn’t trust it. So, they started asking questions at the FBI in 2018 about the subsource and how reliable this information was. And I found the notes that the FBI used to prepare that briefing. Mr. Horowitz told us about them. I found them. Stay tuned next week. You’re going to find, not only did the FBI lie to the FISA court. They lied their ass off to the Congress.
So who was this subsource? Graham doesn’t name him in the interview, but the memos reveal him to be Igor Dancheko, a researcher connected to the Brookings Institute. As Graham says, Dancheko was based in the US rather than Russia, which makes him a very odd choice for gathering intel from Russian sources. The New York Times complained over the weekend about Dancheko’s outing, but that seems like a strange complaint under the circumstances:
Not long after the early 2017 publication of a notorious dossier about President Trump jolted Washington, an expert in Russian politics told the F.B.I. he had been one of its key sources, drawing on his contacts to deliver information that would make up some of the most salacious and unproven assertions in the document. The F.B.I. had approached the expert, a man named Igor Danchenko, as it vetted the dossier’s claims. He agreed to tell investigators what he knew with an important condition, people familiar with the matter said — that the F.B.I. keep his identity secret so he could protect himself, his sources and his family and friends in Russia. But his hope of remaining anonymous evaporated last week after Attorney General William P. Barr directed the F.B.I. to declassify a redacted report about its three-day interview of Mr. Danchenko in 2017 and hand it over to Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Mr. Graham promptly made the interview summary public while calling the entire Russia investigation “corrupt.”
This wasn’t an FBI source, however; Dancheko worked for Steele, and the FBI needed to verify Dancheko’s reliability as Steele’s subsource, perhaps the primary subsource for the dossier. The FBI found that Dancheko not only didn’t think the information was reliable, he disputed that some of the information attributed to Dancheko had come from him at all:
The document reveals that the primary “source” of Steele’s election reporting was not some well-connected current or former Russian official, but a non-Russian based contract employee of Christopher Steele’s firm. Moreover, it demonstrates that the information that Steele’s primary source provided him was second and third-hand information and rumor at best. Critically, the document shows that Steele’s “Primary Sub-source” disagreed with and was surprised by how information he gave Steele was then conveyed by Steele in the Steele dossier. For instance, the “Primary Sub-source”: did not recall or did not know where some of the information attributed to him or his sources came from; was never told about or never mentioned to Steele certain information attributed to him or his sources; he said that Steele re-characterized some of the information to make it more substantiated and less attenuated than it really was; that he would have described his sources differently; and, that Steele implied direct access to information where the access to information was indirect. In total, this document demonstrates that information from the Steele dossier, which “played a central and essential role” in the FISA warrants on Carter Page, should never have been presented to the FISA court.
This isn’t outing a whistleblower, no matter how the NYT spins it. Dancheko worked for Steele in putting together a bogus dossier, one which has had enormous impact on the US and its ability to govern properly. In fact, had the FBI been doing its job, Dancheko would have been less of a source and more of a suspect in what looks like a Russian disinformation campaign. We can go one further than that: if the FBI had been doing their job in January 2017, there would have been no need to declassify this document now, because the FBI would have called a stop to Operation Crossfire Hurricane and would have instead started investigating Steele.
The fact that the FBI continued the ridiculous Russia-collusion probe requires a complete and transparent probe into those decisions, who made them, and why. And if the FBI lied to the FISA court and also to Congress, then the people conveying and coordinating those lies intended to cover up something. Jail sounds like the appropriate place for those who participated in such a scheme, if Graham and John Durham can provide evidence of it.


hotair--2020-07-28--As predicted, Schumer and Pelosi to cancel enhanced unemployment benefits

Yesterday we discussed what was expected to show up in the Senate GOP ’ s counteroffer to House Democrats in terms of a second pandemic stimulus bill .
Most of the predicted items were included , but a lot of attention was focused on what the Republican proposal would do about the federal enhancement to unemployment benefits that are currently expiring .
Reports indicated that the caucus had been going back and forth between 100 , 200 or 400 dollars per week , down from the 600 dollar level in the first bill .
It looks like they decided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 200 dollars , along with a 450 dollar “ return to work ” bonus for those returning to their old jobs .
The major sticking point I noted at the time was the possibility that the Democrats would simply wave off the entire thing .
Well , it took no time at all for that decision to be made .
Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi declared the bill to be a “ non-starter ” and essentially brought the entire process to a crashing halt .
( The Hill ) The $ 1 trillion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House and Senate Republicans is being dismissed as a non-starter by Democrats , setting the stage for lengthy negotiations as various federal assistance programs are set to expire .
Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer ( N.Y. ) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) met for almost two hours with Treasury Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in the Speaker ’ s office Monday evening for an initial round of negotiations but made little progress .
Democrats say the GOP legislation falls short of providing enough money for state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renters from eviction and doesn ’ t invest enough in lower-income communities hit hard by the pandemic .
When I say the decision by the Democrats “ took no time at all , ” I meant that literally .
If we could have a peek behind the curtain , I ’ m fairly certain that the decision to flatly reject the GOP offer was made before they ’ d ever seen the bill .
The various comments given by Democrats for this article demonstrate once again how this proposal is being treated as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than a serious effort at passing some workable legislation .
One anonymous Democratic Senator said that they “ have leverage over Republicans ” because the President ’ s poll numbers are tanking , so the Democratic minority can “ write the bill on our terms.
” This “ my way or the highway ” approach hasn ’ t traditionally worked out well in the polls for the party attempting it .
For all of the people out there who are about to see their unemployment benefits slashed by six hundred dollars per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP or the Democrats are doing better in polls doesn ’ t add up to a hill of beans .
( And their mood isn ’ t likely to improve if they have to start literally living off beans , either . )
It shouldn ’ t be difficult for the Republicans to quickly get the message out that relief was on the table and available and it was the Democrats who walked away .
Assuming the House and Senate could find a way to send their competing proposals to reconciliation before they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t be hard to take the Republicans ’ opening offer of 200 dollars per week and bump it up to 350 or 400 in a compromise .
That ’ s not as great as 600 for those relying on it , but it ’ s still pretty good and the natives would probably be considerably less restless .
But let ’ s say there is no compromise offered by the Democrats .
How do you suppose the voters are going to respond if everyone packs up their things and goes on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything ?
To say this isn ’ t a good look in terms of political optics is an understatement .
The GOP has a proposal on the table and President Trump is willing to sign it .
The only thing standing in the way is the Senate Democratic minority .
( And Trump already made concessions on the payroll tax cut and a few other demands . )
Pelosi and Schumer appear to be grossly overplaying their hand here and they will rightly be getting an earful from the public over it if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .

Yesterday we discussed what was expected to show up in the Senate GOP’s counteroffer to House Democrats in terms of a second pandemic stimulus bill. Most of the predicted items were included, but a lot of attention was focused on what the Republican proposal would do about the federal enhancement to unemployment benefits that are currently expiring. Reports indicated that the caucus had been going back and forth between 100, 200 or 400 dollars per week, down from the 600 dollar level in the first bill. It looks like they decided to take the middle route and settled on 200 dollars, along with a 450 dollar “return to work” bonus for those returning to their old jobs.
The major sticking point I noted at the time was the possibility that the Democrats would simply wave off the entire thing. Well, it took no time at all for that decision to be made. Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi declared the bill to be a “non-starter” and essentially brought the entire process to a crashing halt. (The Hill)
The $1 trillion coronavirus relief package unveiled Monday by the White House and Senate Republicans is being dismissed as a non-starter by Democrats, setting the stage for lengthy negotiations as various federal assistance programs are set to expire. Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) met for almost two hours with Treasury Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in the Speaker’s office Monday evening for an initial round of negotiations but made little progress. Democrats say the GOP legislation falls short of providing enough money for state and local governments, fails to protect renters from eviction and doesn’t invest enough in lower-income communities hit hard by the pandemic.
When I say the decision by the Democrats “took no time at all,” I meant that literally. If we could have a peek behind the curtain, I’m fairly certain that the decision to flatly reject the GOP offer was made before they’d ever seen the bill.
The various comments given by Democrats for this article demonstrate once again how this proposal is being treated as a political matter by Schumer and Pelosi rather than a serious effort at passing some workable legislation. One anonymous Democratic Senator said that they “have leverage over Republicans” because the President’s poll numbers are tanking, so the Democratic minority can “write the bill on our terms.”
This “my way or the highway” approach hasn’t traditionally worked out well in the polls for the party attempting it. For all of the people out there who are about to see their unemployment benefits slashed by six hundred dollars per week, the question of whether the GOP or the Democrats are doing better in polls doesn’t add up to a hill of beans. (And their mood isn’t likely to improve if they have to start literally living off beans, either.) It shouldn’t be difficult for the Republicans to quickly get the message out that relief was on the table and available and it was the Democrats who walked away.
Assuming the House and Senate could find a way to send their competing proposals to reconciliation before they all go on vacation, it probably wouldn’t be hard to take the Republicans’ opening offer of 200 dollars per week and bump it up to 350 or 400 in a compromise. That’s not as great as 600 for those relying on it, but it’s still pretty good and the natives would probably be considerably less restless.
But let’s say there is no compromise offered by the Democrats. How do you suppose the voters are going to respond if everyone packs up their things and goes on vacation three days from now without delivering anything? To say this isn’t a good look in terms of political optics is an understatement. The GOP has a proposal on the table and President Trump is willing to sign it. The only thing standing in the way is the Senate Democratic minority. (And Trump already made concessions on the payroll tax cut and a few other demands.) Pelosi and Schumer appear to be grossly overplaying their hand here and they will rightly be getting an earful from the public over it if they allow this ship to sail without them.


hotair--2020-07-27--Melania Trump chooses a perfect way to make her mark as Trump's first term ends

What better way to choose a White House renovation as her last project of President Trump ’ s first term in office than one that the world will see ?
First Lady Melania Trump plans to make the Rose Garden great again .
Promising a “ significant renewal ” of the space , while restoring it “ to its original ’ 62 footprint , ” the project is estimated to take about three weeks .
Depending on when it gets underway , it should be finished in plenty of time for some press conferences to be held there before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being used a lot these days .
Trump holds press briefings with the coronavirus task force there , ceremonial signings , and hosts press conferences with foreign leaders there , too .
It ’ s referred to as the “ Rose Garden strategy ” , a term coined long before Trump was elected because it is a perfect setting for presidents to booster a campaign message or to raise interest in an initiative or policy .
A State Dinner was held in the Rose Garden for Australia ’ s Prime Minister Scott Morrison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Rose Garden to push Obamacare as something the medical community really wanted ?
His staff passed out white coats to lots of people so they could stand behind Obama and look like doctors .
The New York Times describes the space as “ a signature showcase of power used by presidents for decades.
” As with other renovation projects , this will be paid for with private donations , not taxpayers .
The project , which includes electrical upgrades for television appearances , a new walkway and new flowers and shrubs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of expressing hope and optimism for the future , ” according to remarks Mrs. Trump delivered to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House on Monday morning .
“ Our country has seen difficult times before , but the White House and the Rose Garden have always stood as a symbol of our strength , resilience and continuity.
” Mrs. Trump ’ s project , which will be supported by the National Park Service and funded by private donations , according to the White House , began in earnest last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an administration official said .
Updates to the electrical infrastructure will make it easier to televise the president .
According to a landscape report submitted by the preservation committee and shared with The New York Times , the plan will also add two limestone walkways , one to the inner perimeter of the garden .
The second , 85 feet long with a diamond pattern , will stretch from the Palm Room to the south grounds .
The plan will also replace crab apple trees with white rose shrubs and add new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white “ J.F.K.
” and pale pink “ peace ” roses will also be planted .
“ In a way , the metaphor of openness and improved access became our overall plan concept , ” Perry Guillot , the landscape architect overseeing the project , wrote in a memo summarizing the changes .
Sounds good , right ?
The Rose Garden is on a half-acre of land and was first introduced by the wife of former President Woodrow Wilson in 1913 .
It received a major renovation during the JFK years under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nancy Reagan addressed some problems with the crab apple trees in 1981 but nothing else had been done there .
“ The Committee for the Preservation of the White House was invited to advise the White House team on the restoration of the Rose Garden , an outdoor ‘ room ’ of the White House that has served as the stage for so many important events in our history , ” Leslie Bowman , a member of the panel , said in a statement .
“ Such a project deserves the same museum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accorded the first- and second-floor public rooms of the nation ’ s ‘ house , ’ and the committee was pleased to be invited to participate.
” The First Lady works with the White House Historical Association .
Her press secretary , Stephanie Grisham said in a statement ” The historical significance of the Rose Garden “ inspired the first lady to dedicate her time and effort into ensuring scholar and historic preservation went into every detail of the renovation.
” Melania Trump studied architecture in college and has been active in focusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She has updated several living areas and features of the White House grounds .
The White House bowling alley and the tennis pavilion have been renovated .
You may remember that the tennis pavilion , her last big project , was heavily criticized by Trump critics , because , of course , it was .
This project is experiencing the same hate from them , too .
The Rose Garden renovations will be on display for the world to view .
Future stories will have to give her credit for the renovation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so it ’ s a win-win .
She ’ s not starting from scratch , she ’ s keeping the original landscaping in place while updating and modernizing it , like with the electrical upgrades for media coverage of events held there .
Melania Trump serves as the honorary chair of the Committee for the Preservation of The White House .

What better way to choose a White House renovation as her last project of President Trump’s first term in office than one that the world will see? First Lady Melania Trump plans to make the Rose Garden great again.
Promising a “significant renewal” of the space, while restoring it “to its original ’62 footprint,” the project is estimated to take about three weeks. Depending on when it gets underway, it should be finished in plenty of time for some press conferences to be held there before the November election. The Rose Garden is being used a lot these days. Trump holds press briefings with the coronavirus task force there, ceremonial signings, and hosts press conferences with foreign leaders there, too. It’s referred to as the “Rose Garden strategy”, a term coined long before Trump was elected because it is a perfect setting for presidents to booster a campaign message or to raise interest in an initiative or policy. A State Dinner was held in the Rose Garden for Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison last September.
Remember when Obama used the Rose Garden to push Obamacare as something the medical community really wanted? His staff passed out white coats to lots of people so they could stand behind Obama and look like doctors. The New York Times describes the space as “a signature showcase of power used by presidents for decades.” As with other renovation projects, this will be paid for with private donations, not taxpayers.
The project, which includes electrical upgrades for television appearances, a new walkway and new flowers and shrubs, is meant to be an “act of expressing hope and optimism for the future,” according to remarks Mrs. Trump delivered to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House on Monday morning. “Our country has seen difficult times before, but the White House and the Rose Garden have always stood as a symbol of our strength, resilience and continuity.” Mrs. Trump’s project, which will be supported by the National Park Service and funded by private donations, according to the White House, began in earnest last year and should take three weeks to complete, an administration official said. Updates to the electrical infrastructure will make it easier to televise the president. According to a landscape report submitted by the preservation committee and shared with The New York Times, the plan will also add two limestone walkways, one to the inner perimeter of the garden. The second, 85 feet long with a diamond pattern, will stretch from the Palm Room to the south grounds. The plan will also replace crab apple trees with white rose shrubs and add new drainage systems. A new assortment of white “J.F.K.” and pale pink “peace” roses will also be planted. “In a way, the metaphor of openness and improved access became our overall plan concept,” Perry Guillot, the landscape architect overseeing the project, wrote in a memo summarizing the changes.
Sounds good, right? The Rose Garden is on a half-acre of land and was first introduced by the wife of former President Woodrow Wilson in 1913. It received a major renovation during the JFK years under the supervision of Jackie Kennedy in 1961. Nancy Reagan addressed some problems with the crab apple trees in 1981 but nothing else had been done there.
“The Committee for the Preservation of the White House was invited to advise the White House team on the restoration of the Rose Garden, an outdoor ‘room’ of the White House that has served as the stage for so many important events in our history,” Leslie Bowman, a member of the panel, said in a statement. “Such a project deserves the same museum standard of research and deliberation that is accorded the first- and second-floor public rooms of the nation’s ‘house,’ and the committee was pleased to be invited to participate.”
The First Lady works with the White House Historical Association. Her press secretary, Stephanie Grisham said in a statement ” The historical significance of the Rose Garden “inspired the first lady to dedicate her time and effort into ensuring scholar and historic preservation went into every detail of the renovation.”
Melania Trump studied architecture in college and has been active in focusing on aesthetic upgrades at the White House. She has updated several living areas and features of the White House grounds. The White House bowling alley and the tennis pavilion have been renovated. You may remember that the tennis pavilion, her last big project, was heavily criticized by Trump critics, because, of course, it was. This project is experiencing the same hate from them, too.
Does this mean she finished the tennis court? https://t.co/6s7mrWc7iA — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) July 27, 2020
To go along with her new tennis court, Melania is re-doing the Rose Garden. Very Versailles! https://t.co/rsIAccCRDZ — Barbara Malmet (@B52Malmet) July 27, 2020
Even disgraced Katie Hill chimed in:
That’s some Marie Antoinette shit right there. https://t.co/oA2UZ1r72M — Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) July 27, 2020
The Rose Garden renovations will be on display for the world to view. Future stories will have to give her credit for the renovation, which will aggravate her hateful critics, so it’s a win-win. She’s not starting from scratch, she’s keeping the original landscaping in place while updating and modernizing it, like with the electrical upgrades for media coverage of events held there. Melania Trump serves as the honorary chair of the Committee for the Preservation of The White House.


hotair--2020-07-28--Hmmm: New poll shows Trump gaining ground on Biden since May -- in Minnesota

I wouldn ’ t call this a “ good ” result for Trump , as voters have moved towards Biden since late May in 11 of the 12 states polled .
But the one state in which they ’ ve moved towards Trump is interesting .
Especially since there are scenarios , albeit a bit far-fetched , in which that state decides the election .
Needless to say , if those Morning Consult numbers are accurate , Trump and the GOP are headed for a wipeout this fall .
In particular , Biden leads by seven points or better in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propelled Trump to victory in 2016 .
If Biden wins those plus all of Hillary ’ s states , he ’ s the new president .
Simple as that .
But that ’ s the interesting part .
The one state that ’ s grown more pro-Trump since May happens to be a Hillary state .
It ’ s Minnesota , which the president came within a point and a half of winning four years ago .
Give Biden Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania , and every Hillary state *except* Minnesota and … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the narrowest of margins .
In fact , if we assume that “ shy Trump voters ” are worth , say , four extra points for POTUS in every battleground , the election as captured in the Morning Consult numbers would be very close .
Biden ends up winning , but only because his victory in the otherwise reddish state of Arizona would offset his defeat in the bluish state of Minnesota , with the Rust Belt delivering the electoral votes he ’ d need to get to 270 .
If Trump could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pick up Minnesota , though ?
Democrats could rebuild their “ blue wall ” in the midwest and they ’ d still lose .
Minnesota is potentially very important .
And Morning Consult isn ’ t the only pollster to find the race there close lately .
Trafalgar , which famously caught Trump ’ s surge in the Rust Belt shortly before Election Day 2016 , has him within striking distance : Fox News ’ s recent poll of Minnesota has Biden waltzing to victory there with a 13-point lead but no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given their track record .
Their pollster , Robert Cahaly , believes he ’ s able to detect “ shy Trump voters ” that other pollsters routinely miss by looking for people who ’ ve been inactive in recent elections and asking his sample both whom they ’ re supporting and whom they think their neighbors are supporting .
That ’ s Cahaly ’ s way of trying to sniff out which people are probably voting for Trump but are afraid to say so to a pollster .
If you say you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbors are voting Trump , that ’ s a hint that maybe you ’ re not being honest ( or will come around to your community ’ s view in the end ) .
Within the last six weeks or so , at a time when most pollsters have watched Biden approach landslide margins in swing states , Trafalgar has had him up by one point in Michigan , Trump up by one in Wisconsin , and a dead heat in Florida .
They ’ ve also put Trump within five of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a moment when virtually everything that could be working against him politically is working against him politically .
If Cahaly ’ s right about the race , Trump is very much alive right now ; all he ’ d need is a break or two before November and victory would be within reach .
If Trafalgar nails the presidential contest a second time while other pollsters are predicting a Republican wipeout it ’ ll be an all-time legend of the industry .
And so the question : Why ?
Why is Minnesota trending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inched towards Biden in Morning Consult ’ s polling ?
The obvious answer , I think , is crime .
Between the explosion of violence in Minnesota since the George Floyd protests began and the traction the “ defund the police ” movement has gotten there vis-a-vis Minneapolis PD , swing voters may be more receptive to the “ law and order ” option on the ballot than they are in other states .
That ’ s big news for Trump since he ’ s been hammering his law-and-order message nationally lately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the federal presence in Portland .
If the violence spreads to other cities , we may see a “ Minnesota effect ” in other battlegrounds .
And suddenly Biden ’ s landslide won ’ t be such a landslide anymore .
The GOP had better figure something out either way because it ’ s not just the White House they ’ re at risk of losing right now .
I ’ ll leave you with some other new data from Morning Consult .
Note the margin in Arizona .

I wouldn’t call this a “good” result for Trump, as voters have moved towards Biden since late May in 11 of the 12 states polled.
But the one state in which they’ve moved towards Trump is interesting.
Especially since there are scenarios, albeit a bit far-fetched, in which that state decides the election.
Needless to say, if those Morning Consult numbers are accurate, Trump and the GOP are headed for a wipeout this fall. In particular, Biden leads by seven points or better in the three key Rust Belt states that propelled Trump to victory in 2016. If Biden wins those plus all of Hillary’s states, he’s the new president. Simple as that.
But that’s the interesting part. The one state that’s grown more pro-Trump since May happens to be a Hillary state. It’s Minnesota, which the president came within a point and a half of winning four years ago. Give Biden Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and every Hillary state *except* Minnesota and … Trump wins a second term, by the narrowest of margins. In fact, if we assume that “shy Trump voters” are worth, say, four extra points for POTUS in every battleground, the election as captured in the Morning Consult numbers would be very close. Biden ends up winning, but only because his victory in the otherwise reddish state of Arizona would offset his defeat in the bluish state of Minnesota, with the Rust Belt delivering the electoral votes he’d need to get to 270.
If Trump could figure out a way to hold Arizona and pick up Minnesota, though? Democrats could rebuild their “blue wall” in the midwest and they’d still lose. Minnesota is potentially very important.
And Morning Consult isn’t the only pollster to find the race there close lately. Trafalgar, which famously caught Trump’s surge in the Rust Belt shortly before Election Day 2016, has him within striking distance:
Fox News’s recent poll of Minnesota has Biden waltzing to victory there with a 13-point lead but no one wants to bet heavily against Trafalgar given their track record. Their pollster, Robert Cahaly, believes he’s able to detect “shy Trump voters” that other pollsters routinely miss by looking for people who’ve been inactive in recent elections and asking his sample both whom they’re supporting and whom they think their neighbors are supporting. That’s Cahaly’s way of trying to sniff out which people are probably voting for Trump but are afraid to say so to a pollster. If you say you’re voting Biden but you think your neighbors are voting Trump, that’s a hint that maybe you’re not being honest (or will come around to your community’s view in the end).
Within the last six weeks or so, at a time when most pollsters have watched Biden approach landslide margins in swing states, Trafalgar has had him up by one point in Michigan, Trump up by one in Wisconsin, and a dead heat in Florida. They’ve also put Trump within five of the lead in Pennsylvania and now Minnesota at a moment when virtually everything that could be working against him politically is working against him politically. If Cahaly’s right about the race, Trump is very much alive right now; all he’d need is a break or two before November and victory would be within reach. If Trafalgar nails the presidential contest a second time while other pollsters are predicting a Republican wipeout it’ll be an all-time legend of the industry.
And so the question: Why? Why is Minnesota trending towards Trump when every other battleground has inched towards Biden in Morning Consult’s polling? The obvious answer, I think, is crime. Between the explosion of violence in Minnesota since the George Floyd protests began and the traction the “defund the police” movement has gotten there vis-a-vis Minneapolis PD, swing voters may be more receptive to the “law and order” option on the ballot than they are in other states. That’s big news for Trump since he’s been hammering his law-and-order message nationally lately, both rhetorically and via actions like building up the federal presence in Portland. If the violence spreads to other cities, we may see a “Minnesota effect” in other battlegrounds. And suddenly Biden’s landslide won’t be such a landslide anymore.
The GOP had better figure something out either way because it’s not just the White House they’re at risk of losing right now. I’ll leave you with some other new data from Morning Consult. Note the margin in Arizona.


hotair--2020-07-28--Horror: Nearly 14% of Canadian assisted suicides cited "isolation or loneliness" as cause

Not the sole cause , but that number pops out nevertheless .
The Canadian government has issued its annual report on Medical Assistance in Dying ( MAID ) program for 2019 , which appears to have been a banner year .
Over 1200 practitioners in medically-assisted suicide performed 5,631 assisted deaths , the vast majority of whom were primary-care physicians ( 65 % ) rather than specialists .
Oncologists , for instance , only represented 1.7 % of all MAID providers , while palliative medicine represented just 9.1 % .
It ’ s this chart , outlining the reasons given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and who received an assisted death , that looks shocking .
Assisted suicide activists sell this as a means to put an end to needless suffering , but this non-exclusive list of approved reasons for MAID encompasses a lot more than unsolvable pain : Click on the chart to expand , but read the descriptions carefully .
These percentages show that the written requests often contained more than one reason for assisted suicide , which means that one can not extrapolate a specific number of deaths to one specific complaint .
Nevertheless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could be addressed for some improvement .
Only a narrow majority ( 54-56 % ) cited unmanageable pain , which is what most people have in mind when it comes to suffering that would justify medically assisted suicides .
For instance , the two leading causes cited are rather basic medical issues — loss of ability to engage in “ meaningful life activities ” ( 82 % ) and “ activities of daily living ” ( 78 % ) .
Needless to say , these are common in some degree to all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people go to doctors — specialists in particular — to manage those issues .
How many of those cases did the Canadian health system enthusiastically try to alleviate ?
The fact that 65 % of MAID providers are family doctors suggest that those efforts didn ’ t get much attention from specialists .
The more shocking numbers are those of “ perceived burden on family , friends , or caregivers ” ( 34 % ) and “ isolation or loneliness ” ( 13.7 % ) .
This suggests that one driving factor behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands , is the impression that people want them out of the way rather than help support the sick .
That ’ s not just an impression , actually — it ’ s the reality in Canada ’ s health-care system .
Those numbers should be cause for shame , not for celebrating the success of a government program of any kind .
This is what happens when we take a utilitarian view of life .
And it ’ s only going to get worse , Wesley Smith writes at National Review , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Alas , most Canadians are proud that their doctors can legally kill sick people whose deaths are “ reasonably foreseeable.
” Not only that , but the country is now engaged in the process that will expand the conditions qualifying for lethal injection , including incompetent people with dementia if they asked to be put down in an advance directive .
It ’ s so bad , that in Ontario , if a doctor refuses to euthanize a legally qualified patient or find another doctor he or she knows will kill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t just about Canada .
The country is our closest cultural cousin .
If we swallow the hemlock as our northern cousins have , the same lethal pattern could unfold here .
Indeed it could .
We can be at least thankful for the dry transparency of MAID in Canada , and admit that we ’ ve been warned about the consequences of a throwaway culture when it comes to human life .

Not the sole cause, but that number pops out nevertheless. The Canadian government has issued its annual report on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program for 2019, which appears to have been a banner year. Over 1200 practitioners in medically-assisted suicide performed 5,631 assisted deaths, the vast majority of whom were primary-care physicians (65%) rather than specialists. Oncologists, for instance, only represented 1.7% of all MAID providers, while palliative medicine represented just 9.1%.
It’s this chart, outlining the reasons given by those whose MAID requests were approved and who received an assisted death, that looks shocking. Assisted suicide activists sell this as a means to put an end to needless suffering, but this non-exclusive list of approved reasons for MAID encompasses a lot more than unsolvable pain:
Click on the chart to expand, but read the descriptions carefully. These percentages show that the written requests often contained more than one reason for assisted suicide, which means that one cannot extrapolate a specific number of deaths to one specific complaint. Nevertheless, this list contains a lot of reasons that could be addressed for some improvement. Only a narrow majority (54-56%) cited unmanageable pain, which is what most people have in mind when it comes to suffering that would justify medically assisted suicides.
For instance, the two leading causes cited are rather basic medical issues — loss of ability to engage in “meaningful life activities” (82%) and “activities of daily living” (78%). Needless to say, these are common in some degree to all chronic medical conditions, which is why people go to doctors — specialists in particular — to manage those issues. How many of those cases did the Canadian health system enthusiastically try to alleviate? The fact that 65% of MAID providers are family doctors suggest that those efforts didn’t get much attention from specialists.
The more shocking numbers are those of “perceived burden on family, friends, or caregivers” (34%) and “isolation or loneliness” (13.7%). This suggests that one driving factor behind hundreds of assisted suicides, if not thousands, is the impression that people want them out of the way rather than help support the sick. That’s not just an impression, actually — it’s the reality in Canada’s health-care system. Those numbers should be cause for shame, not for celebrating the success of a government program of any kind.
This is what happens when we take a utilitarian view of life. And it’s only going to get worse, Wesley Smith writes at National Review, both in Canada and in the US:
Alas, most Canadians are proud that their doctors can legally kill sick people whose deaths are “reasonably foreseeable.” Not only that, but the country is now engaged in the process that will expand the conditions qualifying for lethal injection, including incompetent people with dementia if they asked to be put down in an advance directive. It’s so bad, that in Ontario, if a doctor refuses to euthanize a legally qualified patient or find another doctor he or she knows will kill, they risk professional discipline. This isn’t just about Canada. The country is our closest cultural cousin. If we swallow the hemlock as our northern cousins have, the same lethal pattern could unfold here.
Indeed it could. We can be at least thankful for the dry transparency of MAID in Canada, and admit that we’ve been warned about the consequences of a throwaway culture when it comes to human life.


hotair--2020-07-28--More than 100 police agencies are pulling out of security agreements for the Democratic National Con

More than 100 police agencies are pulling out of security agreements for the Democratic National Convention

It looks like the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee is going to have a hard time finding police officers to work the event .
The Associated Press reports that more than 100 police agencies are pulling out of security agreements for the convention .
Some are citing a recent order by the city ’ s police commission to end the use of tear gas for crowd control : A citizen oversight commission last week directed Milwaukee ’ s police chief to publicly account for why the department used tear gas during protests in late May and early June after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change Milwaukee ’ s police policies to ban the use of tear gas and pepper spray .
The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission said in its order that Police Chief Alfonso Morales could be fired if he fails to comply… Since the Milwaukee order was issued , more than 100 law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin and across the country decided against coming to Milwaukee , Morales told WTMJ-TV on Tuesday .
They were concerned with directives placed on the police department , including not allowing tear gas or pepper spray , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified four Wisconsin police forces who were pulling out : The moves by police departments in Fond du Lac , Franklin , Greendale and West Allis cast doubt on a program to bring about 1,000 police officers from outside agencies to help shore up security for the event , scheduled for the week of Aug 17 .
Even though Democrats are holding a mostly virtual convention , protests are anticipated .
Asked on Monday if the agreements were collapsing , Fond du Lac Police Chief William Lamb said , “ Yes , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the state to withdraw from the program .
“ We regret having to do that , ” said Lamb , who chairs the Wisconsin Police Executive Group , which consists of police chiefs from cities with populations of more than 20,000 people .
As mentioned above , the sudden shift is based upon a directive issued by the city ’ s Fire and Police Commission last Monday making specific demands on Chief Morales .
There had been speculation that Morales was about to get fired and that could still happen if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response .
Since the start of protests , Morales has had harsh things to say about the behavior of protesters .
In early June he got visibly angry when describing treatment of police officers : “ People are trying to kill police officers !
We have officers that are being followed home .
The Madison Sheriff had his house surrounded .
Why are our families now being targeted ?
” So you can probably see why protesters don ’ t like Chief Morales very much .
In fact , what he described in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home for the past week .
Protesters have been showing up in the street in front of Morales house for what they call “ protest parties.
” The protesters say they ’ re “ bringing the fight against racism to front doors.
” But Ald .
Nikiya Dodd — who represents the 5th District , where Morales lives — says the protests are a nuisance and a threat to public safety that must be addressed immediately… The party protests outside Morales ’ home began last Wednesday , organized on Facebook .
Protesters arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , food and refreshments .
Off and on , they ’ ve chanted “ You about to lose your job.
” … Gregory Holley , a 53-year-old neighbor , said he ’ s seen driveways blocked , a fire pit in the street and toddlers running through the road .
He said he saw young children , about 4 or 5 years old , running up Morales ’ driveway and shining flashlights into the windows .
This behavior is especially worrisome to Morales because less than three years ago , a man shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while he and his family were sleeping : I wonder if the police agencies that are pulling out of the DNC are doing so in part because of the way Chief Morales has been treated by the city .
And more than that , I wonder if some of them are just fed up with the idea of participating in a party ’ s convention when the party itself seems to be pretty consistently siding with violent protesters over the police .
They won ’ t say that directly because those aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commitment , but I strongly suspect some of the officers just don ’ t want to be there .
In any case , the convention that was originally supposed to host 50,000 people has now been moved to a smaller venue across the street .
Only about 300 people are scheduled to be there .
The convention itself has been whittled down to 2 hours of TV for four consecutive nights , some of it pre-recorded .
So they probably won ’ t need as many police as they planned for months ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be in quite a mess if a mass of protesters show up and they don ’ t have enough police to handle it .
Vandalism and violence outside could very quickly overwhelm coverage of the main event .
I suspect far-left protesters are aware of that and may decide to seize the opportunity to make themselves the story .

It looks like the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee is going to have a hard time finding police officers to work the event. The Associated Press reports that more than 100 police agencies are pulling out of security agreements for the convention. Some are citing a recent order by the city’s police commission to end the use of tear gas for crowd control:
A citizen oversight commission last week directed Milwaukee’s police chief to publicly account for why the department used tear gas during protests in late May and early June after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and to change Milwaukee’s police policies to ban the use of tear gas and pepper spray. The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission said in its order that Police Chief Alfonso Morales could be fired if he fails to comply… Since the Milwaukee order was issued, more than 100 law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin and across the country decided against coming to Milwaukee, Morales told WTMJ-TV on Tuesday. They were concerned with directives placed on the police department, including not allowing tear gas or pepper spray, he said.
Yesterday the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel identified four Wisconsin police forces who were pulling out:
The moves by police departments in Fond du Lac, Franklin, Greendale and West Allis cast doubt on a program to bring about 1,000 police officers from outside agencies to help shore up security for the event, scheduled for the week of Aug 17. Even though Democrats are holding a mostly virtual convention, protests are anticipated. Asked on Monday if the agreements were collapsing, Fond du Lac Police Chief William Lamb said, “Yes,” adding that he expects other agencies from across the state to withdraw from the program. “We regret having to do that,” said Lamb, who chairs the Wisconsin Police Executive Group, which consists of police chiefs from cities with populations of more than 20,000 people.
As mentioned above, the sudden shift is based upon a directive issued by the city’s Fire and Police Commission last Monday making specific demands on Chief Morales. There had been speculation that Morales was about to get fired and that could still happen if the Commission isn’t satisfied with his response.
Since the start of protests, Morales has had harsh things to say about the behavior of protesters. In early June he got visibly angry when describing treatment of police officers: “People are trying to kill police officers! We have officers that are being followed home. The Madison Sheriff had his house surrounded. Why are our families now being targeted?”
So you can probably see why protesters don’t like Chief Morales very much. In fact, what he described in June has been happening at his own home for the past week. Protesters have been showing up in the street in front of Morales house for what they call “protest parties.”
The protesters say they’re “bringing the fight against racism to front doors.” But Ald. Nikiya Dodd — who represents the 5th District, where Morales lives — says the protests are a nuisance and a threat to public safety that must be addressed immediately… The party protests outside Morales’ home began last Wednesday, organized on Facebook. Protesters arrived outside Morales’ house with loudspeaker systems, food and refreshments. Off and on, they’ve chanted “You about to lose your job.”… Gregory Holley, a 53-year-old neighbor, said he’s seen driveways blocked, a fire pit in the street and toddlers running through the road. He said he saw young children, about 4 or 5 years old, running up Morales’ driveway and shining flashlights into the windows.
This behavior is especially worrisome to Morales because less than three years ago, a man shooting his gun sent bullets into his home while he and his family were sleeping:
Jaquarius Hunt, 22, was sentenced Tuesday for reckless endangerment and firearms charges in the September 2017 incident that left as many as 14 bullet casings in and around Morales’ home… Police responded about 3:30 a.m. to Morales’ home to find bullets had shattered the kitchen window, sliding patio door and living room window. Morales and his family were sleeping on the second floor of the home when the shots were fired.
I wonder if the police agencies that are pulling out of the DNC are doing so in part because of the way Chief Morales has been treated by the city. And more than that, I wonder if some of them are just fed up with the idea of participating in a party’s convention when the party itself seems to be pretty consistently siding with violent protesters over the police. They won’t say that directly because those aren’t grounds for backing out of a commitment, but I strongly suspect some of the officers just don’t want to be there.
In any case, the convention that was originally supposed to host 50,000 people has now been moved to a smaller venue across the street. Only about 300 people are scheduled to be there. The convention itself has been whittled down to 2 hours of TV for four consecutive nights, some of it pre-recorded. So they probably won’t need as many police as they planned for months ago.
Still, the Democrats are going to be in quite a mess if a mass of protesters show up and they don’t have enough police to handle it. Vandalism and violence outside could very quickly overwhelm coverage of the main event. I suspect far-left protesters are aware of that and may decide to seize the opportunity to make themselves the story.


hotair--2020-07-28--Person who no longer wants to run still trying to get on POTUS ballot

Let me just start by saying that don ’ t have anything personally against Kanye West .
I couldn ’ t name one song of his without Googling because that ’ s not really my style of music , but the guy has a great voice and he ’ s an extremely accomplished businessman who has found his way to the American dream through his own hard work .
But if there ’ s anything that annoys me about him , it ’ s the fact that I seem to periodically wind up having to write about him when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Take today ’ s news for example .
Kanye declared on the 4th of July that he was once again interested in running for President for reasons known only to him .
That story lasted for a few news cycles , but then I ’ m almost positive that I recall being told that he ’ d given up on his quixotic dream and would be going back to what he knows best .
In fact , I think I heard it from Ed Morrissey , who I generally regard as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the case , why is Kanye still trying to get on the ballot in three different states , including New Jersey ?
( NY Post ) Kanye West has filed to appear on the New Jersey ballot in November ’ s presidential election , state documents show .
The 43-year-old rapper collected 1,327 signatures — surpassing the 800 required by the deadline Monday for independent presidential candidates .
West similarly submitted paperwork Monday to appear on Missouri ’ s ballot and is eyeing to do the same in New York .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday ’ s deadline in the Empire State .
West has also paid the associated fees and filed to get on the ballot in Oklahoma .
The linked article covers some of his recent history in dabbling in the presidential race without answering the one glaring question I ’ m sure is on all of our minds .
Why , Kanye ?
Why ?
We ’ re not offered any sort of solid answer to that question , but it ’ s not difficult to speculate .
For starters , we can eliminate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s going to be the President and Kim Kardashian will be First Lady .
( Assuming they ’ re still married by the time he would be sworn in . )
The man may be many things , but stupid isn ’ t one of them .
He doesn ’ t really believe he could be elected .
So why dump all of this money into filing fees and paying people to do the legwork for a fantasy election run ?
Well , he ’ s a billionaire .
You get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ ve amassed that much money .
Also , it keeps his name in the news while he ’ s still putting out new material and projects .
Hell ’ s bells , Martha… we ’ re writing about him at Hot Air !
Everyone is talking about him and in Kanye ’ s world , that ’ s very good for business indeed .
Or , as Ed Morrissey pointed out in the article I linked above , it might have been a manifestation of his bi-polar disorder .
One week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , two weeks later he ’ s dropping out .
Almost two weeks after that he ’ s back trying to get on the ballot .
I suppose the case could be made by armchair shrinks that his performance sort of fits the bill .
But by all accounts , he was doing it out of an honest desire to serve his country and make things better .
And we can ’ t really complain too much about that .
With so many other questions left unanswered , it ’ s some small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least one thing today .
Looking at the relatively meager number of tabs I had to open while researching this article and the short amount of time it took to find the information , I have reached one conclusion .
Because of the amount of time I have to spend browsing the news for my job , I now know at least 5000 % more about Kanye West and Kim Kardashian than I ever in my life thought I would or wanted to .

Let me just start by saying that don’t have anything personally against Kanye West. I couldn’t name one song of his without Googling because that’s not really my style of music, but the guy has a great voice and he’s an extremely accomplished businessman who has found his way to the American dream through his own hard work. But if there’s anything that annoys me about him, it’s the fact that I seem to periodically wind up having to write about him when he dips a toe in the political pool.
Take today’s news for example. Kanye declared on the 4th of July that he was once again interested in running for President for reasons known only to him. That story lasted for a few news cycles, but then I’m almost positive that I recall being told that he’d given up on his quixotic dream and would be going back to what he knows best. In fact, I think I heard it from Ed Morrissey, who I generally regard as a fully reliable source. So if that’s the case, why is Kanye still trying to get on the ballot in three different states, including New Jersey? (NY Post)
Kanye West has filed to appear on the New Jersey ballot in November’s presidential election, state documents show. The 43-year-old rapper collected 1,327 signatures — surpassing the 800 required by the deadline Monday for independent presidential candidates. West similarly submitted paperwork Monday to appear on Missouri’s ballot and is eyeing to do the same in New York. He’ll need 30,000 signatures by Thursday’s deadline in the Empire State.
West has also paid the associated fees and filed to get on the ballot in Oklahoma. The linked article covers some of his recent history in dabbling in the presidential race without answering the one glaring question I’m sure is on all of our minds. Why, Kanye? Why?
We’re not offered any sort of solid answer to that question, but it’s not difficult to speculate. For starters, we can eliminate the idea that Kanye West actually believes he’s going to be the President and Kim Kardashian will be First Lady. (Assuming they’re still married by the time he would be sworn in.) The man may be many things, but stupid isn’t one of them. He doesn’t really believe he could be elected.
So why dump all of this money into filing fees and paying people to do the legwork for a fantasy election run? Well, he’s a billionaire. You get to have expensive hobbies like this when you’ve amassed that much money.
Also, it keeps his name in the news while he’s still putting out new material and projects. Hell’s bells, Martha… we’re writing about him at Hot Air! Everyone is talking about him and in Kanye’s world, that’s very good for business indeed.
Or, as Ed Morrissey pointed out in the article I linked above, it might have been a manifestation of his bi-polar disorder. One week he’s gunning for the office, two weeks later he’s dropping out. Almost two weeks after that he’s back trying to get on the ballot. I suppose the case could be made by armchair shrinks that his performance sort of fits the bill. But by all accounts, he was doing it out of an honest desire to serve his country and make things better. And we can’t really complain too much about that.
With so many other questions left unanswered, it’s some small comfort to note that I did learn at least one thing today. Looking at the relatively meager number of tabs I had to open while researching this article and the short amount of time it took to find the information, I have reached one conclusion. Because of the amount of time I have to spend browsing the news for my job, I now know at least 5000% more about Kanye West and Kim Kardashian than I ever in my life thought I would or wanted to.


hotair--2020-07-28--Cuomo to MLB: Why don't all of your teams come here and play in our extremely low-virus state?

If Trump wins a second term , he should try this approach next year with the Olympics when Japan inevitably ends up agonizing over whether to hold them as scheduled .
“ We can hold them in America !
” he could say .
“ We ’ ve already culled our weak and elderly and practically everyone else has been infected and recovered .
It ’ s the safest place on earth.
” I sense the media would react to the idea of rewarding America for its massive pandemic failure in that scenario more harshly than it will this similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m about 50/50 on whether this is an earnest idea or just a way for Cuomo to continue his feud with Ron DeSantis by suggesting that Miami ’ s virus-ridden team would be safer playing in New York now .
“ New York state could host any Major League Baseball game that any teams want to play and they could play those games in our stadiums , ” the governor said in a briefing on Tuesday .
“ New York state has one of the lowest infection rates in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Health protocol system in place .
We have a testing system in place .
I offer to Major League Baseball , if you ’ re having problems playing in other states , come play here.
” … Cuomo said that guaranteeing the continuation of the baseball season would be “ good for the economy , I think it would be good for the psyche , I think it would be good for the nation ’ s soul.
” … “ We could set up a protocol where you get on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you land in New York , you are transported directly from a plane to a quarantine hotel , ” Cuomo said .
“ You are in the quarantine hotel and tested in the quarantine hotel .
If you are negative , you play ball.
” There are at least 15 minor-league stadiums in New York in addition to the home fields of the Mets and Yankees , notes Politico .
The Toronto Blue Jays have already commandeered one in Buffalo , as they ’ re barred from playing at home this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring any disease-infested Americans north of the border . )
The lesson of the Miami Marlins ’ fiasco does appear to be that you need a “ bubble ” around your league in order to have any chance of playing an entire season , and the smaller the bubble , the better .
The NBA ’ s shrunk it down to a single complex in Orlando .
Cuomo ’ s offering a bubble the size of his state , which really has managed to keep new infections at a rock-bottom level .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ backing Cuomo on this idea .
He celebrated the resumption of baseball season a few days ago by playing catch with Mariano Rivera at the White House .
It would be a demoralizing blow for the country and maybe for his reelection effort if the first sport to reopen this summer had to shut down within a week because it couldn ’ t survive its first encounter with the virus .
As much as Trump would hate to see Cuomo benefit politically from MLB moving to New York , particularly because one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay healthy in its own corner of the country , it ’ s a less bad outcome for him than the league shutting down for the year would .
Speaking of which , the latest daily testing on the Marlins has revealed more cases of COVID-19 : The good news is that no players on the Phillies tested positive overnight despite having been on the field with Miami this past weekend .
The bad news is that the outbreak among the Marlins is already threatening to have wider ripple effects on the league @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted against traveling to Miami to play a series there this weekend and are waiting to hear back from MLB on whether that ’ ll be permitted .
I don ’ t know how the league could conceivably allow teams to opt out of games haphazardly that way .
Either they shut the Marlins down for a period of time to give players a chance to recover and cancel all of the team ’ s games during that period or they tell the Nats to show up and play .
And if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unclear how they ’ d adjust for those missed games in the standings .
Quarantine for COVID typically lasts two weeks ; if Miami missed , say , 12 games over that period , they ’ d miss 20 percent of the truncated season .
They ’ d have no chance to contend for a playoff spot once they ’ re back on the field , even with baseball ’ s expanded playoff format this year .
( Not that they were likely to contend this year anyway , but still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a powerhouse squad like the Dodgers or Yankees .
Or , worse , imagine a team fighting for a playoff spot ends up falling just short because they never got to play a series against the weak-ass Marlins , whom they likely would have beaten .
If teams are at risk of being effectively eliminated from the postseason at any given moment due to an outbreak or to another team ’ s outbreak , since they simply can ’ t amass enough wins to qualify under their reduced schedule , how can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October ?
It ’ s mostly a farce at this point , granted .
But we ’ re looking at a total farce potentially .
Even so , commissioner Rob Manfred appears to be open to it : Asked whether there would be a point of critical mass that would cause the league to halt , Manfred said , “ I think that a team losing a number of players that rendered it completely noncompetitive would be an issue that we would have to address and have to think about making a change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the season , the whole season — that depends on the circumstances .
Same thing with respect to league-wide .
You get to a certain point league-wide where it does become a health threat and we certainly would shut down at that point.
” How do you shut down “ part ” of a 60-game season and have anything recognizable when you start up again ?
It ’ s unclear to me , but it sounds like they might give it a go : Here ’ s Fauci this morning on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towel .
Not quite yet , he said , not wanting to be a wet blanket .
By the way , according to the Times and to the surprise of no one anywhere , Trump ’ s surprise claim last week that he ’ d be throwing out the first pitch at an upcoming Yankees game — followed soon after by him saying he wouldn ’ t have time — was a juvenile fit of jealousy about Fauci being invited to throw the first pitch at the Nats ’ season opener last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had issued him a standing invite awhile back to throw out the first pitch at some point and Trump decided to take him up on it because he can ’ t stand not being the center of attention , especially relative to the people in his immediate circle .
His announcement on Twitter that he ’ d throw the first pitch at a game on August 15 apparently came as a surprise to the Yankees themselves .

If Trump wins a second term, he should try this approach next year with the Olympics when Japan inevitably ends up agonizing over whether to hold them as scheduled. “We can hold them in America!” he could say. “We’ve already culled our weak and elderly and practically everyone else has been infected and recovered. It’s the safest place on earth.”
I sense the media would react to the idea of rewarding America for its massive pandemic failure in that scenario more harshly than it will this similar proposal from Governor Death Toll.
I’m about 50/50 on whether this is an earnest idea or just a way for Cuomo to continue his feud with Ron DeSantis by suggesting that Miami’s virus-ridden team would be safer playing in New York now.
“New York state could host any Major League Baseball game that any teams want to play and they could play those games in our stadiums,” the governor said in a briefing on Tuesday. “New York state has one of the lowest infection rates in the United States. New York state has a full Department of Health protocol system in place. We have a testing system in place. I offer to Major League Baseball, if you’re having problems playing in other states, come play here.”… Cuomo said that guaranteeing the continuation of the baseball season would be “good for the economy, I think it would be good for the psyche, I think it would be good for the nation’s soul.”… “We could set up a protocol where you get on a private plane in a high risk state, you land in New York, you are transported directly from a plane to a quarantine hotel,” Cuomo said. “You are in the quarantine hotel and tested in the quarantine hotel. If you are negative, you play ball.”
There are at least 15 minor-league stadiums in New York in addition to the home fields of the Mets and Yankees, notes Politico. The Toronto Blue Jays have already commandeered one in Buffalo, as they’re barred from playing at home this year. (Canada doesn’t want to bring any disease-infested Americans north of the border.) The lesson of the Miami Marlins’ fiasco does appear to be that you need a “bubble” around your league in order to have any chance of playing an entire season, and the smaller the bubble, the better. The NBA’s shrunk it down to a single complex in Orlando. Cuomo’s offering a bubble the size of his state, which really has managed to keep new infections at a rock-bottom level.
For now.
I wonder if Trump might end up backing Cuomo on this idea. He celebrated the resumption of baseball season a few days ago by playing catch with Mariano Rivera at the White House. It would be a demoralizing blow for the country and maybe for his reelection effort if the first sport to reopen this summer had to shut down within a week because it couldn’t survive its first encounter with the virus. As much as Trump would hate to see Cuomo benefit politically from MLB moving to New York, particularly because one of Florida’s teams couldn’t stay healthy in its own corner of the country, it’s a less bad outcome for him than the league shutting down for the year would.
Speaking of which, the latest daily testing on the Marlins has revealed more cases of COVID-19:
Four more members of the Miami Marlins have tested positive for the coronavirus after the latest round of testing, sources familiar with the situation confirmed to ESPN. The Marlins have now had 17 people test positive in the past five days. On Monday, the total of confirmed cases stood at 11 players and two coaches… The Orioles, who made a trip to Miami without playing a game, are scheduled to host the Marlins in a two-game series starting Wednesday.
The good news is that no players on the Phillies tested positive overnight despite having been on the field with Miami this past weekend. The bad news is that the outbreak among the Marlins is already threatening to have wider ripple effects on the league’s schedule: The Washington Nationals voted against traveling to Miami to play a series there this weekend and are waiting to hear back from MLB on whether that’ll be permitted. I don’t know how the league could conceivably allow teams to opt out of games haphazardly that way. Either they shut the Marlins down for a period of time to give players a chance to recover and cancel all of the team’s games during that period or they tell the Nats to show up and play.
And if they do shut the Marlins down, it’s unclear how they’d adjust for those missed games in the standings. Quarantine for COVID typically lasts two weeks; if Miami missed, say, 12 games over that period, they’d miss 20 percent of the truncated season. They’d have no chance to contend for a playoff spot once they’re back on the field, even with baseball’s expanded playoff format this year. (Not that they were likely to contend this year anyway, but still.) Imagine the same thing happening to a powerhouse squad like the Dodgers or Yankees. Or, worse, imagine a team fighting for a playoff spot ends up falling just short because they never got to play a series against the weak-ass Marlins, whom they likely would have beaten. If teams are at risk of being effectively eliminated from the postseason at any given moment due to an outbreak or to another team’s outbreak, since they simply can’t amass enough wins to qualify under their reduced schedule, how can the sport avoid a total farce in October? It’s mostly a farce at this point, granted. But we’re looking at a total farce potentially.
Even so, commissioner Rob Manfred appears to be open to it:
Asked whether there would be a point of critical mass that would cause the league to halt, Manfred said, “I think that a team losing a number of players that rendered it completely noncompetitive would be an issue that we would have to address and have to think about making a change, whether that was shutting down a part of the season, the whole season — that depends on the circumstances. Same thing with respect to league-wide. You get to a certain point league-wide where it does become a health threat and we certainly would shut down at that point.”
How do you shut down “part” of a 60-game season and have anything recognizable when you start up again? It’s unclear to me, but it sounds like they might give it a go:
Confirming various reports of this ever-changing schedule… Marlins now off until Monday, Phillies off until Friday, Yankees will play at Orioles Wednesday and Thursday. — Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) July 28, 2020
Here’s Fauci this morning on whether MLB needs to throw in the towel. Not quite yet, he said, not wanting to be a wet blanket. By the way, according to the Times and to the surprise of no one anywhere, Trump’s surprise claim last week that he’d be throwing out the first pitch at an upcoming Yankees game — followed soon after by him saying he wouldn’t have time — was a juvenile fit of jealousy about Fauci being invited to throw the first pitch at the Nats’ season opener last week. Reportedly the Yankees’ team president had issued him a standing invite awhile back to throw out the first pitch at some point and Trump decided to take him up on it because he can’t stand not being the center of attention, especially relative to the people in his immediate circle. His announcement on Twitter that he’d throw the first pitch at a game on August 15 apparently came as a surprise to the Yankees themselves.