August 11, 2020

Congratulations to Joe Biden's VP pick!!!

Lawrence stated tonight that Biden's vetting team has disbanded. we'll probably know who she is by this time tomorrow. Whoever she is, I'm beyond thrilled!

People say the VP pick is not consequential. In normal general election years I would tend to agree, with certain notable exceptions. (Look at the boost of excitement Palin brought to the McCain ticket before the world found out live on TV that she's dumb as a bag of rocks.)

What I do hope is that part of the reason the VP pick is taking so long is that Team Biden is considering rolling out members of his cabinet at the same time he announces the VP pick (or shortly thereafter). And that many of those cabinet choices are the same women from the VP short-list. (Instead of Romney's tone-deaf "binders full of women", we could have...dare I hope...a CABINET Full of women! Women with experience! Women of color! Women who know how to work together! Women who represent half of this country and should represent at least half of our elected and administrative officials!!! Ahhhhhhh!!! (Howard Dean scream)!!!

July 13, 2020

Just spoke to another Trumphumper who won't be voting in November

Here's another anecdotal story of a formerly rabid trump supporter who's planning to stay home this voting cycle.

The guy, whose actual name is White, is childhood friend of my spouse. (They grew up in an entirely white, conservative, private community in the northeast. My spouse is one of the few liberals from that area.) In 2016, Mr. White was completely over-the-the top about trump. Literally every social media exchange from him ended with "Trump 2016!". Over the past 4 years, this public cheerleading has steadily ratcheted down.

Yesterday the two old friends spoke on the phone for over an hour. White's words were heartening: "Trump is a liar, everybody knows it", he said. He lamented that "all politicians are the same", and that he'd hoped that as an "outsider", trump would be different.

Now, stopping short of calling trump out for being the corrupt monster that he is, it was clear that he's disappointed in his former champion's performance. When asked how he'd vote in November, he replied "I guess I'll probably just skip the elections this time".

Every little bit helps!

June 3, 2020

Appreciation thread for Minneapolis ASL interpreter Nic Zapko

Apologies if this has been posted previously, but this woman is such a bright spot in all the turmoil going on in her city (and the rest of the country).

I first saw her on Saturday morning, watching the news, tears rolling down my face as I witnessed footage of my country in all it's agony. Then Tim Waltz' press conference started, and I was instantly riveted by Zapko's emotive signing. In mere seconds, I went from crying to laughing out loud. What a gem she is--and she totally steals the show with her "gun fingers" and facial expressions. I've seen her several times since, including today's announcement of the three other officers being charged as accessories to George Floyd's murder. Thank you, Nic Zapko, for your amazing and important work, (and for bringing us all a much-needed smile in these dark times).

http://www.citypages.com/news/internet-agrees-tim-walzs-sign-language-interpreter-kicks-so-much-ass/570932031





Side note, she and her wife Lisa were among the 42 first same-sex wedding ceremonies held on, Aug. 1, 2013 in the Minneapolis City Hall!

April 9, 2020

Some insurance companies waiving COVID-19 care costs

Welcome news for those suffering the most right now:

Kaiser Permanente has waived all member out-of-pocket costs for the treatment of COVID-19 to alleviate the cost burden of impacted members, the health care provider announced Friday. “We want our members who need treatment for COVID-19 to be able to focus all their energy on getting well, not on worrying how to pay for treatment,” said Greg Adams, chairman and CEO
https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2020/04/06/kaiser-waives-costs-for-covid-19-treatment-for.html

Insurers Cigna and Humana announced Monday that they would waive consumer costs associated with COVID-19 treatment. Last week, CVS Health announced a more limited change — that Aetna would waive costs to patients for hospital admissions related to the coronavirus.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/30/824075753/good-news-with-caveats-some-insurers-waive-costs-to-patients-for-covid-19-treatm

These announcements are a "big deal" says Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University. She notes that, on average, people's deductibles for health policies in the U.S. run between $1,800 and $6,500. "That's — for most families — a lot more cash than they have sitting in their bank account," she says. "So that's really scary."

April 7, 2020

Shithound speaking again. STOP GIVING HIM FREE AIRTIME

For Fucks Sake. He has nothing to say. He's just there to try and control the narrative.

CNN, MSNBC, either do your GODDMANED JOBS and ask him why we have no testing, every day, and keep asking.

OR

stop giving him free airtime.

April 1, 2020

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Issues Stay-at-Home Order

Source: US News & World Report

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced he would issue a stay-at-home order directing residents to severely limit contact with others as the state sees a swell of coronavirus cases and deaths.

The move represents a significant turn for DeSantis, who had for weeks resisted calls to issue a statewide stay-at-home directive like those that have rolled out in more than two dozen states, even as beach-goers and spring breakers crowded Florida's shores in large groups.

"I'm gonna be doing an executive order today directing all Floridians to limit movements and personal interactions outside the home to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or to conduct essential activities," DeSantis, a Republican, said during a press conference.

The order will go into effect Thursday at midnight and last 30 days, he said. The details of the order were not immediately available.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2020-04-01/florida-gov-ron-desantis-issues-stay-at-home-order-amid-coronavirus-spread

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Far too little, FAR too late.

March 28, 2020

If the US is "at war" against the virus, isn't trump guilty of treason?

for being AWOL? At least for delaying or denying aid to blue states ("I just don't call them" )? He described himself as a "wartime president". Many others in government and the media are calling it a war.

So, question 1: Can Congress declare actual war on a disease? (Like the war on terror or drugs?) .

Question 2: If so, wouldn't any act against US citizens that helps the "enemy" be considered treason?

March 23, 2020

Oregon governor issues 'stay home' order to enforce coronavirus restrictions

Source: The Oregonian

Gov. Kate Brown, under fire for the ambiguous guidelines she issued Friday on social distancing, issued a more definitive order Monday morning that establishes legally enforceable restrictions on public activity in response to the coronavirus outbreak. “If we all do it we can save lives,” Brown said on a press call Monday afternoon.

The governor instructed people to stay home except when traveling for essential work, buying food and similar critical supplies or returning to their own homes. Recreational travel, of the kind that brought swarms of Oregonians to the coast last weekend in defiance of the governor’s earlier directive, is now forbidden by law.

Monday’s order, which cites authority under four state statutes, is the most profound action in a series of steps that have fundamentally altered life in Oregon this month. Parts of it take effect at midnight; others kick in Wednesday. Those who defy the order can be charged with endangering public health, a class C misdemeanor. People found to have violated her order could be jailed for up to 30 days or fined $1,250, though law enforcement agencies said Monday they’re more likely to inform people about the restrictions than cite them for violations.

But the governor’s announcement specifically exempted construction and manufacturing, two economic pillars, which may continue operating so long as they “ensure that their employees are maintaining social distancing measures.”


Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2020/03/oregon-governor-issues-stay-at-home-order-to-enforce-coronavirus-restrictions.html

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About damn time!

My spouse has a small construction company. He wants to shut it down yesterday, but he can't. His employees want to keep working, even those who don't have office jobs. All the big contractors are moving ahead full-steam, so it's nearly impossible to say "I don't agree with this plan." And how does one "socially distance" at a construction site? Worse, they have no more N95 masks, only a few have hand sanitizer. I know many of these people. I fear for their safety, and the safety of our community.

March 20, 2020

Anyone see Katy Tur's sign-off right before the start of Ali Velshi's show today?

Holding back tears, she spoke of a longtime colleague and friend who just died from COVID-19 which "stole him away from us". Then she implored viewers to wash their hands and keep their distance.

March 17, 2020

Yertle speaking now on MSNBC

he thinks the House bill has "some shortcomings" and that they may "gag and pass it anyway", but also said that Republicans will also work on what THEY think we should do, and THEN they'll talk to the Democrats, and then maybe come up with a new (additional) bill.

He did say the Senate will not vote remotely; when pressed, said they may choose he amount of time to vote to longer so to maintain distancing.