I don't see Trump denying himself any privilege of money.

CNN's Brooke Baldwin made an interesting point. "Why isn't he offering well wishes to the victims of Epstein's exploitation?"

July 22, 2020
By Alex Woodward

Picture is of his daughter at a young age. I also believe Trump will do anything that brings him controversy he can spin on.

...The Duke of York (click here) has previously been targetted by former US attorney Geoffrey Berman – who was recently and controversially removed from his post by US attorney general William Barr – over allegations that Andrew has refused to cooperate in the case.

Acting US attorney Audrey Strauss has sought his cooperation in Maxwell's case.

"We would like to have the benefit of his statement," he said....

July 22, 2020
By Andrew Naughtie

Former White House communications chief Anthony Scaramucci (click here)  has accused Donald Trump of covertly imploring the arrested socialite Ghislaine Maxwell not to reveal what she knows about him.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Mr Scaramucci wrote: “She has the goods on him. He is signaling ‘please don’t talk.’”

Mr Trump acknowledged Ms Maxwell during a press briefing on Tuesday, his first since April. Asked by a reporter whether he thought she would turn in other powerful men who were potentially involved with Jeffrey Epstein, the president said he hasn’t been following the case closely....

See a doctor if gassed by any police.

June 4, 2020
By Lisa Song

Protesters run away from tear gas on Monday in Philadelphia after a march protesting the death of George Floyd.

In the middle of a respiratory pandemic, law enforcement agencies have used tear gas in especially dangerous ways. The chemical agent also seeps into homes, contaminates food, furniture, skin and surfaces, and can cause long-term lung damage.

When Amira Chowdhury (click here) joined a protest in Philadelphia against police violence on Monday, she wore a mask to protect herself and others against the coronavirus. But when officers launched tear gas into the crowd, Chowdhury pulled off her mask as she gasped for air. “I couldn’t breathe,” she said. “I felt like I was choking to death.”

What is it about the police in the country that simply clings to strangling Americans, either by physical strangulation or chemical induction. If there are protesters that succumbed to SARS-CoV-2 after being tear-gassed, there needs to be a lawyer coming forward with lawsuits.

Chowdhury was on a part of the Vine Street Expressway that ran underground. Everyone panicked as gas drifted into the dark, semi-enclosed space, she said. People stomped over her as they scrambled away. Bruised, she scaled a fence to escape. But the tear gas found her later that evening, inside her own house; as police unleashed it on protesters in her predominantly black neighborhood in West Philadelphia, it seeped in.

“I can’t even be in my own house without escaping the violence of the state,” said Chowdhury, a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, she said her throat still felt dry, like it was clogged with ash....

Americans need to receive an evaluation of a physician after being gassed. Lungs are important and so are the lining of the throat.

A national general strike needs to take place for 16 days to end the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

This is not going to end the displacement of families nor will it feed them. State unemployment is ending. Medicaid benefits need to be extended to low-income families. Food Stamps has to be extended to low-income families as well.

July 22, 2020

Republicans (click here) are considering extending the enhanced unemployment insurance through the end of the year at a drastically reduced level of $400 per month, or $100 a week.

The current additional benefit of $600 per week expires at the end of July, but Democrats hope to extend it at least into next year.

Republicans had been discussing extending it at a level of $200 per week....

Of the states not providing the standard 26-week maximum: (click here)

- Massachusetts provides up to 30 weeks of UI except when a federal extended benefits program is in place (as it is now) or in periods of low unemployment (as was the case through February), when the maximum drops to 26 weeks;

- Montana provides up to 28 weeks of UI;

- Michigan normally provides up to 20 weeks of UI, but in the COVID-19 emergency that has risen to 26 weeks;

- South Carolina and Missouri provide up to 20 weeks of UI; and

- Arkansas provides up to 16 weeks of regular benefits.

The charity infrastructure in the USA can carry people in financial trouble for a while, but, there are far too many unemployed to place that burden on charity groups.

The first round was squandered by the Republicans that scoffed at the experts telling everyone to stay home and use a mask. Now, that the Republicans have failed the USA, they want to hurt it besides.

The length of unemployment is growing. (click here)

The cities being invaded by Trump's police dressed as Soldier-wannabes need to warn the homeless things can get rough on the street.

The 2019 methodology (click here) was approved by the PIT Subcommittee and presented to the collaborative partners and Chicago Continuum of Care Board of Directors. As in the past, data was collected from tallies of individuals in shelters and of individuals residing on the streets, riding public transportation, at 24-hour establishments, and in parks, cars, and other locations not meant for sleeping. The PIT count also includes a survey that collects demographic, social service and other information from a subset of homeless individuals.

Building on a successful outreach approach for veterans in the previous PIT, extra resources were made available by the Department of Veteran Affairs to conduct assessments of veterans in shelters and to engage with veterans identified on the street and connect them to a housing provider. Similarly, additional resources were provided to recruit youth with previous experiences of homelessness to lead teams during an extended 24-hour window after the night of the PIT count in order to identify and count homeless youth....

22 July 2020
By Chris McGreal

...But after pushing back demonstrators, (click here) many of them kitted out in helmets and gas masks, the federal agents retreated into their courthouse citadel to mocking jeers and women who were part of the “Wall of Moms” protest linking arms and chanting: “Our streets.”...

Are the protesters correct? Are they on the streets for the wrong reasons and/or criminal reasons?

They are absolutely correct. A civil war and 155 years since that civil war ended, the violence against African Americans by the police hasn't stopped no matter how peaceful protesters have carried out their messages.

The scapegoating of the media hasn't worked for three years, so now it is "The Democrats" as the scapegoat for Trump's faux presidency.

Last week it was Dr. Fauci. This week it is democrats, but, the difference is that Trump has entered a far higher sense of danger to the victims of his "strategy" by calling gunmen into the cities.

Putting gunmen in the cities doesn't end the fact the president is a bigot and racist.

The only reason protesters NEED to leave the street for a while is to end the spread of COVID-19. They will be saving the lives of the minorities they support.

July 15, 2020
By Phillip Bump

There’s clearly a self-serving element (click here) to White House trade adviser Peter Navarro’s opinion piece for USA Today, published late on Tuesday. Not that this is new for him.

Navarro came to the administration by virtue of his fervent anti-China worldview (and thanks to some fortuitous Googling by Jared Kushner), positioning him well to be a skeptic of the threat posed by the novel coronavirus that emerged from that country. A pair of memos Navarro wrote earlier this year argued that the virus posed a significant risk and demanded an urgent response — arguments that were largely borne out but that have been hard to evaluate outside the context of his sinophobia. Was he prescient about the pandemic? Or did his worldview simply position him well and allow him to take victory laps where he saw them?

The aforementioned memos are central to the lap he takes in the USA Today essay. In it, he contrasts his self-professed foresight with the pronouncements offered by the nation’s leading infectious-disease doctor, Anthony S. Fauci, saying that Fauci “has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on.”...

The people turning out to protest are citizens of this country and live in Portland, Oregon. If a citizen is in danger from policies of the country and/or city, it is their obligation to demand change. After all, their lives rely on it. That is democracy. That is the First Amendment.

Independent journalists are taking on the dangerous shift. Why? They must strongly believe in what they are doing, no different than the patriotic Americans they focus on for their reporting.

July 22, 2020

Portlanders have turned (click here) out to protest systemic racism and police brutality for more than 50 consecutive nights on downtown Portland streets.

While some journalism organizations, including OPB, haven’t been able to send reporters out on a nightly basis, independent freelance journalists are on the ground covering the chaos nearly every night.

Tuck Woodstock and Sergio Olmos are two Portland-based journalists who have been covering protests since late May.

They joined OPB’s “Think Out Loud®” to reflect on nearly two months of ongoing protest coverage.

Covering these protests is inherently dangerous: law enforcement’s use of tear gas, impact munitions, pepper balls and other sanctioned violence against protesters and the press are well-documented....

It is a dog whistle to Ms. Maxwell and her attorneys.

Donald Trump and Ghislaine Maxwell attend a fashion show in 2000 

July 21, 2000
By Sean Neumann

Donald Trump (click here) wished accused child sex-trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell “well” when he was asked about her case Tuesday.

During the president's coronavirus briefing Tuesday, Trump replied to a reporter’s question about Maxwell, the longtime companion of Jeffrey Epstein who was arrested by the FBI earlier this month, saying, “I haven't really been following it too much.”

“I just wish her well, frankly,” Trump, 74, said. “I've met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach. I guess they lived in Palm Beach, but I wish her well. Whatever it is."...

We already know how he got his jollies. How that didn't effect the 2016 elections is anyone's guess. I think the American people were far too insulted by the "e-mail" issue. Everyone has emails many of which were hacked at one time or another. It was easy to identify with the feeling of being threatened about the loss of privacy. I am surprised FOX hasn't started an email scandal about the former Vice President Joe Biden.

The Clinton presidential run was hurt the most when the authority of the FBI returned within weeks before the election. It was that final email blow to the confidence in Clinton that melted some of her following and the down-ballot.

12 October 2016
By Rachael Revesz

Donald Trump (click here) used to “stroll right in” to the dressing room of beauty pageants while the contestants - some of whom were teenagers - were naked or half-dressed, a former model has claimed.

Tasha Dixon was 18 when she competed in the Miss USA pageant, winning the state crown.

“Our first introduction to him was when we were at the dress rehearsal and half naked changing into our bikinis,” Ms Dixon told CBS.

“He just came strolling right in. There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless. Other girls were naked.”...

I think the Twitter account that Trump has is to allay any interest in his emails.

July 7, 2020

Deutsche Bank (click here) has agreed to pay $150 million to settle claims that it broke compliance rules in its dealings with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, New York state announced today.

The penalty was announced in a release by Superintendent of Financial Services Linda A. Lacewell.

“Despite knowing Mr. Epstein’s terrible criminal history, the Bank inexcusably failed to detect or prevent millions of dollars of suspicious transactions,” Lacewell said....

The one ethnic group in the USA that needs to conduct "Truth Tribunals" are African Americans. There are a number of organizations that are capable of conducting these tribunals. These tribunals can have international brevity.

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, (click here) which opened to the public on April 26, 2018, is the nation’s first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved black people, people terrorized by lynching, African Americans humiliated by racial segregation and Jim Crow, and people of color burdened with contemporary presumptions of guilt and police violence.

 Any proceedings and ongoing proceedings can be housed here.

Has anyone begun the non-profit that will carry out the Trump tribunals? I could not be more serious.

Perhaps the most powerful persons to carry out this non-profit, which has the deepest interest in the safety of their students, are the "Wall of Mothers."

"Kent State Truth Tribunals" (click here) There is already a model to carry these tribunals forward.

One of the reasons the Kent State Truth Tribunals was conducted was to stop the assaultive behaviors of presidents fixated on power. The Kent State Tribunals were proof that presidents can go too far in their own ambitions and failings. It was supposed to serve as a warning to prevent such behaviors again. It is best to gather information before the truth disappears from witnesses and victims. The Kent State Truth Tribunals was meticulously reassembled a near-impossible task.

Students (click here) give first aid to a student shot and wounded by Ohio National Guardsmen on the Kent State University campus, May 4, 1970.

The evidence of the government ordering the guns to fire had to be established rather than the "idea" that they fired on their own and by accident.

A man wounded (click here for audio tape) when Ohio National Guard troops opened fire on student anti-war protesters at Kent State University 37 years ago says an audiotape recorded that day reveals someone gave the order to fire.

The recording captures the 13 seconds of gunfire – more than 60 shots were fired – that left four students dead and nine others wounded. One of the injured was Alan Canfora, who was shot in the wrist....

We already know there are injured Americans caused by the federal police. I don't know if there are any fatalities. I am looking for any report but haven't come across it yet. The last time federal police caused harm to Americans there were four dead students at Kent State. It took some time to carry out a tribunal that is on the record today. This continued eruption of hatred and violence against citizens of the USA no matter how occasional in the history it occurs is not looking good for the USA.

The tribunal is the only real way to carry out a record of the harm the USA government is doing to the American people. I do believe family of the dead students at Kent State tried every way through the Justice Department without success. The tribunal is the only way forward and it can be started at any time.

Commissioner Hardesty is correct. The fire department is a uniquely important department in the city of Portland. They cannot tolerate interference in their role to protect lives.

July 20, 2020
By Rebecca Ellis

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty (click here) has distanced Portland’s fire department, which she oversees, from the city’s police bureau, controlled by Mayor Ted Wheeler, who she has said is in denial about the violence being perpetuated by local police during protests. 

During more than 50 consecutive nights of demonstrations against police brutality and racism, the two public safety bureaus can occasionally overlap in the parking lot of the city’s fire stations. The police bureau’s Rapid Response Team, tasked with responding to large protests, can wait in the parking lots along with their equipment and their vans until they’re called upon. 

But Portland police will no longer be able to use any of the city’s 31 fire stations as a staging ground. On Sunday, Fire Chief Sara Boone sent out a memo, saying Hardesty had directed Portland Fire and Rescue to bar all law enforcement from using fire stations as staging areas for “any tactical operations” until further notice. 

Boone wrote that the decision was made “to ensure that there is no confusion in regards to our role in providing safety to the residents of the city of Portland.”...

It looks as though Speaker Pelosi's prayers finally worked.

Trump had his come to Jesus moment. I congratulate him on seeing the light and not rejecting it.

I am not happy. It took all this time to bring his plutocrats to the reality that Americans are dying and suffering through disease when this should have been over already. And the money he squandered on Wall Street with his Treasury Secretary, small businesses are in bankruptcy and the workers that were supposed to be able to return to work with PPP are now unemployed.

Trump has a lot to answer for and this is just the beginning.  Hopefully, Americans that were political hellions while he was objecting to a face mask and stating they weren't necessary will finally comply and the USA can get this over with and take our place alongside of other democracies that overcame this virus and won their fight.

Florida is trying to achieve herd immunity with a virus that maims citizens and visitors alike. There are not enough hospital beds and medical professionals to save all the lives that need help. The Florida Governor needs to be impeached and removed from office. He is hurting thousands upon thousands of innocent Americans. And why? Because the economy is dependent on tourism. What is Florida going to do when the lawsuits start rolling in?

No legislated immunity is going to save them either, because they violated their oath of office, and PURPOSELY ignored professionals seeking to save lives. There is no excuse and any legislation that allows malpractice of governance and the resulting deaths of Americans is a violation of the public trust and those that voted for it conspirators against the American people for their own corrupt reasons.

It is the bedside professionals trying to save lives with a new virus that was faced with a "learn as you go" medical regime that needs protection. At least they tried. They didn't throw their arms up and walkaway. They are sincere heroes for the role they played in moving a very dangerous virus to find treatments and save lives. They and only they are exempt from any type of malpractice and negligence. 

Virus briefings begin tomorrow again?

There can only be one reason. HHS finally has control of all the information and the information before is so wrong it is scandalous.

Vladimir Putin lives in the White House.

Portland is only the beginning for sending the country into Marshall Law by November. 

Trump created the problems in the city by his hate-mongering, so now he is going to take over the cities in order to take the election away from the American people. He escalated the spread of SARS-CoV-2 throughout the country for the same reasons.

July 20, 2020
By Gregory Pratt and Jeremy Gorner

This is what is on the streets of Portland. Trump's war on the American people.

Chicago may see an influx of federal agents (click here) as soon as this week as President Donald Trump readies to make good on repeated pledges he would try to tamp down violence here, a move that would come amid growing controversy nationally about federal force being used in American cities.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, for example, is crafting plans to deploy about 150 federal agents to the city this week, the Chicago Tribune has learned....

Both Portland and Chicago are lead by women. Trump believes women are incompetent to lead American cities. He has made disparaging remarks about Governor Whitmer as well.

The strategy he has for the elections in November is Marshall Law. The country went to the polls during the Civil War.

This is Portland's Canine Unit. (click here)

Trump's police are way out of line (click here)

They are beating people.

Violence has escalated in Portland after the arrival of Trump's police squad. I guess if they are going to beat innocent people that may happen.

Since taking office, Trump has done nothing but escalate the level of hate in the USA. He needs the hate to drive his base. These SHOW OF FORCE will be used in propaganda videos to drive the base. He wants his base to believe the USA is out of control by anarchists and the women elected to office, just can't handle the responsibility.

The people of Portland are not taking a backseat to this Trump assault on their city. None of this was an issue before Trump's police arrived.

July 20, 2020
By Linda Givetash

To the left is a FBI chart (click here) on the crime statistics in Portland. It is improving.

Dozens of women (click here) wearing yellow linked arms to form a protective "wall of moms" around Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday as the protesters clashed with federal law enforcement.

Video from the scene showed crowds chanting “Feds stay clear, moms are here!" and "Feds go home!" before protesters toppled a fence erected around the federal courthouse. Federal agents fired back with what appeared to be tear gas and flash bangs, the video showed....

This is reporting as of 20 July 2020

Global Confirmed Cases : 14,348,858

The Americas still have the greatest number of confirmed cases, 7,584,675. That is 52.8 percent of the global confirmed cases.

The United States of America has 3,685,460 confirmed cases. That is 48.6 percent of all the cases in the Americas and 25.7 percent in the world. The USA is still leading globally in the number of CONFIRMED cases. Not tests, but, confirmed cases. And that is across the board with cases and deaths. Europe has also been leading in treatments for the virus. The steroid treatment and now interferon is out of Europe. I think the CDC encouraged the use of remdesivir.

Global deaths: 603,691
The Americas have 309,309 deaths which is 51.2 percent of the global death.
The United States of America has 139,468 deaths which is 45.1 percent of the Americas' deaths and 23.1 percent of the global deaths. The USA has the largest number of deaths caused by COVID-19 in the world.

It looks like Europe is having the best outcomes by region.

Southeast Asia worries me. Their growth in cases and deaths is still exponential. I am wondering about their ability to actually fight this virus. It is unacceptable for any region of the work to have uncontrolled exponential growth. That places the future in danger.

April 20, 2020
By Amy Searight'

...What is becoming clearer (click here) is that the impact of this pandemic will be hard-hitting and long-lasting in Southeast Asia, along with much of the rest of the world. Countries that earlier stood out as global leaders in “flattening the curve” are now grappling with massive new outbreaks; Singapore, for example, is grappling with a new wave of cases tied to its large migrant worker population. For other countries, such as Indonesia and the Philippines, the slow government response to the crisis and weaknesses in their public health systems are beginning to take a toll. The economic impact, which I wrote about last week, will be massive for a region that is widely under lockdown and heavily dependent on trade and tourism. This commentary provides updates on the public health impact of Covid-19 on Southeast Asia and the steps that governments in the region are taking to deal with it.

Southeast Asia has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus, with a surge of new cases over the past week in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Singapore (for the latest numbers, see our CSIS Southeast Asia Covid-19 tracker). Only Thailand and Vietnam saw the number of daily cases drop....

Vietnam has been interestingly resistant to trends from other countries and on more than the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It has taken its sovereignty very seriously and develops policy without being reactionary. It's economic success to date has been impressive as well. Some really nice resorts that actually value its ecology and species are in Vietnam. Luxurious actually. Perhaps, Vietnam would consider being a leader in policy for the region that needs direction to end their viral spread.

I am sure Vietnam already knows if the region conquers SARS-CoV-2 it will be an accomplishment that will effect the Vietnamese people, too.

end

There is absolutely no reason to violate the rules regarding COVID-19. Scientists are making incredible progress.

The time invested in protecting lives is minor. Scientists are making incredible progress and it is just a matter of having patience.

This potential new treatment is absolutely brilliant.

20 July 2020
By Clare Wildon, Jessica Hamzelou, Adam Vaughen, Conrad Quilty-Harger and Layal Liverpool

...A new nebuliser treatment for covid-19 (click here) reduced the risk of severe cases requiring a ventilator by 79 per cent in a preliminary trial of 101 patients in the UK. The treatment involves inhaling a protein called interferon beta, which is naturally produced in the body as part of the immune response to a viral infection. In the double-blind trial, half of the participants were given the protein and half were given a placebo. Those who received the drug were two to three times more likely to recover sufficiently to resume their everyday activities, according to Synairgen, the company behind the treatment. The coronavirus blocks the natural production of interferon beta in lung cells, according to Tom Wilkinson, professor of respiratory medicine at University Hospital Southampton, who led the trial. Delivering interferon directly to lungs is crucial because it is not possible to inject a high enough dose without serious side effects, he said. Although promising, the results must be treated with caution as the study size is small and the findings have yet to be peer-reviewed. “We accept this is not the largest study. It was an exploratory study,” Wilkinson said....


It is not getting better in the USA. So, let's take a look. I am grateful the world hasn't given up on treatments and vaccines.

...The seven-day average for daily new coronavirus cases in the US has risen for the 41st consecutive day, mostly due to ongoing spikes in the number of cases in Florida, Texas and California. Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti said the county is “on the brink” of shutting down again due to the recent rise in cases....

No right is absolute. One carrier can infect an entire city.

Morning Papers

The Rooster

“Okeydoke”

This is ridiculous and a threat to all people. If religious freedom means breathing poison, then it is a cult and not a religion. No person or organization is allowed to MAKE ILL or KILL any American, actively or passively. It is out of the question!

This is arrogance and not faith.

COVID-19 will never come under control if BOZO religious groups are spreading the virus in the name of God. Church services are one of the super spreaders with only 50 people at a service. The schools will be the same way.

The practice of exempting religious gatherings from COVID-19 restrictions is a national security issue. Spreading a deadly virus is an assault on Americans. Why do we have medical doctors then? To treat errant practices by ministers?

July 20, 2020
By Valerie Strauss

Religious schools in Texas, (click here) where coronavirus rates have been spiking for weeks, do not have to follow any coronavirus-related health restrictions that local governments may impose on educational institutions because, the state’s attorney general said, it could impede the free exercise of religion.

In a July 17 letter, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said that it would be unconstitutional to force religious schools to follow recommendations of health authorities about reopening schools during the pandemic, and he said they may decide for themselves “when it is safe for their communities to resume in-person instruction free from any government mandate or interference.”

“Religious private schools therefore need not comply with local public health orders to the contrary,” he wrote.

Texas in recent weeks has experienced a big spike in coronavirus cases, and many hospitals in the state are running out of space for intensive care patients, as well as ventilators, drugs and some personal protective equipment...

"Good Night, Moon"

The new moon

28.9 days

0.5 percent lit

New Moon is a great time to see the sky, especially if in the Dark Sky Park.

July 19, 2020
By Jamie Carter

With a New Moon on Monday, (click here) the early part of this week is a great time to go looking for both Comet NEOWISE and the Milky Way, both of which should be looking their best as soon as it gets dark.

If you want to see Comet NEOWISE—the best naked-eye comet for 27 years—this week could be you last chance to see it and photograph it. For now it’s possible to see it even from light-polluted cities in the northern hemisphere, but it looks its best through binoculars....

July 20, 2020

The first Arab space mission to Mars (click here) blasted off Monday aboard a rocket from Japan, after weather delays set back the launch of the probe dubbed “Hope.”

A live feed of the launch showed the rocket carrying the unmanned probe, known as “Al-Amal” in Arabic, lifting off from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Japan.

“We have launched the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 42 (H-IIA F42) carrying aboard the Emirates Mars Mission’s (EMM) HOPE spacecraft... at 6:58:14 (JST) (2158GMT),” rocket manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said in a statement shortly after the launch....