All purpose news and politics thread part v: The quickening

[jetengine]

You are basically blaming poor people.

No, I'm blaming Chinas government for not cracking down on unsanitary practices. I respect people may not realise what their doing, but the Government does and should. Especially one as controlling and authoritarian as Chinas.

[Username taken]

No, I'm blaming Chinas government for not cracking down on unsanitary practices. I respect people may not realise what their doing, but the Government does and should. Especially one as controlling and authoritarian as Chinas.

Not to mention that most wet markets have been closed (because of previous viral outbreaks) before but keep getting re-opened because of pressure from some top guys in China on the government. Worse still was when the covid-19 virus was discovered the government did everything possible to cover it up.

China’s government has been extremely irresponsible here. Their government and the top folks in that country deserve a lot of criticism for what’s happening right now.

[worstblogever]

Look, if people are looking for bad guys to yell at in all of this, I present to you the case of 27 year old wealthy socialite Nga Nguyen, who after finding out she had Covid-19, still chose to go to Milan and Paris fashion shows.

Might have something to do with the disease spreading so fast in Italy, you know?

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, as well as 2019, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day posted profiles of Al Baldasaro, from the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Baldasaro is truly reality-challenged, having claimed in 2010 that the state of New Hampshire was selling children to homosexual families for $10,000 each in a hearing where he continually would say "no disrespect" after each homophobic accusation he uttered, as if that negated it. After returning to the New Hampshire state legislature for the 2017-2018 session, Baldasaro voted multiple times to continue to allow the barbaric practice of parents forcing their children into undergoing gay conversion therapy, because he’s that swell of an individual. Baldasaro commented on the 2012 GOP debate where a gay soldier was booed by the crowd, and said it was "great" and the soldier's admission was "disgusting". Baldasaro also warned against the United Nations Agenda 21 environmental treaty as stripping a citizen's right to go fishing (which makes no sense), and believes there is a "secret" alternate 13th Amendment to the Constitution which bans people of noble lineage from holding office. We also are re-sharing the same profile photo of Al Baldasaro that is from his wedding, where he posed with the whole bridal party with firearms, because he loves the 2nd Amendment arguably as much as his wife.

Even just in his daily affairs in Concord, Al Baldasaro managed to make an ass of himself. A bill seeking to criminalize new forms of public nudity, New Hampshire Republicans wanted a woman showing any part of their nipples in public to be a misdemeanor offense, but not men. After Rep. Amanda Bouldin shared the content of the bill on Facebook, calling it sexist, and Baldasaro was one of two members of the GOP who came running to defend their legislation... by shaming her in the most misogynistic and insultng ways possible, and saying her nipples would be the last ones he'd ever want to see.

In 2016, Al Baldasaro became a spokesperson for the campaign to elect Donald Trump, helping the cause by getting on Facebook to share stories to stoke Islamophobic, anti-immigrant fears that he found on anti-Islamic and white supremacy websites. Baldasaro was also very comfortable with Donald Trump's idea to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, comparing it to that great time we had Japanese internment camps during World War II. Baldasaro also went on CNN on behalf of Donald Trump to try and argue in favor of Trump's stance on using torture. Not "enhanced interrogation", but straight up torture. Before the 2016 elections were over, Al Baldasaro drew headlines again, when he wasn't content with just yelling "LOCK HER UP!" like most Trump supporters were at the Republican National Convention, choosing instead to literally call her "a piece of garbage" and that she should "be put in the firing line and shot for treason". That got him a visit from the Secret Service, but we'll note that Donald Trump or his campaign not only refused to criticize Baldasaro for this threat, but kept him as an adviser and continued to praise him. Baldasaro never apologized for his remarks, and a month later, was a part of the Trump campaign's attacks against Khzir Khan, a Gold Star parent, who in an extended rant on Twitter, said Khan, "disgraced" his son and "used him as a pawn".

After the 2016 election, Baldasaro also made baseless charges about widespread “voter fraud” taking place in New Hampshire, insisting he had “seen it with my own eyes”. However when pressed for this evidence, Baldasro could provide precisely none. In spite of Baldasaro’s long line of insane quotes including hints about shooting presidential candidates for treason, it’s noteworthy that he was one of a handful of people that the Trump administration lined up to be present for a very rare bill signing (this one empowering the VA to fire detrimental employees more easily). You would think the Secret Service would want to keep someone so willing to advocate for assassination as far away from the president as possible, let alone set him by his side in the Oval Office.

Al Baldasaro has twice made the news in the past few months, and both were incredibly racist and insensitive. In the first, he was coming to the defense of Donald Trump, who called the impeachment against him a “lynching”, and he was called out by Senator Kamala Harris for his racially insensitive remarks. Baldasaro’s defense was that over 60 years ago, Democrats were the racist party, and then he questioned whether or not Sen. Harris was actually African-American. We’re serious:

”Kamala, stop using the race card and dividing our country. Horse thieves, bank robbers and murders were lynch many years ago. It was the Democrat KKK, that lynched African Americans. Rumor has it Kamala that you are not African America. Is that true? Stop the Political BS!”

Baldasaro’s second foray into bigotry was to come running to the defense of Christopher Columbus during a debate in the New Hampshire state legislature as to whether or not Columbus Day should be replaced with Indigenous People’s Day in the state, where he addressed the chamber by saying, “Fellow paisans, come sta?” and citing what Italians had done for the state… which did not address all the, y’know, genocide and atrocities committed by Columbus, the actual person who gets a holiday.

And it seems that Al Baldasaro’s antics are starting to impact him negatively, as he had his worst showing in a general election in several cycles, actually finishing fourth in New Hampshire’s Rockingham 5 District, which is regrettably still seats the top seven finishers in voting, and got him another term in office in the 2018 elections. It bears watching whether he runs for office again in 2020, or just blurts out offensive statements on behalf of Donald Trump while helping him lose New Hampshire to Democrats again so he can whine about voter fraud after the fact.

[babyblob]

My favorite new theory. My aunt who is a super nuts brain washed Trump baker is going on the last few days about how she thinks Sanders is responsible for Corona. He worked with china to get it spread in the USA so that he could show how bad the heath care in America is. That this is all being done by an underground group of his supporters to push his Medicare for all platform. She also said that he hopes it spreads in the wish that Trump gets it and dies so that he in the confusion can take control of the American government with Shummer, and Pelosi

[PwrdOn]

Not to mention that most wet markets have been closed (because of previous viral outbreaks) before but keep getting re-opened because of pressure from some top guys in China on the government. Worse still was when the covid-19 virus was discovered the government did everything possible to cover it up.

China’s government has been extremely irresponsible here. Their government and the top folks in that country deserve a lot of criticism for what’s happening right now.

The Chinese government definitely screwed up and deserves the criticism it has gotten, but I can't help thinking that this line of thought is exactly what has led to us where we are now. We read so many smug editorials about how China's authoritarian system led to this crisis that we deluded ourselves into thinking that this could never be a problem in a free and democratic society like ours, yet here we are.

[Steel Inquisitor]

The Chinese government definitely screwed up and deserves the criticism it has gotten, but I can't help thinking that this line of thought is exactly what has led to us where we are now. We read so many smug editorials about how China's authoritarian system led to this crisis that we deluded ourselves into thinking that this could never be a problem in a free and democratic society like ours, yet here we are.

Did anyone say it couldn't happen in America? We know how badly the Trump regime runs things. Unless you think no-one should comment on what foreign governments do, which is going to impact a political thread like this.

[PaulBullion]

Is Martha McSally going to break the record for the shortest time between losing Senate races?

[worstblogever]

Is Martha McSally going to break the record for the shortest time between losing Senate races?

There has to be some special election example. But she seems like toast. When McCain had a GOP seat, you'd see campaign posters put up by people loyal to the old man. I haven't seen anything for her on the ground. At all. I've heard old men swear at TVs in public places when her TV ads occasionally run. I've heard nothing but praise for Mark Kelly. Seems like he's a lock to win. Between Colorado (Gardner) and Arizona, at least two of the "up for grabs" Senate seats are flipping blue. Alabama is still a "?" just because we don't know if Trump will keep s*** talking Jeff Sessions in favor of Tommy Tuberville, and what that could mean in the general. Susan Collins is starting to fall apart up north. They need 3 seats and the White House to flip. Four without. Incumbent Democrats are mostly safe, perhaps with the exception of Doug Jones. But let's say Jones is toast. The Dems would need 4 seats if he does and the White House. 5 without it.

• Susan Collins.
• Joni Ernst.
• Mitch McConnell.
• David Perdue.
• Kelly Loeffler.
• Steve Daines.
• Thom Tillis.
• And whomever is on Kansas' ballot instead of Pat Roberts (retiring, and the GOP is praying it isn't Kris Kobach)...

That's 8 at-risk seats where the GOP can only lose two. And that's IF Doug Jones doesn't get another miracle. At that point, Republicans would need to sweep all these states.

The odds aren't looking in their favor. 2022 isn't helpful for them either, when the GOP again will have 20 of the 32 Senate seats to play defense on.

[TheDarman]

There has to be some special election example.

But she seems like toast. When McCain had a GOP seat, you'd see campaign posters put up by people loyal to the old man.

I haven't seen anything for her on the ground. At all. I've heard old men swear at TVs in public places when her TV ads occasionally run. I've heard nothing but praise for Mark Kelly.

Seems like he's a lock to win. Between Colorado and Arizona, at least two of the "up for grabs" Senate seats are flipping blue. Alabama is still a "?" just because we don't know if Trump will keep s*** talking Jeff Sessions in favor of Tommy Tuberville, and what that could mean in the general. Susan Collins is starting to fall apart up north.

All it's gonna take is one more flip.

I think Democrats were also up in North Carolina. That would be a net three even if Democrats lose Alabama. I would so love to see both McConnell and Graham go down too. They both are polling within a point of their Democratic opponent.

[jetengine]

Look, if people are looking for bad guys to yell at in all of this, I present to you the case of 27 year old wealthy socialite Nga Nguyen, who after finding out she had Covid-19, still chose to go to Milan and Paris fashion shows.

Might have something to do with the disease spreading so fast in Italy, you know?

Oh no, she's human garbage. Thats not being understated here. My issue though is this was inevitably going to happen if Chinas government continyes to be lax on public hygiene and public food safety. Not to mention its ridiculous cover up.

[InformationGeek]

Remember how Republicans were complaining Democrats were going to sneak in nasty things in their Coronavirus bills or what not? Wellllllllllllllllllllllll...

As lawmakers neared a deal on a coronavirus rescue package that would include paid sick leave and free virus testing, a few roadblocks emerged. Among them: Republican attempts to wedge anti-choice restrictions into the House's relief bill, turning—if momentarily—a public health crisis into an abortion debate.

The tensions reportedly revolved around the Hyde Amendment, a decades-old provision that blocks federal funds from going to abortion services, preventing millions of low-income Americans on Medicaid from accessing abortion care.

According to conservative media, some top Republicans believed a stipulation in the House bill requiring the government to reimburse private laboratories doing coronavirus testing could effectively overturn the Hyde Amendment by establishing a government funding stream not subject to the restrictions. In response, anti-choice lawmakers insisted on including language in the legislation that would reaffirm the principles of the amendment.

[Tami]

Remember how Republicans were complaining Democrats were going to sneak in nasty things in their Coronavirus bills or what not? Wellllllllllllllllllllllll...

So that's what all the talk about abortion in the bill was all about. When I first heard about it I was somewhat confused. I kind of doubted that Democrats would have risked the bill's passage by intntionally sneaking something in that had absolutely nothing to do with responding to the current epidemic.

[numberthirty]

Look, if people are looking for bad guys to yell at in all of this, I present to you the case of 27 year old wealthy socialite Nga Nguyen, who after finding out she had Covid-19, still chose to go to Milan and Paris fashion shows.

Might have something to do with the disease spreading so fast in Italy, you know?

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/coronavirus-italy

How Italy became the ground zero of Europe’s coronavirus crisis

On January 29, when Italy detected and isolated its first coronavirus cases – two Chinese tourists – authorities were sure they had put together the safest protection system in Europe.

“At the moment, it looks like the outbreak already started in early January, so it had time to grow to a considerable size,” says Christian Althaus, a computational epidemiologist at the University of Bern. “The initial infected cases can be missed and the virus can spread freely.”

The coronavirus resurfaced on 18 February, when a 38-year-old man went to the A&E of the hospital in the sleepy northern town of Codogno. He reported high temperature for two days, his parents said, but the medical staff did not diagnose him with coronavirus and after the visit he was allowed to return home.

When his symptoms got worse and he returned to the hospital, he was confirmed to be the first locally transmitted case in Italy. At this point, Italy still only had four imported cases, but this patient could have enabled the virus to spread within the hospital, infecting medical workers and patients with already fragile health. (He is recovering, but still in a hospital in nearby Pavia.)

On February 23, After more cases and the first two deaths were detected, authorities put about 50,000 people in Codogno and 10 other towns under lockdown. More measures were imposed on nearby Milan, Italy’s economic engine, including the closure of schools and a 6PM curfew for bars and restaurants.

[numberthirty]

Oh no, she's human garbage. Thats not being understated here. My issue though is this was inevitably going to happen if Chinas government continyes to be lax on public hygiene and public food safety. Not to mention its ridiculous cover up.

Never mind that we have what looks like cases in Italy before she is even there.

But, yeah.

Trying to make it about that someone is beating up on the poor won't change that even a little bit better enforcement of food safety rules could have made a very real difference.