February 17, 2020

Corona Virus could infect 2/3 of the Globe!

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-13/coronavirus-could-infect-two-thirds-of-globe-researcher-says

Coronavirus Could Infect Two-Thirds of Globe, Research Shows
By John Lauerman
February 13, 2020, 10:28 AM EST
Updated on February 13, 2020, 12:23 PM EST
Disease scientist bases estimate on transmissibility of virus
WHO has said China quarantines provide a ‘window’ to prepare

As the number of coronavirus cases jumps dramatically in China, a top infectious-disease scientist warns that things could get far worse: Two-thirds of the world’s population could catch it.


So says Ira Longini, an adviser to the World Health Organization who tracked studies of the virus’s transmissibility in China. His estimate implies that there could eventually be billions more infections than the current official tally of about 60,000.

If the virus spreads to anywhere near that extent, it will show the limitations of China’s strict containment measures, including quarantining areas inhabited by tens of millions of people. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has credited those steps with giving the rest of China and the world a “window” in which to prepare.

Quarantines may slow the spread, but the virus had the opportunity to roam in China and beyond before they went into effect, Longini said. The country boosted its count of those infected by almost 15,000 on Thursday after widening the diagnosis methods.

Longini’s modeling is based on data showing that each infected person normally transmits the disease to two to three other people. A lack of rapid tests and the relative mildness of the infection in some people also makes it difficult to track its spread, he said.

Reducing Transmission
Even if there were a way to reduce transmission by half, that would still imply that roughly one-third of the world would become infected, Longini said.

February 16, 2020

Klobuchar shifts on immigration before Nevada caucuses

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar says she no longer believes English should be the national language of the U.S., disavowing a vote she took more than a decade ago as she tries to build support in a state where Hispanics make up a critical constituency.
Campaigning in Las Vegas, the three-term Minnesota senator said Friday that she has changed her stance since voting for an English-language amendment in 2007 and has “taken a strong position against” it. She also blasted President Donald Trump for using immigrants as “wedges” and said as president she would work with Republicans to achieve comprehensive immigration reform.

https://apnews.com/5c18eac85b0448b262b8dc6e8c6bbe17

February 9, 2020

Only half of Americans own stocks, and 84 percent of all stocks are held by just 10%

And that is why it is critically important to choose your primary candidate who
has the strongest agenda on helping the other 90% who own only 16% of all stocks.

https://theweek.com/articles/894128/vanguard-anomaly-investment-world-stay-that-way

February 3, 2020

As New Coronavirus Spread, China's Old Habits Delayed Fight

At critical turning points, Chinese authorities put secrecy and order ahead of openly confronting the growing crisis and risking public alarm or political embarrassment.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/01/world/asia/china-coronavirus.html?action=click&module=MoreIn&pgtype=Article&region=Footer&action=click&module=MoreInSection&pgtype=Article&region=Footer&contentCollection=Global%20Health

February 2, 2020

Is Hillary Clinton angling to become vice president?

A number of people in politics, the media and elsewhere are openly speculating that if Democrats wind up with a “brokered convention,” with no strong or viable nominee evident, Hillary Clinton might enter the arena as the “savior” who could unite the delegates and go on to defeat President Donald Trump.

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/480523-is-hillary-clinton-angling-to-become-vice-president

Clinton herself seemed to throw shade at that theory during an interview with Variety at the Sundance Film Festival. When asked about the “urge” to beat Trump, the former Democratic nominee said, “Yeah. I certainly feel the urge because I feel the 2016 election was a really odd time and an odd outcome. And the more we learn, the more that seems to be the case. But I’m going to support the people who are running now and do everything I can to help elect the Democratic nominee.”

January 31, 2020

2019-nCoV Global Cases (by Johns Hopkins CSSE) As of Jan 31, 2020 5 pm ET

Confirmed cases of Corona-Virus:
9,783 Mainland China
19 Thailand
15 Japan
13 Singapore
12 Hong Kong
11 South Korea
10 Taiwan
9 Australia
8 Malaysia
7 Macau
7 US

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

January 22, 2020

Warren campaign hires pair of top Castro aides

Elizabeth Warren has hired two senior officials from Julián Castro’s presidential campaign: campaign manager Maya Rupert and political director Natalie Montelongo, a Warren official told POLITICO Tuesday.

Rupert, who previously was a senior policy adviser for Castro at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and before that worked at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, will be a senior adviser and serve as a campaign surrogate. Montelongo, who previously worked at the ACLU and in Nevada and Colorado during Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, will be a senior strategist focusing on political and constituency outreach along with the campaign’s surrogate program.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/21/warren-campaign-castro-aides-101670

January 19, 2020

@TulsiGabbard challenged to a push-up contest at a Manchester Town Hall (video)

https://twitter.com/JeanWMUR/status/1217975768208347136

January 19, 2020

Sanders campaign knocks Biden on Social Security track record

TheHill.com
Sanders campaign knocks Biden on Social Security track record
BY MARTY JOHNSON - 01/18/20 07:28 PM EST 1

Just In...

Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) campaign continued its battle with former Vice President Joe Biden by criticizing Biden's track record on Social Security.

"Joe Biden should be honest with voters and stop trying to doctor his own public record of consistently and repeatedly trying to cut Social Security," Sanders' campaign manager Faiz Shakir said Saturday in a statement.

"The facts are very clear: Biden not only pushed to cut Social Security -- he is on tape proudly bragging about it on multiple occasions."

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/478948-sanders-campaign-knocks-biden-on-social-security-history

January 18, 2020

Rod Rosenstein says he made call to release Strzok-Page texts

Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein authorized the release to the media of text messages between two highly placed FBI employees who exchanged criticism of then-candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, the Justice Department has revealed in a new court filing.

Rosenstein also said in the court filing submitted shortly before midnight Friday that he made the decision to share the messages with the press in part to protect FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI attorney Lisa Page from the drip effect of incremental releases of the texts by lawmakers or others.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/18/rosenstein-strzok-page-texts-100776