“Coronavirus Rhapsody,” written by Freddy Mercury, with new 2020 lyrics by Dana Jay Bein, sung by Raúl Irabién. Video post: Daniel Reyes; audio: Armando Olabuenaga.
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In the pandemic year of 2020, children’s homes became their classrooms as America’s K-12 education went online. The curriculum included school active-shooter drills, required by law in most states. Lesson objective: in America’s gun culture, even your kitchen table isn’t safe. Will this be on the test?
More:
“Active-Shooter Drills Look Pretty Weird Over Zoom,” Monica Chin, The Verge
“School Shooting Drills Have Gone Virtual,” Dan Kois, Slate
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Lame-duck President and high-ticket eatery owner Donald Trump has called for restoring the 100% federal tax deduction on “3-Martini Lunch” business meals to aid the pandemic-pummeled restaurant industry, an action economists call completely ineffective. Nevertheless, in their eleventh-hour effort to pass another COVID-19 relief bill the ritzy-restaurant-running president will sign, the GOP put the 3-Martini Lunch on the menu, and democrats will just have to hold their noses and choke it down if they want coronavirus relief funding before the Christmas recess.
More:
“White House secures ‘three martini lunch’ tax deduction in draft of coronavirus relief package,” Jeff Stein, Washington Post
“Restoring The Three Martini Lunch Tax Deduction Won’t Feed The COVID-19 Economy,” Howard Gleckman, Tax Policy Center
“‘It’s unconscionable’: Outrage over the ‘three-martini lunch’ tax deduction in the new coronavirus aid deal,” Nicole Lyn Pesce, MarketWatch
“‘Three martini lunch’ tax break may not save many restaurants, advisors say,” Darla Mercado,. CNBC
“On ‘three-martini-lunch’ policy, Republicans get what they wanted,” Steve Benen, MSNBC
“‘Three-martini lunch’ tax break draws outrage. It also may fall short for restaurants.” Aimee Picchi, CBS News
“When Will Eating the Rich Also Be a Tax Deduction?” Esther Wang, Jezebel
Related:
“Dictionary.com weighs in as #LetThemEatCake trends over relief bill,” Justine Coleman, The Hill
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Last month, Russia’s Gamaleya Institute announced that its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine is 92% effective, and Russia began mass vaccinations early this month. Many Russians have avoided getting innoculated, however. The rapid rollout of the vaccine leaves many Russians skeptical, but there may be another reason they’re staying away. Russia has one of the highest per capita rates of alcohol consumption in Europe, and Russian officials are saying the vaccinated should lay off the vodka for 42 days. A walk-back to 6 days followed, 3 days after each of the two injections, but that still may be too much for many hard-drinking Russians.
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Given Donald Trump‘s penchant for holding super-spreading events in the executive mansion, the White House will be thoroughly disinfected before the Biden administration enters it. Too bad exorcists are not on the GSA procurement schedule.
More:
“Biden will have White House disinfected after Trump leaves,” Joseph Guzman The Hill
“Biden to Have White House Disinfected After Trump Moves Out,” J. Clara Chan, The Wrap
“As Biden Gets Sworn In, White House Will Get Scrubbed Down,” Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News
Related:
“Misting the White House between administrations won’t kill Covid-19 — and it could be harmful, experts say,” Kate Sheridan, STAT
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While nearly 300,000 Americans lie dead from COVID-19, Melania Trump has completed a tennis pavilion at the White House, perhaps as a parting homage to Louis XIV. Maybe tennis will lure her husband back from his private golf course in Virginia during the waning days of his pestilential presidency.
Mrs. Trump dedicated her tennis pavilion yesterday, on Pearl Harbor Day, a date when Americans remember the 2,403 who died in that 1941 attack. About the same number of Americans are now dying each day from coronavirus, due to the Trump administration’s criminal failure of leadership.
Tennis, anyone? Better wear a mask.
More:
“First Lady Proudly Unveils White House Tennis Pavilion—as U.S. COVID Deaths Near 300K,” Arya Hodjat, Daily Beast
“Melania Trump faces backlash after revealing new White House tennis pavilion,” Kenya Evelyn, The Guardian
“Melania Trump’s Tennis Pavilion Announcement Brings Outrage: ‘How Many ICU Beds Will It Hold?'” Matthew Impelli, Newsweek
“‘Melania Antoinette’: First lady faces backlash after unveiling tennis pavilion at the White House,” The Telegraph via Yahoo News
Related:
“The number of COVID-19 deaths reported in the US nearly every day last week was higher than the death toll for the attack on Pearl Harbor,” Ryan Pickrell, Yahoo News
“The infamy of Japan’s attack at Pearl Harbor pales compared to what’s going on now.” Neil Steinberg, Chicago Sun Times
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On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, in the dark of night, the Supreme Court decided that during the Coronavirus pandemic, which has killed over 260,000 Americans, places of worship are free to pack the house in sabbath superspreading events. The deciding vote was by Trump appointee and cult member Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who must have a fondness for the traditional Requiem Mass. You may recall that the president’s Rose Garden “reveal party” for Mrs. Barrett’s SCOTUS nomination was itself a superspreading event.
More:
“Supreme Court’s conservatives reject COVID restrictions on New York houses of worship,” David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times
“Justices lift New York’s COVID-related attendance limits on worship services,” Amy Howe, SCOTUS Blog
“Supreme Court backs religious groups on New York coronavirus restrictions,” Rebecca Falconer, Axios
“Major shift at Supreme Court on Covid-19 orders,” Josh Gerstein, Politico
“In Covid-19 regulations case, Sotomayor dissent claps back at Supreme Court majority,” Raul A. Reyes, NBC News
Updates:
“Pastor of California Megachurch That Defied Lockdown Order Dies of COVID-19,” Rachel Olding, Daily Beast
“Supreme Court sides with California church protesting coronavirus restrictions,” Robert Barnes, Washington Post
“Brooklyn diocese cheers ruling barring Cuomo’s houses of worship limits,” Lia Eustachewich, New York Post
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“Donald Trump skipped the G20 summit’s ‘Pandemic Preparedness’ event to visit one of his golf clubs on the same day that a record 195,500 new Covid-19 infections were reported in a 24-hour period in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins.
The summit, attended by world leaders from across the globe, is being held virtually this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has now killed more than 250,000 Americans – by far the largest total in the world.
Trump’s apparent disinterest in the summit started earlier on Saturday when he started tweeting about the election results after the scheduled start time of the summit at 8am ET. The president appeared via video link during the summit’s opening remarks but by 10am, Trump was leaving the White House to go to his golf course outside of Washington DC, according to CNN.”
— “Trump skips G20 pandemic event to visit golf club as virus ravages US,” Lauren Aratani, The Guardian
More:
“G20 Meets On Coronavirus As Trump Makes 298th Golf Trip Of Presidency,” Andrew Solender, Forbes
“COVID-19: Donald Trump plays golf while world powers discuss pandemic at G20 summit,” Amy Coles, Sky News
“Trump skips G20 coronavirus meeting to play golf and tweet bogus election claims,” Dave Goldiner, NY Daily News
“G20 leaders close Riyadh summit with calls for coordinated response to coronavirus pandemic,” Kareem Fahim, Washington Post
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As the number of Americans dead from COVID-19 rises past 250,000, The Centers for Disease Control advises you to stay the hell home for Thanksgiving:
“More than 1 million COVID-19 cases were reported in the United States over the last 7 days.
As cases continue to increase rapidly across the United States, the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to celebrate at home with the people you live with.
Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu.”
— “Celebrating Thanksgiving,” CDC
Gatherings in the home seem to account for the greatest number of new infections. Currently, at least 3 million Americans are infected with coronavirus. As Colorado’s governor put it, holding a large family Thanksgiving dinner is like holding a loaded pistol to Grandma’s head.
More:
“CDC recommends against Thanksgiving travel amid surge of coronavirus cases,” Brittany Shammas, Washington Post
Related:
“The trauma of Thanksgiving for Native communities during a pandemic,” Rachel Ramirez, Vox
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Trump COVID-19 advisor Scott Atlas, MD, is not an epidemiologist or an infectious disease expert. He’s a renowned expert in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Dr. Atlas has no pandemic expertise and hasn’t practiced medicine in 10 years, but he’s a fellow in Health Care Policy at Stanford’s conservative Hoover Institution and bloviates on Fox News, so he’s the go-to White House medico. When it comes to coronavirus, Dr. Atlas wants to let lots of people get it to bring about “herd immunity.” Real pandemic experts estimate it would require the deaths of 2 million Americans to achieve “herd immunity” in the U.S.
That hasn’t deterred Dr. Atlas. He says Americans aren’t doing enough to collaborate with the virus. They should ditch those masks, ignore advice on social distancing, and celebrate at the table with Grandma, bringing about her “last Thanksgiving.”
Many of his former medical colleagues are appalled, and Stanford University is distancing itself from Dr. Atlas. No so Mr. Trump.
More:
“On Fox News, Dr. Scott Atlas encourages large holiday gatherings: ‘For many people this is their last Thanksgiving,’” Media Matters
“Trump adviser Scott Atlas criticizes plans to avoid seeing elderly for Thanksgiving,” Brett Samuels, The Hill
“Trump COVID Adviser Scott Atlas Is on a Hot Streak of Dumb Ideas,” Matt Stieb, New York Magazine
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