“Listening to experts to set policy is an elitist approach and I’m very fearful of an elitist approach,” he said. “I’m also fearful that it leads to totalitarianism, especially when you say, ‘Well. We’re doing it for the public good.’”
All posts by nedhamson
DeSantis blames ‘data dump’ for spike in coronavirus cases and orders a ‘fix’ to reporting numbers – Orlando Sentinel (the only dump involved is the Governor’s dump on facts and pumping up lies)
The state logged 8,109 cases to push the overall total to date to 550,901, or more than one in 40 people in the state of 21.5 million.
That is 18 days of case numbers of less than 10,000, but the 8,109 marks the highest daily tally in August so far. The Wednesday update also noted a positivity infection rate that had crept back up from recent lows to 11.89% among new infections.
Deaths also continue to pile up, a result of massive spread in June and early July. The latest report added another 212 fatalities among Florida residents to the state death toll rose to 8,765.
New Mexico Republicans to pay ‘special tribute’ to right-wing militia – Business Insider – (neo-nazi, racists)
- New Mexico Republican party officials said they will attend an August 22 rally to register voters and pay “special tribute” to the New Mexico Civil Guard, a right-wing militia.
- The founder of the New Mexico Civil Guard has a swastika tattoo and has served as the local “commander” of the New Confederate States of America.
- Another leader of the group has called the Holocaust a hoax and, citing the conspiracy website Infowars, has argued that there is no such thing as a truly peaceful Black Lives Matter protest.
- The rally will also feature the founder of Cowboys for Trump, who recently said Black athletes who protest racism should “go back to Africa.”
Source: New Mexico Republicans to pay ‘special tribute’ to right-wing militia – Business Insider
Washington NC mayor Mac Hodges dies of COVID-19, family says | Raleigh News & Observer – RIP
The mayor of Washington, North Carolina, has died from complications of COVID-19, the city announced Wednesday night.
Mac Hodges, who has been mayor since 2013, was tested for COVID-19 on July 15 with the positive results coming the following day, The Washington Daily News reported.
Hodges, whose nickname was “Bear,” was described as a “legend and a leader,” according to a City of Washington Facebook post.
Source: Washington NC mayor Mac Hodges dies of COVID-19, family says | Raleigh News & Observer
Kenneth Lougee: Mask refusal is not liberty. It is anarchy. – The Salt Lake Tribune
In 1905, The United State Supreme Court expressed support for universal smallpox vaccine.
“The liberty secured by the Constitution of the United States to every person within its jurisdiction does not import an absolute right in each person to be, at all times and in all circumstances, wholly freed from restraint,” the court decided. “There are manifold restraints to which every person is necessarily subject for the common good. On any other basis organized society could not exist with safety to its members.”
The court said that otherwise we would not have liberty but anarchy. That is equally true of wearing face masks to protect others from virus spread. This includes the elderly, health workers and the immune compromised.
Source: Kenneth Lougee: Mask refusal is not liberty. It is anarchy. – The Salt Lake Tribune
Aid for Beirut
‘Antifa’ website cited in conservative media attack on Biden is linked to — wait for it — Russia
Records for “antifa.com” in the domain name database Whoisology.com show the site was registered in the Russian Federation from 2013 through last July. Starting last November, the site’s registration was moved to Panama, The website has always been anonymously registered and its owners could not be reached for comment.
Source: ‘Antifa’ website cited in conservative media attack on Biden is linked to — wait for it — Russia
House Oversight chair introduces bill to freeze Postal Service changes amid coronavirus pandemic | TheHill
Pelosi, Maloney Joined by 173 House Democrats in Calling on Postmaster General to Reverse Assault on Postal Service | Speaker Nancy Pelosi
New Zealand scrambles to trace cluster, reporting 13 new coronavirus cases
Dr Bloomfield raised the possibility on Wednesday that the virus had arrived in New Zealand via freight, given one of the infected family members works in a cool store that takes imported frozen goods from overseas.
On Thursday, he said that was considered “a low possibility”, but did not detail other potential sources.
Ms Ardern said it was a positive sign that all the new 13 cases were linked back to the infected family, either via work or broader family connections. All were being transferred into quarantine facilities.

WELLINGTON (REUTERS) – New Zealand officials were scrambling to trace the source of an outbreak of the coronavirus, reporting 13 new cases on Thursday (Aug 13), as long queues of people formed to escape a renewed lockdown in the country’s biggest city and be tested.
The discovery of four infected family members in Auckland two days ago shocked a country that had not recorded a case of Covid-19 for more than three months, raising some criticism of the government’s handling of the crisis.
New Zealand announced on Thursday that there were 13 new cases in the community, and one overseas arrival who was in quarantine, bringing the total number of active cases to 36.
“We can see the seriousness of the situation we are in,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a televised media conference. “It’s being dealt with in an urgent but calm and methodical way.”
Ms Ardern reimposed tight movement restrictions in Auckland and social distancing measures across the rest of the country on Wednesday, echoing her early response to the pandemic, which was praised for its apparent effectiveness.
Ms Ardern noted that experience showed “things will get worse before they get better”, and more cases were likely to be reported in coming days.
“Once again we are reminded of how tricky this virus is and how easily it can spread,” she said. “Going hard and early is still the best course of action.”
However, doubts over the origin of the latest cases have raised some questions about that strategy.
Officials reported on Thursday that three more people at a refrigerator storage facility, where one of the family members worked, had tested positive.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said health officials were getting “closer every hour” to finding the patient zero of the outbreak.
“We are working flat out to do the contact-tracing we need to do and trace back to find out what the source of this infection is,” Dr Bloomfield told Newstalk ZB radio.
Dr Bloomfield raised the possibility on Wednesday that the virus had arrived in New Zealand via freight, given one of the infected family members works in a cool store that takes imported frozen goods from overseas.
On Thursday, he said that was considered “a low possibility”, but did not detail other potential sources.
Ms Ardern said it was a positive sign that all the new 13 cases were linked back to the infected family, either via work or broader family connections. All were being transferred into quarantine facilities.
Some prominent local health experts suggested it was more likely the virus had been quietly spreading in Auckland for weeks, infecting potentially dozens of people.
Residents of Auckland, home to around 1.7 million people, were given just hours to prepare for the return to level 3 restrictions on Wednesday, requiring people to stay at home unless for essential trips.
People in the city reported waiting hours to be tested for the virus, according to local media, and there was a rush to supermarkets to stock up on essentials.
The rest of the country was placed back into slightly looser level 2 restrictions. The restrictions will initially remain in place until Friday, when Ms Ardern will announce the next steps.
With an election scheduled just weeks away, Ms Ardern was facing criticism from the major opposition party for the decision to resume lockdown measures.
The NZ National Party also wants the September election to be pushed back to November. Ms Ardern has said she will make a decision on the poll before Monday.
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