It’s maybe inappropriate to complain about public godbothering at this time, but there’s such a fundamental absurdity at the heart of the whole thing that I can’t not raise an objection. I’ll just leave names and handles out of it.

A guy on Twitter, a guy who writes for the Atlantic and wrote a book called Learning to Speak God From Scratch (so you can find his name obviously, I’m just not naming him here), tweeted:

I don’t often ask for prayer on here, but my friend Laura from NYC has COVID-19. She has double pneumonia and is in ICU on a ventilator fighting for her life right now. She is only 30. Please pray for her.

I hope she … Read the rest

A CNBC reporter:

NEW: Cruise industry not confident it could borrow from any of the existing loan programs bc of offshore registration.

Sr. admin official says bipartisan Senate grp working to ensure they can access one of the facilities–or else will seek a legislative fix in the next package.

— Kayla Tausche (@kaylatausche) March 26, 2020

You have got to be kidding.

Why do the cruise companies have offshore registration? Not for a hobby, not to be whimsical, not to give Offhshorelandia a boost. No, they have it for the purposes of not paying taxes and not obeying labor laws.

Given that, why on earth is a Senate group working to ensure they can have our money anyway?

None of this should ever have been allowed. Responsible adults should have blocked him from running, or failing that blocked him from getting nominated. Failing that they should have invoked the 25th amendment the minute he was inaugurated. Now we’re stuck with a mass murderer.

President Donald Trump faced new and troubling questions Thursday about his response to the coronavirus pandemic, as it became clear that there is a nationwide shortage of ventilators, masks and other crucial medical equipment. During a White House news conference, Trump was asked about the shortages and responded by falsely suggesting lying that the problem was unforeseen. He also shrugged off responsibility for the crisis and encouraged states to find their own resources.

That’s … Read the rest

That terrible missing theory of mind again.

Trump, who reportedly ignored a pandemic response playbook put together during the Obama years, claims nobody could've seen a pandemic coming and tries to blame Obama for his lack of preparation pic.twitter.com/7rjpwb7V5X

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2020

“This was something that nobody has ever thought could happen…”

No. It isn’t. It is not. That is not what it is. What it is is not that. People who know about this subject absolutely thought this could happen, and that it would. Epidemiologists, virologists, journalists who read and talk to epidemiologists and virologists – they most definitely thought it could happen, and they said so. Trump never thought it could happen. Trump is … Read the rest

Still hard to believe we have a president who had a two month head start to prepare for an obvious crisis and didn’t because he thought admitting it would hurt him personally. It is unforgivable. https://t.co/3d2WQCxER1

— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) March 26, 2020

… Read the rest

I’m confused by this.

Despite posts yesterday highlighting issues of people still visiting the #PeakDistrict despite government guidance, the message is still not getting through. @DerPolDroneUnit have been out at beauty spots across the county, and this footage was captured at #CurbarEdge last night. pic.twitter.com/soxWvMl0ls

— Derbyshire Police (@DerbysPolice) March 26, 2020

The clip shows a couple walking their dog in an empty landscape, and captions it “Not Essential.” It shows several more like that – people very social distanced indeed, getting fresh air and exercise.

What, exactly, is the problem? The Derbyshire cops seem to be confusing the pandemic with the war. Fuel isn’t rationed, nobody has to invade Europe right now, we can still find oranges.

Travelling to

Utterly disgusting.

Any hope of G7 foreign ministers releasing a joint statement on the fight against COVID-19 was killed today after the U.S. insisted the document refer to it as the “Wuhan virus.”

As originally reported by Der Spiegel, and according to sources with knowledge of the situation, when U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted the novel coronavirus be referred to by the name of the Chinese city where the outbreak first appeared, ministers from other countries refused to agree.

They were doing a video conference, having scrapped an in-person one planned for Pittsburgh because of the pandemic. One of the ministers suggested a joint statement on said pandemic.

Sources say that’s when Pompeo said the U.S. wanted

I have to wonder what the hell basis the Trump campaign thinks it has to tell tv stations to pull this ad. Trump did say all those things we hear him saying, after all, and the numbers have rocketed up the way the graph illustrates, after all, so…???

So yeah, share share share.… Read the rest

I asked Kate Smurthwaite a few questions about life under COVID-19 for the people who make life worth living.

Tell us how the pandemic is affecting comedians and others who perform to live audiences.

The live entertainment industry no longer exists… Every comedian, musician, actor, magician, burlesque dancer I know as well as all the people I know who are sound engineers, front of house staff, dressers, bartenders, venue managers, promoters, publicists, poster-designers and stage hands are now all unemployed people and likely to stay that way for months and months to come.

There’s a widespread sense of panic and desperation. Few will qualify for government assistance, despite Boris’s big claims. For most of us turning professional is the result … Read the rest

More on the Federalist’s “let’s let the young people get C19 in hopes of herd immunity”:

Twitter temporarily locked the account of The Federalist Wednesday after the conservative opinion site published a piece, written by a dermatologist based in Oregon, that proposed the deliberate spread of the coronavirus in order to boost immunity to the disease.

The op-ed, penned by Dr. Douglas Perednia, proposed an “outside the box” solution to the current pandemic that flies in the face of advice from experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, who are urging social distancing.

…

“It is time to think outside the box and seriously consider a somewhat unconventional approach to COVID-19: controlled voluntary infection,” The Federalist wrote in a now-removed tweet linking

The monster has stirred.

The LameStream Media is the dominant force in trying to get me to keep our Country closed as long as possible in the hope that it will be detrimental to my election success. The real people want to get back to work ASAP. We will be stronger than ever before!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2020

….I have been packed all day with meetings, I have no time for stupidity. We’re working around the clock to KEEP AMERICA SAFE!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2020

… Read the rest

Superb.

God only brought one guy back from the dead on Easter. Trump is here to bring back the whole economy on Easter 2020. Enjoy this clip (possibly, like, the best ever), share and be sure to subscribe to Making Podcasts Great Again (@TrumpPod) – new every week! pic.twitter.com/aUifVWRzfh

— J-L Cauvin (@JLCauvin) March 24, 2020

… Read the rest

The Federalist did what now?

The Federalist comes out in favor of–and I am not making this up–"safe infection sites" where children can be voluntarily infected with #covid19. pic.twitter.com/4CbggjqCg8

— Lindsay Beyerstein (@beyerstein) March 25, 2020

Erm…have they forgotten that there is no effective treatment yet? Which means there is no such thing as “safe infection”?

Also…a dermatologist? Really?

Bold news analysis from a local dermatologist pic.twitter.com/fzzKH6dDmW

— Tim Miller (@Timodc) March 25, 2020

https://twitter.com/jaredlholt/status/1242845915423158281

What’s the thinking here? That taking C19 seriously is a libbrul thing, the way taking climate change seriously is a libbrul thing? That treating it with frivolity or reckless endangerment or both is a Trump-Republican thing? (If it is that means Princess Ivanka will … Read the rest

First thing this morning.

This is really great news! I am so happy I can barely speak. He may have been a terrible presidential candidate and an even worse U.S. Senator, but he is a RINO, and I like him a lot! https://t.co/42zpWW9vzy

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2020

… Read the rest

The trolley problem revisited.

Daniel Dale has more samples from Trump’s fake “town hall” on Fox.

Asked what prompted him to take his first action on the coronavirus — a member of his team, a world leader, etc. — he says, "It was instinct." He also says he had been "reading a lot about it," and seeing things on television.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 24, 2020

He hadn’t been reading anything about it.

Here is what Trump says health experts told him: "Sir, we're gonna have to close the country." He says he responded, "This has never happened before…are you serious about this? We are going to take this country that's fully employed…and you're telling me we have to CLOSE it?"

— Daniel

Jesus will save?

While schools and college campuses around the country remain closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Liberty University is set to allow the return this week of up to 5,000 students. The plan was announced by the private evangelical university’s  scandal–plagued president, Jerry Falwell Jr., an ally of President Donald Trump. Trump in recent days has dismayed public health experts by announcing he may push for the lifting of restrictions on businesses to reduce economic damage as soon as next week.

In an interview last week with Fox News Radio’s Todd Starnes, Falwell said it is fortunate that COVID-19 “doesn’t have a high mortality rate for young people because they’re the ones that are not

Apparently Trump is on Fox right now, talking dangerous bollocks. Yamiche Alcindor is taking notes for us so that we don’t have to watch.

President Trump is now answering questions live on Fox News.

Reminder: There is no White House briefing scheduled today so this is the only way to hear from Trump today on camera.

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) March 24, 2020

Pres Trump on easing coronavirus guidelines: "Our country…It's is not built to shutdown…Our ppl are full of vim & vigor, they don't want to be locked into a house or an apartment or some space…You can destroy our country…by closing it down…We have to get back to work."

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) March 24, 2020

President has

How about that – several of Trump’s hotels have been closed because of C19.

President Trump’s private business has shut down six of its top seven revenue-producing clubs and hotels because of restrictions meant to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, potentially depriving Trump’s company of millions of dollars in revenue.

Those closures come as Trump is considering easing restrictions on movement sooner than federal public health experts recommend, in the name of reducing the virus’s economic damage.

But there is probably no connection between the two, right? He would never put us all in danger just to keep his personal $$$ flowing.

In his unprecedented dual role as president and owner of a sprawling business, Trump