On today’s BradCast: When the hot debates die down, the liars, of late, having been trying to claim (false) victory. Let’s not let them, shall we? [Audio link to full show is posted below this summary.]
We’re seeing a lot of that in recent days when it comes to, for example, Russia’s help for Donald Trump election in 2016 (yes, it actually happened, despite the disinformed denialists now opportunistically claiming otherwise) and, as we focus on today’s program, on those pretending that the CDC and other public health officials had it all wrong about COVID. They didn’t. And just because we’re all really sick and tired of the continuing pandemic and discussion of COVID in the news has largely been overtaken by other pressing matters, the deadly virus is still killing hundreds of Americans each day. That, after nearly 1,000,000 Americans were killed over the past two and half years. Please don’t let the anti-mask and anti-vaccine bullies mislead or cow you.
We never enjoy being the bearer of bad news (it just seems to be our lot in life of late), but a new COVID sub-variant of Omicron, known as BA.2.12.1, is apparently the most transmissible yet, and it is quickly rising across the nation (and world). Some facts you may want to know about that today, why you should get your shots if you haven’t already, and why you shouldn’t bow to pressure from anyone to not wear a mask indoors if you damned well feel like it.
Also, the Vice President tested positive today. Thankfully, because she is double-vaccinated and boosted, she is, so far at least, said to be asymptomatic. Many others are not quite as lucky, particularly the unvaccinated, many children, and, in particular, those who live in states run by Republicans like Florida Governor and Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis. He is still turning up the heat on his lies that critics of his failed COVID policies — the state banned mask mandates and forced schools to remain open when they shouldn’t have — were wrong, and that he was right.
Well, if death rates in states like Florida and Georgia last year, which were two to three times those in blue states per capita, are considered to be “right”, then I guess I’m glad I don’t live in such states. But I’d still like to help those who do. Yes, as Axios reported late last month, based on then-new CDC numbers, “America’s political divisions are now on display in mortality rates.”
Sadly, Florida, with its more than 73,000 COVID deaths, is a perfect example. As Axios Tampa Bay reported, “Death rates in Florida and Georgia (more than 200 deaths per 100,000) were much higher than in states with largely vaccinated populations such as New York (112 per 100,000), New Jersey (73 deaths per 100,000), and Massachusetts (50 per 100,000).” And, based on data comparing deaths that would normally be expected, “Between August and December 2021, Florida experienced more than triple the number of excess deaths (29,252) as New York (8,786), despite both states having similar population counts.”
That didn’t stop DeSantis, during his State of the State address earlier this year, from lying to his constituents: “We would not allow fear or politics to harm our kids. We were right and they wrong and millions of families in Florida are better for it.” Sure. Unless you count the tens of thousands of Florida families mourning the unnecessary loss of their loved ones thanks to DeSantis’ deadly lies and horrific COVID policies.
In other news of note late last week, on Earth Day, Twitter announced a long overdue policy banning advertisements purchased to push climate change denialism. We’ll see if they actually carry it out. But, perhaps more of note, since Elon Musk’s $44 billion purchase of the social media company was announced on Monday, it will be interesting to see if the self-proclaimed “free speech absolutest” and CEO of Tesla, the company almost single-handedly responsible for kicking off the planet’s electric vehicle revolution, will keep the ban in place as he takes the company private to use as his own personal plaything. (P.S. The entire story of Musk’s purchase of Twitter serves as still more evidence that taxes are way way too low for rich people and corporations!)
Finally, Desi Doyen joins us for a chocked-full-o’-news Green News Report, as we try to get you all caught up with all of the climate related stuff of note that you missed while we dared take a much-needed Spring Break last week…
We should ban Twitter, altogether. Not just because Musk and Trump are buddies as well as Musk Putin and Trump all buddies, but because of the massogonistic and hate speech the racists and discriminatory statements and overall douchebaggery that is their m.o. Also, most certainly Donald Trump was a major contributer to the covid spread. While the rest of the globe was informed by their nations leaders about the deadly pandemic and were also quarantined Donald Trump witheld this critical information from the very population whose lives were in his hands. Trump went so far as to order a FIREWALL around the United States citizens via phone calls texts and internet broadcasting via cable and satellites blocking all global news and all global reports of the existence and deadly highly contagious virus in its global pandemic state! While friends in Switzerland had been quarantined and were informed to mask up wash hands stay inside our own president refused calls from global leaders demanding Trump to inform his countrys citizens…he refused to such a degree that the United Nations were preparing to approach Trump as a crime against humanity and he had to be informed that 4 months of witholding might affect his election his response was SHOCKINGLY SIMILAR IN GENOCIDAL INTENT WHEN HE SAID,no, we dont need to tell them why should we tell them anything? Viruses this time of year come anyways they will think its just another seasonal virus and why not allow this virus to…WASH THROUGH THE POPULATION AND DO ITS THING IT WILL WASH OUT THE NON EARNERS AND SOCIAL SECURITY PENSIONERS AND THE SICKLY ON THE FREE HEALTH CARE SO MUCH MONEY IS LOST ON THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE DRAGGING DOWN OUR ECONOMY THIS LIKE ANY VIRUS WILL WASH OUT THE DRAG ON OUR ECONOMY SO ITS JUST BETTER FOR OUR COUNTRY TO ALLOW THE VIRUS TO GET RID OF SOME NON EARNERS FREE UP SOME FUNDS AND GET SOME OF THE DEAD WEIGHT OFF JUST LIKE ANY OTHER FLU SEASON, when his own administration said once the united nation tries to charge you you wont be eligible to run for presidency ….so he told the public only 2 people died and this was to maintain his election..he gave away respirators and vital equipment then promised hospitals and population masks ppes no matter what it took he would make sure everyone had what they needed.then Fema was run by elected Gaynor…then,Kushner takes over without any permission Kushner with no experience no knowledge takes control we dont know where Gaynor went and now slumlord chronic criminal son in law Kushner and Trump suddenly see opportunity to profit by creating a Shadow Task Force a group of thieves with airplanes yachts helicopters boats suvs radios drones intercepting and seizing every ppe and hospital supply shipment hospitals ordered every shipment was stolen on its way to these hospitals overflowing with Covid cases these supplies were for masks gloves gowns respirator sterile parts intubation kits face shields filters nebulizers and sterile suction ferules. Kushners armed thieves robbed the hospitals of supplies for almost two months straight ICU nurses were forced to holding their breath and running in and out of isolation units just to do life saving measures on their critical covid patients. Pulmonary doctors and respiratory therapists were forced to dash in and out of rooms because they had no ppes. This was so serious that city works local police county sheriffs and Fire Departments and paramedics and ambulances attempted to escort these shipments from the thieving Kushner Trump crime ring, whereupon they were informed by Feds that not only was their attempt to help deliver their own supplies to long deprived now critically suffering first responders and hospitals this was considered acts of treason against presidential orders not only would everyone be terminated they would face prison sentence and all pensions and property seized and no social security or unemployment would be permitted and their own family would be taken into custody and removed from their homes along with all personal property while investigations of treason were done. This left community officials dumbfounded betrayed and at risk of forcibly subjected to covid. Shadow task force targetted states and cities whose governors and mayors were not Trump groupies. Anti Trump communities were the only communities deprived ppes. Kushner found a way to get these communities to contribute to the Trump campaign out of desperation and a nice fat carrot to tempt the largest Trump campaign financial supporters to contribute even larger donations. Kushner offered robbed hospitals a buy in financial buy in to join a bidding war against sister hospitals also robbed in order to outbid and win back their critically needed own supplies The very suppkies Kushner and Trump stole, however, those shipments had been offered as free swag thank you gifts to the senators mayors corp owners ceos and governors who contributed the largest financial funds towards the trump campaign…so once these hospitals received their twice purchased at insane price the supplies were so ransacked and contaminated they were not able to be used. Kushner denied refund denied this event ever happened and threats to reveal this would be considered a breach of homeland security and again an intentional act of treason because the president had reasons for procuring these supplies and funds for reasons no one was authorized or required to be informed too bad we can do anything we want what are you gonna do about it we can and are doing whatever we want and there is nothing you can do about it…isnt this Putins mantra after all…Putin is a serial genocidal murderous sadistic narcissist who says i do what i want and spit out those against doing what i tell them to do i spit them out like flies.