With 100,000 Dead, The Cost of Trump's Dithering is Both Undeniable and Indefensible

by Nomad

As the death count from the Coronavirus pandemic in the US exceeds 100,000, we should never forget how President Trump, instead of taking action, attempted repeatedly and consistently to downplay the approaching crisis.

CoVid-19: The Long Road to Recovery or Rush to Disaster?

by Nomad

Embed from Getty Images

Demonstrators take part in an "American Patriot Rally," organized on April 30, 2020, by Michigan United for Liberty on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, demanding the reopening of businesses. - The group is upset with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's mandatory closure to curtail Covid-19. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP) (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

As the Corona Spring winds on, the questions on the minds of most Americans are "is this push to re-open the US after the outbreak too soon?" and "Will we be needlessly risking  lives solely for economic fears?"

CoVid-19 Pandemic: The Worst and the Best of Humanity on Display

by Nomad

Protesters, including Republican Senate candidate Melissa Acksion, left, stand outside the Statehouse Atrium where reporters listen during the State of Ohio's Coronavirus response update on Monday, April 13, 2020 at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo: Joshua A. Bickel)

Sanity Break: Seven Days Walking by Ludovico Einaudi

by Nomad

We all need some relief from the depressing news.

This week I decided to highlight the work of Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi. His album, entitled Seven Days Walking, features Einaudi on piano, Federico Mecozzi on violin and viola, and Redi Hasa on cello.

Released on 19 April 2019. the impressionistic composition was inspired by winter walks in the mountains near Einaudi's Italian home. In the winter of 2018, he walked the same route in the Alps and experienced it differently every time.

A series of meditations based on seven walks on seven different days. (That's something we have somehow taken for granted until the Corona era.)

I hope you find this music calming as we find our own paths through these troubled times.

Covid-19: When the US Became Ground Zero

by Nomad

A grim milestone came and went at the end of this devastating week. On Friday, the coronavirus killed more New Yorkers than the terrorists who flew airplanes into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. The September 11 attacks killed about 2,700 people in New York state. In contrast, the coronavirus has so far killed 2,935 state residents of all age groups.

The Covid-19 Crisis and the Unraveling of a President

by Nomad

Embed from Getty Images

As the Covid-19 crisis deepens, President Trump held another press briefing on Sunday in the Rose Garden and it went pretty much as anybody could have predicted. 

Coronavirus Comes to Washington

by Nomad

Embed from Getty Images

US President Donald Trump speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, at the White House on March 22, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP) (Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)

CoVid-19: Closures, Lock-downs and Panic Buying Around the World

by Nomad

Around the world, governments have been forced to take drastic measures to slow the spread of the Corona-virus. The graph on the left shows a comparison between the CoVid-19 spread in Italy, the USA and the UK.

As AP reports:

Officials across the country curtailed many elements of American life to fight the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday, with health officials recommending that groups of 50 or more don’t get together and a government expert saying a 14-day national shutdown may be needed.
Governors and mayors closed restaurants, bars, and schools as the nation sank deeper into chaos. Travelers returning home from abroad were stuck in line for hours at major airports for screenings, crammed into just the kind of crowded spaces that public health officials have urged people to avoid.  

2020: The Year of the Virus

by Nomad

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the current risk assessment:

• For most people, the immediate risk of being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be low. This virus is not currently widespread in the United States.
• People in places where ongoing community spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been reported are at elevated risk of exposure, with increase in risk dependent on the location.
• Healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19 are at elevated risk of exposure.
• Close contacts of persons with COVID-19 also are at elevated risk of exposure.
• Travelers returning from affected international locations where community spread is occurring also are at elevated risk of exposure, with increase in risk dependent on the location.

Video of Roger Stone's Deposition Interview Reveals His True Nature

by Nomad

Politico offers this analysis of the deposition interview given last month by former Trump operator and friend, Roger Stone. Stone, as you probably already know, was convicted last fall of lying to Congress and threatening a witness regarding his efforts for Trump's 2016 campaign.
This deposition, given days before Stone was sentenced to 40 months in prison, was, in fact, related to six different civil lawsuits Stone is still facing,

As his demeanor demonstrates, Stone was under extreme stress and struggling to contain pent-up fury.

With no judge on hand, Stone was free to tear into his enemies as he did in an earlier era. He could be combative and hard-charging if he wanted. He could even spout vulgarities as he spared with his inquisitor.