First, the haps:
-Neuse Correctional in Goldsboro, NC made national headlines after 465 (and counting) inmates tested positive for the virus. A number of other prisons, nursing homes, and factories (especially meat-processing plants) across the country also reported major outbreaks, increasingly in rural areas.
-Georgia, South Carolina, and Oklahoma were the first states to dip their toes into the hazardous waters of relaxing restrictions this week. This, while many states including Georgia are still seeing a rise in new cases and testing capacity remains inadequate across the entire country, raising concerns about the inability to detect new hotspots before they get out of control.
-The West Coast states, which took the first aggressive social distancing measures (which are all still in place), have been the only states to not just flatten, but bend the "curve" of new cases downward.
-Confirmed US cases are just under 1 million and deaths right at 50,000-- with the true case count certainly in the several-million range accounting for inadequate testing.
-Far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro continues to minimize the impact of the coronavirus, and his country has only developed the capacity to test a mere 6,700 people per day. Meanwhile, hospitals and morgues there are starting to overflow. The only conceivable near-term scenario is a fate worse than Italy's, even if the country were to magically get their act together this week-- which appears unlikely.
-Testing continues to lag throughout much of the rest of the world. But whatever the numbers may show, it's a fact that the virus is making its presence more felt in developing countries, and that the worst is definitely still to come for the poorest nations.
On the political front:
-Trump's public musings about injecting people with bleach, instilling it into their lungs, and opening up their bodies to expose the virus to UV light prompted a huge backlash from across the political spectrum. The embarrassing episode appears to have finally put an end to his nightly 2-hour televised "briefings." Which is the best news I've heard in weeks.
-As the weeks turn into months, Trump's inadequacies have become only more obvious. The brief and anemic bump in support he received in March has already evaporated, leaving his support back at his baseline of 43%, and below 50% in all the swing states he needs to stay in office. Progressives are starting to truly hope against hope that this year's election will be a good one, while preparing for the worst tactics of voter suppression that Republicans can muster.
And on the home front:
-Eliza rolled from front to back for the first time this week, and continues to increase the complexity and frequency of her vocalizations. She's going to be a talker!
-Mindy and I had stone steps put into our side gardens this week, and they look great. The gardens are taking nearly all of our free time, but that's been a nice stress reliever. Photos coming soon.
-My knee is feeling better, but I haven't tried to run yet. I'll probably start moving that direction in another week.
Stay patient, everyone-- as you all know, we aren't through this by any stretch of the imagination. But despite all the bad news, good things still happen every day.
Be well.
-Neuse Correctional in Goldsboro, NC made national headlines after 465 (and counting) inmates tested positive for the virus. A number of other prisons, nursing homes, and factories (especially meat-processing plants) across the country also reported major outbreaks, increasingly in rural areas.
-Georgia, South Carolina, and Oklahoma were the first states to dip their toes into the hazardous waters of relaxing restrictions this week. This, while many states including Georgia are still seeing a rise in new cases and testing capacity remains inadequate across the entire country, raising concerns about the inability to detect new hotspots before they get out of control.
-The West Coast states, which took the first aggressive social distancing measures (which are all still in place), have been the only states to not just flatten, but bend the "curve" of new cases downward.
-Confirmed US cases are just under 1 million and deaths right at 50,000-- with the true case count certainly in the several-million range accounting for inadequate testing.
-Far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro continues to minimize the impact of the coronavirus, and his country has only developed the capacity to test a mere 6,700 people per day. Meanwhile, hospitals and morgues there are starting to overflow. The only conceivable near-term scenario is a fate worse than Italy's, even if the country were to magically get their act together this week-- which appears unlikely.
-Testing continues to lag throughout much of the rest of the world. But whatever the numbers may show, it's a fact that the virus is making its presence more felt in developing countries, and that the worst is definitely still to come for the poorest nations.
On the political front:
-Trump's public musings about injecting people with bleach, instilling it into their lungs, and opening up their bodies to expose the virus to UV light prompted a huge backlash from across the political spectrum. The embarrassing episode appears to have finally put an end to his nightly 2-hour televised "briefings." Which is the best news I've heard in weeks.
-As the weeks turn into months, Trump's inadequacies have become only more obvious. The brief and anemic bump in support he received in March has already evaporated, leaving his support back at his baseline of 43%, and below 50% in all the swing states he needs to stay in office. Progressives are starting to truly hope against hope that this year's election will be a good one, while preparing for the worst tactics of voter suppression that Republicans can muster.
And on the home front:
-Eliza rolled from front to back for the first time this week, and continues to increase the complexity and frequency of her vocalizations. She's going to be a talker!
-Mindy and I had stone steps put into our side gardens this week, and they look great. The gardens are taking nearly all of our free time, but that's been a nice stress reliever. Photos coming soon.
-My knee is feeling better, but I haven't tried to run yet. I'll probably start moving that direction in another week.
Stay patient, everyone-- as you all know, we aren't through this by any stretch of the imagination. But despite all the bad news, good things still happen every day.
Be well.
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