Vaccines, Infrastructure, and Kids In Cages: US Politics April 2021

I can't believe these chumps sent him their phone numbers

Meantime

BREAKING: “A founding member of the Oath Keepers arrested in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol has agreed to plead guilty and cooperate against others in the case.” https://t.co/suDdhLB59w

— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) April 16, 2021

I can't believe these chumps sent him their phone numbers

You kidding? I totally can.

I just get a major kick out of these chuds being like "I HAVE REGISTERED A SACRED OATH IN HEAVEN AND I WILL DEFEND IT TO THE DEATH WITH MY RIFLE AND oh wait, ten years, are you serious? yeah, I can give you some names"

— the phlegmatic king (@keithpille) April 16, 2021

Presumably he already most of their numbers from when they bought 30 pillows each to show their support.

Speaking of things that should have been in the works long before mid-April of 2021:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-administration-announces-1-7-billion-track-covid-variants-n1264267

For the better late than never, I guess, file.

NYT reporting, though sort of garbled, seems to indicate that Biden breaking his promise to undo Trump's super low refugee caps has gone from a failure to act (or have good answers) to a definite policy decision. Fuck that.

here's that reporting:

The Biden administration will keep the target of refugee admissions for this year at the historically low level set by the Trump administration, walking back an earlier pledge to welcome more than 60,000 refugees into the United States.

President Biden in February committed to welcoming those fleeing persecution around the world, and to raising the cap of 15,000 refugees set by the prior administration. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken notified Congress on Feb. 12 that the administration planned to allow up to 62,500 refugees to enter the country in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

The reversal on Mr. Biden’s promise to welcome in thousands of families fleeing war and religious persecution signals the president’s hesitant approach to rebuilding an immigration system gutted by his successor. But the delay in officially designating the refugee admissions has already left hundreds of refugees cleared to travel to the United State stranded in camps around the world and infuriated resettlement agencies that accused Mr. Biden of breaking an earlier promise to restore the American reputation as a sanctuary for the oppressed.

A senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the decision-making, said the administration grew concerned that the surge of border crossings by unaccompanied minors was too much and had already overwhelmed the refugee branch of the Department of Health and Human Services. But migrants at the border seeking asylum are processed in an entirely separate system than refugees fleeing persecution overseas.

While those who step on American soil are legally entitled to apply for asylum and can eventually appear before an immigration judge in the United States, refugees apply for protection overseas and are forced to clear multiple levels of vetting that can often take years.

The administration will change subcategories for refugee slots created by the Trump administration that gave priority to Iraqis who had worked for the U.S. military and people, primarily Christians, who are facing religious persecution. But the classification also disqualified most other Muslim and African refugees. As a region, Africa has the most displaced people needing resettlement. An administration official said the change would allow the Biden administration to fill the cap of 15,000, although it would also leave thousands of additional refugees cleared to fly to the United States stranded in camps.

NEW: A study by Run For Something found a potential reverse coattails effect: lower-level candidates running in nearly hopeless situations — red districts that Democrats had traditionally considered no-win territory — may help figures atop the ballot https://t.co/3J57kjwnGn

— isabella grullón paz (@igrullonpaz) April 16, 2021

My mom was born in a DMZ and was classed as a refugee when she and her family came to the US...

I wonder how quickly former numbers would be restored (or more refugees allowed in) if the refugees were white and could help the US stategically whitewash its misdeeds..

The refugee decision makes no sense at all. We have an infrastructure already in place to handle it, there are local refugee agencies all over the country. Terrible and dumb.

And speaking of terrible and dumb, the fascist clown caucus is coming together: https://www.thedailybeast.com/america-first-caucus-tied-to-rep-greene-spews-nativist-rhetoric-touting-anglo-saxon-political-traditions

The administration's stance on refugees only makes sense if it's in the context of containing COVID spread.

In the context of the US doing so little to contain COVID within its borders, how could that be more important than saving refugees' lives by allowing them to come here? Test, vaccinate, quarantine, do whatever works on arrival.

At any rate, the fact they're not even floating that as a reason is alarming. I suppose it's too early to say this fully, but it feels like Trump opened up a lane for a Biden-led "progressive" version of America First that is deeply shortsighted given the global nature of pandemics, climate changes, etc.

i'm guessing the reason is they are political cowards. that's usually the reason with the democrats.

One has to assume they would have said that at any point over the last three months, if that were the reason.

Meanwhile, a new variant has been found in India, and they are continuing to allow over fifty flights a day to potentially import this, just as with the Kent and Brazilian and South African variants that now make up effectively 100% of new infections.

^ was xp to The administration's stance on refugees only makes sense if it's in the context of containing COVID spread.

This sucks. The only way to spin this is the White House assuming the cynical worst about Democratic voters, and, speaking of cynicism, they will get not one more vote and, should the situation worsen, possibly lose a few.

One has to assume they would have said that at any point over the last three months, if that were the reason.

Yes one would assume that, which is why I said "[it] only makes sense if..." and not "[it] must be because...". I don't believe that's why they're doing it and it's extra-dumb because it's the only context in which it's even nominally defensible given what they campaigned on.

Psaki seemed to get good reviews at first when she seemed like a normal smart human being without severe brain worms and rebuffing some Fox News stunt question bullshit with the contempt they deserve, but this condescending "I can assure you..." blah blah blah stonewalling shit is getting old wrt the border (and assuming other things too)

Times article has been updated to include:

Mr. Biden still plans to raise the level of refugee admissions to 125,000 in October for the next fiscal year, the administration official said.

Americans worry 'a great deal' about illegal immigration:

https://news.gallup.com/poll/1660/immigration.aspx

you do hear about it incessantly

That's not a very helpful question that you cite, pomenitul— I worry a great deal about so called "illegal immigration," but mostly because I want the term abolished and the borders opened up.

Don't they realize how hard we worked to be spat out of our mothers' birth canals and onto American soil?

The next question is more telling.

xp

Thanks, that's depressing.

On the optimistic side, it looks like an overwhelming majority approve of immigration in general. So, yeah, the demonization of phrases like 'illegal immigration' could go a long way towards changing perceptions.

Update, after the backlash by his party's Senate Majority Whip https://t.co/NNd91WyDFI

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) April 16, 2021

but still, "his initial goal of 62,500 seems unlikely."

"subject of some confusion", gtfo with your obfuscation and stonewalling bullshit. just do the right thing.

I was agreeing with you, not arguing, Dan.

Lol sorry! Sometimes it’s hard to tell 🤷🏾‍♂️

((hugs))

One of the reasons I hate the sniping on these threads so much is because it automatically puts me in the frame of mind to read responses in the least generous manner possible. It’s absolutely a me problem and I can’t blame others here for it; I can only control how I react/behave.

I don't know if this is the right thread for this, but the father of the neo-nazi girl who stole Pelosi's laptop has been arrested for child porn.

https://www.abc27.com/news/local/dauphin-co-security-guard-accused-of-child-porn-father-of-woman-accused-of-stealing-pelosis-laptop/

Jen Psaki rn https://t.co/iqU0m48JG2

— Tom Scocca (@tomscocca) April 16, 2021

Meantime, when your pardon didn’t mean as much as you think

DOJ filed a lawsuit today against ex-Trump adviser Roger Stone saying he owes nearly $2 million in unpaid taxes and penalties and that he and his wife used an LLC to "shield their personal income from enforced collection and fund a lavish lifestyle." pic.twitter.com/HrGXciIMcV

— Brad Heath (@bradheath) April 16, 2021

well i never

Goshdarnit!

he seemed like such an above-board kinda guy

I never believed the stuff those potty-mouthed scandalmongers said about the swinging and the acid baths

https://www.dailyposter.com/p/sinema-and-manchin-headlining-event-93a

lol

.@Cnn graphic of the other pandemic. @NewDay pic.twitter.com/5cLmQKOOrb

— Juliette Kayyem (@juliettekayyem) April 16, 2021

If I were going to write a conspiracy thriller right now, it would be about Russia and Saudi Arabia funneling money into the U.S. to buy as many guns as possible and distribute them as widely as possible, especially to people who seem like they might hurt someone.

But I think the bigger picture is about corruption, which is really how a lot of this stuff should be framed I think. There are corrupt forces at work, a union of racist evangelicals who want a theocracy and a legion of foreign interests and outright scammers and mercenaries. They have taken control of one of our two political parties, although there is still some establishment resistance, and they are trying to really get control of the whole thing. Not just the presidency next time, because that turned out to have limitations, but the courts and the military too. The courts are probably more than half gone in terms of having people willing or eager to undermine democracy. The military has held up at the top but probably less so further down the ranks. But it's mostly all just in the interest of money.

(If I were going to start a podcast right now, it would be a historical primer on American corruption.)

With all children like Adam Toledo who might be struggling, it’s up to all of us to mentor them, to guide and nurture them.
When we don’t, the streets will.
Every child is looking for their village, their community.
We decide what they will find.
We failed, and the streets won.

— Arne Duncan (@arneduncan) April 16, 2021

paging Mr. Choppy

fascism in MN!

Don't you ever, EVER have the balls to claim you are a Constitutionalist if you support this action. https://t.co/U2y8gyNxZ3

— Tim Johnson (@TimJohnsonMN) April 17, 2021

Meanwhile, a new variant has been found in India, and they are continuing to allow over fifty flights a day to potentially import this, just as with the Kent and Brazilian and South African variants that now make up effectively 100% of new infections.

― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Saturday, April 17, 2021 5:14 AM (fifteen hours ago)

oh never mind, it's here now so there's no point in trying to restrict or mitigate it, that's only been an effective strategy in every country that's tried it and has been back to normal life for ten months

The B.1.617 variant was first detected in India, but has since been found elsewhere, including California. It has worried experts as it contains two mutations in the spike protein that, it has been suggested, may boost its ability to escape the body’s immune responses. It is thought the variant may also be able to infect the body more easily.

Prof Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, said the arrival of the India variant was potentially worrying.

“These two escape mutations working together could be a lot more problematic than the South African and Brazilian variants who have only got one escape mutation,” he said. “It might be even less controlled by vaccine than the Brazilian and South African variants.”

2 preventable deaths in Wyoming this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
3 preventable deaths in Hawaii this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
6 preventable deaths in North Dakota this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
10 preventable deaths in Rhode Island this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
10 preventable deaths in South Dakota this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
10 preventable deaths in Maine this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
10 preventable deaths in Vermont this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
12 preventable deaths in Kansas this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
13 preventable deaths in Utah this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
13 preventable deaths in New Hampshire this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
13 preventable deaths in District of Columbia this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
16 preventable deaths in Oregon this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
19 preventable deaths in Alaska this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
23 preventable deaths in New Mexico this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
24 preventable deaths in Arkansas this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
25 preventable deaths in Colorado this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
26 preventable deaths in Idaho this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
27 preventable deaths in Iowa this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
27 preventable deaths in Delaware this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
34 preventable deaths in Montana this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
36 preventable deaths in Wisconsin this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
37 preventable deaths in West Virginia this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
41 preventable deaths in Puerto Rico this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
44 preventable deaths in Tennessee this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
45 preventable deaths in Mississippi this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
50 preventable deaths in Connecticut this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
51 preventable deaths in Nevada this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
61 preventable deaths in Alabama this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
66 preventable deaths in Massachusetts this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
67 preventable deaths in Minnesota this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
70 preventable deaths in South Carolina this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
73 preventable deaths in Louisiana this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
80 preventable deaths in Indiana this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
84 preventable deaths in Washington this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
85 preventable deaths in Arizona this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
88 preventable deaths in Kentucky this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
91 preventable deaths in Oklahoma this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
93 preventable deaths in Virginia this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
102 preventable deaths in Maryland this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
103 preventable deaths in Missouri this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
116 preventable deaths in North Carolina this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
156 preventable deaths in Illinois this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
173 preventable deaths in Ohio this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
250 preventable deaths in Pennsylvania this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
270 preventable deaths in New Jersey this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
288 preventable deaths in Georgia this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
345 preventable deaths in Florida this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
367 preventable deaths in Michigan this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
431 preventable deaths in New York this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
447 preventable deaths in Texas this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine
690 preventable deaths in California this week, but it's okay because the president didn't tweet about hydroxychloroquine

What do you propose?

These deaths are not preventable at this point. I’d love if everyone suddenly became responsible too, but the cat is out of the bag at this point.

Getting Trump off the TV has unquestionably saved lives. Bidens team putting together a vaccination plan (which the previous administration didn’t have at all) is going to save many many more. Of course you can always do more. But it’s not nothing.