Steve Thomas

Cliff, Make no mistake about it. Herd immunity means culling the herd. You weed out the weak, the sick and the infirm. Steve Thomas

Regeneron board member and executive sell $1 million in stock after Trump touts treatment https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/regeneron-board-member-executive-sell-1-million-stock-after-trump-n1242762?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma “The New York Times reported that Trump’s financial documents reveal the president’s three family trusts held investments in Regeneron as well as pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, which itself is a major shareholder in Regeneron. His 2017 filing with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics disclosed shares in Regeneron, but they did not appear on his 2020 filing. A Regeneron company spokesperson said Goldstein and McCourt’s stock sales were pre-planned through a mechanism designed to avoid accusations of insider trading and were automatically triggered by the stock hitting certain levels. After NBC News asked for copies of the plans, Bowie said, “The plans themselves are not public.” Accountable Pharma, a campaign of the watchdog group Accountable.US, said the sales raised potential ethical concerns for the Trump administration and the drug company executives and called for an “investigation.” "This is the latest case in a clear pattern of President Trump pumping up stocks with his 'miracle cure' hype and pledges of taxpayer dollars while drug company executives dump their shares and guarantee they come out ahead whether their treatment works or not,” spokesman Eli Zupnick said in an email. “There should absolutely be an investigation to determine whether there were any improprieties regarding these stock sales, including any potential government action taken to enrich President Trump or his political advisers," he wrote.” Steve Thomas

Don't forget what we're fighting for. The Dream has just begun. Steve Thomas

It's nice to see that Donald Trump won a major endorsement today. From the Taliban. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/10/10/taliban-endorses-president-trump/114258900/ https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/10/10/taliban-endorses-president-trump/114258900/ Steve Thomas

CONTESTING THE VOTE: THE ROLE OF CONGRESS; What the House and Senate Could Do, or Not Do, in Picking the President By David E. Rosenbaum November 30, 2000 https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/30/us/contesting-vote-role-congress-what-house-senate-could-not-picking-president.html Rosenbaum was writing about the election in 2000. “Under a 1934 law, electors meet in their states to cast their votes for president on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December -- Dec. 18 this year. At least six days before that -- Dec. 12 this year -- each governor must certify who his or her state's electors are and send a ''certificate of ascertainment'' to Washington. The states, under the law, are supposed to have resolved all disputes over their electors by Dec. 12, and the choices made then are ''deemed conclusive.'' “But what if Mr. Gore prevails in court in Florida, a recount shows him with more votes in the state than Mr. Bush and the court orders state officials to submit a slate of electors pledged to Mr. Gore? What if the state legislature thumbs its nose at the court and insists on Republican electors? And what if the court proceedings take so long that the Dec. 12 deadline is missed and the Gore electors are not chosen until later?” In 2020, the first Monday after the second Wednesday is December 15th. If the Electoral College has not decided by December 14th, the matter is given to Congress who meet to count the electors on early January. The winner is chosen by a majority in the House and a majority in the Senate. If Congress can’t decide, it’s referred to the Supreme Court. The Court may refuse to hear the case and send it back down to the Legislative Branch. The First Day of a New Congress: A Guide to Proceedings on the Senate Floor Congressional Research https://www.senate.gov/CRSpubs/cf80c40a-29bc-4d1b-9dec-541dff2349b6.pdf “The Constitution mandates that Congress convene at noon on January 3, unless the preceding Congress by law designated a different day. P.L. 113-201set January 6, 2015, as the convening date of the 114thCongress. The 115thCongress convenedon January 3, 2017.Congressional leaders announced the 116thCongress would convene January 3, 2019. Other first-day activities may occur as a consequence of specific circumstances, such as providing for a joint session with the House to count electoral votes after a presidential election” Steve Thomas

Joe, I'm not so sure they're speaking anymore. DT gives me the DT's Steve Thomas

Ron, Bruno Sammartino was my hero. :-) Steve Thomas

Deleted Steve Thomas

25th Amendment to the Constitution Section 4: Declaration by vice president and principal officers Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/08/nancy-pelosi-donald-trump-25th-amendment-removal Democrats in the US Congress have announced a plan to create a commission to review whether Donald Trump is capable of carrying out his presidential duties or should face removal from office. The office of the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, announced a Friday press conference about the bill after she expressed concern that Trump, who is under treatment for coronavirus at the White House, is suffering a “disassociation from reality”. Steve Thomas

Six Billion Texts and Counting—How the Presidential Campaign Is Blowing Up Everyone’s Phone By Lachlan Markay https://www.thedailybeast.com/six-billion-texts-and-countinghow-the-presidential-campaign-is-blowing-up-everyones-phone?ref=home “It’s not just you; the entire country is being bombarded with political text messages. The numbers are astronomical, and they show no signs of letting up before voters go to the polls next month. Anyone who’s found themselves on a political party or campaign’s text-messaging list will attest to the fusillade of fundraising appeals to which they’re subjected. The wave can be measured by the persistent buzz of your phone, or chime alerting you to another message in your inbox. But hard macro data on the scale of America’s political text campaigns has been hard to come by. That’s changing with the release of numbers from RoboKiller, a leading service to combat unwanted robocalls and text-messaging spam. According to RoboKiller data, Americans received an estimated six billion text messages related to the presidential election alone from June through September. And the volume of texts from political campaigns, parties, and interest groups increased substantially over that time. The 2.7 billion political texts that Americans got in September was nearly six times what they’d received three months earlier.” Steve Thomas

Joe, I too want to thank Kathy Becket, James Gordon and all or any of the moderators that I don't even know about, for allowing this release valve. It helps. Steve Thomas

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8819293/Trump-claims-cured-interview-COVID-hospital-treatment.html BREAKING NEWS: Nancy Pelosi says Congress will discuss using 25th Amendment powers which could REMOVE Donald Trump amid fears COVID steroid treatment is affecting his mental health Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would lead a discussion on Friday about invoking the 25th amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office 'Come here tomorrow,' she told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday. 'We're going to be talking about the 25th Amendment' She refused to give any more details - a move that will likely stoke speculation and build suspense over the next 24 hours Also https://thehill.com/homenews/house/520191-pelosi-were-going-to-be-talking-about-25th-amendment Steve Thomas

Senator Rand Paul commented on last night's Vice-Presidential debate. Okee Doke. Steve Thomas

Donald Trump said getting the coronavirus was a Blessing from God. If COVID-19 is a Blessing, I think I'll just stick with the Tibetan Book of the Dead, if it's all the same to you. Steve Thomas

“The second Women’s March of 2020 is being planned for October 17th, 2020 due to the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg on September 18th, 2020. There are 10,000 people planning on attending the march in Washington DC along with over 100 marches across 39 states in 30 cities being planned on that day...” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Women%27s_March Somehow, I think 10,000 is going to prove to be a vast under-estimate. Steve Thomas

America’s largest police-owned media company proudly announces endorsement of Donald J. Trump for President Posted by: Kyle S. Reyes |October 5, 2020 https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/law-enforcement-today-endorses-president-donald-j-trump/ I’m sorry. Could you repeat that? America’s largest police-owned media company… America’s largest police-owned media company... I thought that’s what that said. Steve Thomas

Trump Surrogates Who Should Be Quarantining Hit Campaign Trail "People who were in close proximity to the president around the time of his COVID-19 diagnosis are hosting in-person events throughout the country." By Jessica Schulberg https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-surrogates-exposed-coronavirus-campaign-instead-of-coronavirus-quarantine_n_5f7d0790c5b6e5aba0d1b568 “Even as new people linked to the White House test positive for COVID-19 each day, the Trump campaign shows little concern about limiting the spread of the virus. On Thursday, several of Trump’s family members, advisers and surrogates who had been around the president before he tested positive for COVID-19 are scheduled to travel around the country to appear at campaign events. Vice President Mike Pence, the head of the White House’s coronavirus task force, is planning to travel to Nevada and Arizona on Thursday for back-to-back “Make America Great Again” events at an airplane hangar and a military and police gear manufacturer. Later that day, the president’s son Eric Trump will host two events in North Carolina while his brother Donald Trump Jr. hosts an event in Panama City Beach, Florida, at a Holiday Inn. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski will also be in Florida, hosting an event at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Naples. That evening, Trump campaign advisers Katrina Pierson, Mercedes Schlapp and Lara Trump, who is Eric Trump’s wife, will appear at a “Women for Trump” bus tour event at the New Englander Banquet Center in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Each of those events features campaign surrogates who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, should be in quarantine. The Trump campaign did not respond to an email asking when the people hosting Thursday’s campaign events last interacted with Trump or anyone else who has tested positive for the coronavirus. The campaign also did not respond to a question about what safety precautions will be in place at the events to protect attendees and staff. The event pages on the campaign’s website do not advise attendees to wear masks or practice social distancing, although they do include a disclosure that by registering for the event, individuals forfeit their right to sue if they contract COVID-19.” Steve Thomas

I voted today. That felt good. Steve Thomas

‘Smart’ male chastity device vulnerable to locking by hackers: researchers https://www.rawstory.com/2020/10/smart-male-chastity-device-vulnerable-to-locking-by-hackers-researchers/ “We discovered that remote attackers could prevent the Bluetooth lock from being opened, permanently locking the user in the device. There is no physical unlock,” British security firm Pen Test Partners said Tuesday. “An angle grinder or other suitable heavy tool would be required to cut the wearer free.” “The firm also found other security flaws in the Cellmate — listed for $189 on Qiui’s website — that could expose sensitive user information such as names, phone numbers, birthdays and location data.” Steve Thomas

In addition to winning the Noble Piece Prize a couple of times, and being given the Michigan Man of the Year Award, in an October 2, 2020 radio interview with WZFG radio station in Fargo, North Dakota, Eric Trump said that his father, "literally saved Christianity." https://www.am1100theflag.com/show-episodes/22643-10-02-20-whats-your-mind-hour-1 I don'texactly know what Donald Trump was supposed to have saved Christianity from, but I wonder if somebody should call up the Vatican and let them know. That ranks right up there with Theodosius I and Constantine. Eric gave a deposition under oath to the New York Attorney General's office on Monday. I'll bet that went pretty well. Steve Thomas

Senior Pentagon leadership quarantining after exposure to coronavirus By Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent October 6, 2020 https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/06/politics/pentagon-leadership-self-isolating-coronavirus/index.html "The top US general, Gen. Mark Milley, and several members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are quarantining after a top Coast Guard official tested positive for coronavirus, several US defense officials tell CNN. The Vice Commandant of the US Coast Guard, Adm. Charles Ray, tested positive on Monday. "On Monday, the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Charles Ray, tested positive for COVID-19. He was tested the same day, after feeling mild symptoms over the weekend," the Coast Guard said in a statement Tuesday. Ray recently attended several meetings at the Pentagon in secure areas with members of the Joint Chiefs. Multiple defense officials tell CNN that senior Pentagon leadership who had been in proximity to Ray have been tested and are awaiting results. As a precaution, Milley is working from home, a defense official says. Milley has so far tested negative. As President Donald Trump's top military adviser, he maintains a full classified communications suite in his house, the official said. The Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, Charles Brown, the Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday and the Chief of Space Operations, Gen. John Raymond, also are all working from home, according to several officials." Steve Thomas

NEWS: A military aide who comes in contact with President Trump tested positive over the weekend, a person familiar with the matter tells NBC News, confirming CNN’s reporting. by Geoff Bennett https://twitter.com/GeoffRBennett/status/1313488884421079047 EDIT Two more Trump military aides test positive for coronavirus https://www.rawstory.com/2020/10/two-more-trump-military-aides-test-positive-for/ Donald Trump, our Spreader-In-Chief Steve Thomas

U.S. goods trade deficit in August hits record high https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/06/goods-trade-deficit-august-record-high-426739 “Trump also has made reducing the trade deficit a defining feature of his trade policy. The monthly trade reports are an important benchmark for measuring the president's success.” “The monthly U.S. trade deficit in goods hit a record high in August, despite President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign promises to reduce it dramatically by negotiating new trade deals and getting tough on unfair foreign trade practices, a Commerce Department report showed on Tuesday. The overall trade deficit was $67.1 billion, reflecting a surplus in services trade with the rest of world — the highest since 2006. The deficit for U.S. goods trade by itself was $83.9 billion, the highest ever recorded.” “U.S. imports from all countries totaled $239.0 billion in August, compared to $231.7 billion in July. Exports also increased to $171.9 billion, from $168.3 billion. But the bigger rise in imports pushed the monthly U.S. trade deficit to a 14-year high.” No comment. Steve Thomas

Kellyanne Conway talks to her 15 year old daughter about Covid. "You lied about your own f_ing mother? About Covid? Are you taping me again? https://twitter.com/outtomykonos/status/1313361834347499520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Steve Thomas

Why does this make me think of Hansel and Gretel? Steve Thomas