Sept, 30, 2020
The sudden loss of taste and smell, the most distinct sign of a coronavirus infection, has proved a particularly disorienting — and enduring effect. Studies
haven’t determined how long it might last, but agree it could be a long
time. When covid-19 came for Dudu Mesquita, who prepares menus for
restaurants all over Brazil, it took away his sense of taste and smell. Five weeks later, they still weren’t back completely, and his doctors
couldn’t say if they ever would be. He wondered what that might mean for
him. For what is a chef who cannot taste?
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife, Jill,
paid nearly $300,000 in federal income taxes on earnings of more than $985,000
in 2019, according to returns he
released Tuesday following a news report that President Trump has paid far less
in recent years.
Trump has not voluntarily released his tax records, breaking his
own promise before his election and deviating from the practices of his
predecessors. He has explained his decision not to release them by saying that
he is under an IRS audit. But there is no law preventing him from releasing his
taxes during such a review.
Trump’s Theory of the Debate Was All Wrong
In Cleveland, the president yelled, threatened, interrupted—and
changed nothing. He’s losing.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
President Donald Trump arrived at the first debate with a theory and a
plan. The theory was that American voters crave dominance, no matter how
belligerent or offensive. The plan was to hector, interrupt, and insult in
hopes of establishing that dominance.
His theory was wrong, and his plan was counterproductive.
Trump walked onto that stage in Cleveland seven or eight points behind,
because the traditional Republican advantage among upper-income and educated
voters has dwindled; because non-college-educated white women have turned
against him; because he is losing older voters to his mishandling of COVID-19;
because the groups he needs to be demobilized—African Americans, the young—are
up-mobilized. On the present trajectory, nearly 150 million votes are likely to
be cast in 2020. If Trump wins 43 percent of them and Joe Biden 50 percent, not
even the Electoral College can convert that negative margin into a second Trump
term.
He needed to do something to change that reality.
Instead, he talked to Facebook conspiracists, to the
angriest of ultra-Republican partisans, and to violent white supremacists. He
urged the Proud Boys to “stand by” because “somebody’s got to do something”
about “antifa and the left.” He refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of
power in the (likely) event that he loses. He threatened months and months of
chaos if the election does not go his way.
Trump
yelled, threatened, interrupted—and changed nothing. All he did was confirm the
horror and revulsion of the large American majority that has already begun to
cast its ballots against him.
Correction:
Trump did one thing. On the Cleveland stage, Trump communicated that he will
seize any opportunity to disrupt the vote and resist the outcome. He
communicated more forcefully than ever that the only security the country has
for a constitutional future is that Biden wins by the largest possible margin.
Many
people will criticize how the moderator, Chris Wallace, managed the debate, and
surely he could have done better. But really, nothing short of a shock collar
around Trump’s neck would have disciplined the man who is, after all, the
president of the United States. A president who does not respect tax laws, does
not respect the FBI, is surely not going to be constrained by a debate
moderator. It was pandemonium. But it was revealing pandemonium. Who and what
Trump is could not have been more vividly displayed in all the psychological
reality. Debate one was not Donald Trump versus Joe Biden, or red versus blue.
It was zookeepers versus poop-throwing primates.
Biden
may be faded from what he was: perhaps less crisp, less sharp, less fast. But
when Biden spoke, he spoke to and about America. Trump spoke only about his
wounded ego. Biden communicated: I
care about you. Trump communicated: I hate everybody. Biden
succeeded in putting his most important messages on record: your health care, your job, your right to equal
respect, regardless of race or creed—all against Trump’s disregard and
disrespect. Trump might have imagined that he projected himself as strong. The
whole world witnessed instead the destructive rage of a bully confronting
impending defeat. Trump disgraced the presidency on that stage. He might just
have delivered the self-incapacitating wound that pushes the country toward
self-salvation.
Faith should not be a factor
in court vetting process, expert says
President Donald Trump walks with
Judge Amy Coney Barrett to a news conference to announce Barrett as his nominee
to the Supreme Court, in the Rose Garden at the White House, Saturday, Sept.
26, 2020, in Washington. (Credit: Alex Brandon/AP.)
ROME – Professor Rick Garnett, a faculty member at the University of
Notre Dame with Judge Amy Coney Barrett, U.S. President Donald Trump’s newest
pick for the U.S. Supreme Court, has weighed in on the discussion of just how
much faith should be part of the vetting process.
A professor of political science and director of Notre Dame’s program on
Church, State and Society, Garnett said that ultimately, “judges decide legal
questions, not religious ones.”
“If they are doing their jobs correctly,” he said, “they seek to
determine what the laws and rules made by others require; they do not issue
decisions that happen to advance their own beliefs or policy preferences.”
All judges “have beliefs, commitments, ideals, and values. This is
unsurprising, and there’s nothing worrisome about it,” he said, adding that in
his view, Barrett has carried out her role “with humility.”
A former clerk to the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in the run-up
to the 2016 presidential elections, Barrett, 48, is a longtime faculty member
at her alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, and since 2017 has served as a
judge on the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
On Saturday, Sept. 26, Trump nominated Barrett – a practicing Catholic
with seven children – to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Sept. 18 after battling cancer.
Barrett’s faith has fallen into the public spotlight ever since rumors of
her nomination began to make the rounds, largely linked to an episode during
her hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017 when she was being
considered for a seat on the appeals court.
During the hearing, Barrett was asked about her religious beliefs and how
they would influence her views on the constitutionality of abortion and other
issues.
Democratic California Senator Dianne Feinstein made headlines when she
told Barrett that, “dogma and law are two different things. And I think whatever
a religion is, it has its own dogma. The law is totally different. And I think
in your case, professor, when you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws
is that the dogma lives loudly within you, and that’s of concern.”
Ever since Barrett’s nomination was first floated, there has been an
explosion of discussion on whether religious beliefs should be considered
during the vetting-process for a position such as the Supreme Court.
There has also been debate over the massive ideological divide between
Barrett and Ginsburg – who was Jewish, pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, and who
became a cultural icon for her efforts in pursuing gender equality and working
to eradicate gender discrimination from the law.
In his view, Garnett doesn’t see anything exceptional in Barrett’s
nomination in terms of this shift but insisted that “every change in the
personnel of the Supreme Court of the United States is significant.”
With no set term limits, openings for Supreme Court positions are
“unpredictable,” he said, but noted that Barrett’s nomination comes “at a time
when political passions, energy, and polarization are high, given the upcoming
election.”
Speaking as a colleague, Garnett praised Barrett’s credentials, saying
she is “an accomplished scholar, a beloved teacher, and a respected judge.”
“She is obviously well qualified, and if confirmed would serve with
distinction,” he said.
Noting that Barrett would be the sixth Roman Catholic to serve on the
Supreme Court should her nomination be accepted, Garnett said he isn’t worried
about a disproportionate number of Catholic justices, as Catholics in the
United States tend to reflect the wider population, falling all over the
political spectrum.
“This current fact about the ‘overrepresentation’ of Catholics on the
Supreme Court is interesting, as a matter of history and demographics, but it
certainly isn’t cause for concern,” he said, noting that for much of U.S.
history, “all groups besides white male protestants were underrepresented on
the courts.”
“Reasons for the current make-up have more to do with the break-down of
barriers for Catholics to attend elite law schools and with the fact that
Republican presidents, who have been seeking judicially conservative nominees,
have identified a number of accomplished Catholic lawyers and judges who have
seemed to fit the bill,” he said.
Garnett also stressed that being Catholic doesn’t necessarily imply
adherence to any specific judicial philosophy. “We know that Catholics in the
United States – for better or worse – behave and think, politically, pretty
much like everyone else,” he said.
Catholic justices currently serving on the U.S. Supreme Court are: Chief
Justice John Roberts, appointed in 2005; Justice Clarence Thomas, appointed in
1991; Justice Samuel Alito, appointed in 2006; Justice Sonia Sotomayor,
appointed in 2009; and Brett Kavanaugh, appointed in 2018.
Since Barrett’s nomination, Catholic pro-life groups have been vocal
about their hope that her vote on the Supreme Court would tilt the scale in
overturning Roe v. Wade –
the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.
For Garnett, even if Barrett is confirmed, that doesn’t necessarily mean
the controversial ruling will be overturned.
As a matter of fact, “the [Supreme] Court cannot simply reach out and
overrule a decision. Instead, the Court only reviews cases that have come up
through the lower courts,” he said, noting that in order for the Court to
overrule Roe v Wade, “there first needs to be litigation involving a state of
local regulation that actually raises the question.”
“Second, we are seeing abortion-rights-supporters adopting a strategy of
litigating abortion-regulations on state-law grounds,” rather than federal.
This strategy, Garnett said, “is intended to make it more difficult for the
Court to have a chance to confront Roe directly.”
In terms of whether Barrett’s nomination will be accepted, Garnett stressed
that he’s no expert, but said that based on the current composition of the
Senate, he expects Barrett to be confirmed before the election.
“It is worth remembering that, in more normal times – not that long ago,
in fact – she would almost certainly have been confirmed overwhelmingly, as her
former boss, Justice Antonin Scalia was,” he said, but noted that in today’s
current political climate, “it has become common for senators to automatically
vote against nominees of presidents of the other party.”
Follow Elise Ann Allen on Twitter: @eliseannallen
I
am sorry if I am overwhelming you with these bits of information. This election
is of great concern throughout the whole world. It seems, for example, that if
Trump is not happy with the way a European country disagrees with him as many
did with regard to more sanctions against Iran (The US stood alone, totally
isolated from most of the European nations that are meant to be our allies), he
threatened them , our allies, with sanctions as well. That doesn’t seem to be
very diplomatic at all, as well as being unjust. South Africa has good
relations with the Palestinians and, I believe, with Iran, so it is of great
interest to us here in SA to know what we can expect in our future, which
depends on this election. It seems to me that Trump is very divisive at home
and abroad (supporting Brexit and anti-EU talk) both of which delights Putin,
who has been long trying to break apart the EU and has been influencing chaos
in the States. Trump is doing his work, if that is true.
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When
it comes to the appointment to the Supreme Court, that is also of special
interest, because, it seems to be politicizing the Supreme Court by appointing
only members of his political party. Thank God here in SA, the Supreme Court is
totally impartial, and this is, I believe, necessary for any democracy. We can
see the other countries which have been politicized and that have become rubber
stamps for the party in power
I
have always been deeply concerned about Justice and Peace (to the extent that
there is no justice, there is also, to that extent, no peace), in my own
country of birth, and in all those countries where I have worked as a
missionary, trying to see that the policies of the local governments are in
tune with the gospel values. (Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa…..with
concerns regarding the situations in Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia,
Tanzania….We are all linked together in the struggle for a just world, and what
happens in one country has repercussions in all the others.
The
lockdown has been a difficult time for me because, as you will know, I am a
people person and like to keep in touch with people. I call it “informal evangelisation”.
My visits with people invariably wind up
discussing what our religious beliefs have to do with our responsibilities as
Christian citizens
This
just came in to me and I think it will be, as they say, game changing.
A
Covid-19 test that gives results in 15 minutes without a lab has been cleared
for use in Europe
Kate Duffy , Business Insider US
Sep 30, 2020, 03:09 PM
BD's system that can run the
rapid coronavirus test.
·
Becton Dickinson’s COVID-19
test, which gives results in 15 minutes, has been approved in countries that
accept a European Union quality mark, the US company said.
·
The rapid antigen test, which
is already used in the US, is expected to be on the European market by the end
of October.
·
It will likely be used by
emergency departments, pediatricians and general practitioners, the company
said.
·
The portable BD Veritor Plus
System is part of a new class of coronavirus tests designed to produce
results faster than other methods.
A Becton Dickinson lab-free
Covid-19 test that returns results in 15 minutes has been cleared for use in
Europe.
The US medical device maker
said on Wednesday that its testing kit for coronavirus, which has been available
in the US since July, met the requirements to be sold in Europe.
It will be available in
countries that recognise the CE mark, which shows that a manufacturer has
ensured a product meets European Union safety requirements.
Becton Dickinson said it
expects its test to be commercially available in European markets by the end of
October. It will most likely be used by emergency departments, pediatricians,
and general practitioners, it said.
The portable BD Veritor Plus System can
quickly identify antigens on the surface of the coronavirus without requiring a
lab. Antigen tests are designed to produce results rapidly, but are generally
less reliable than the gold-standard PCR assay.
Troy Kirkpatrick, a
spokesperson for Becton Dickinson, said that a new clinical study shows the
test correctly identifies infections 93.5% of the time, whilst the rate of
correct negative results stands at 99.3%, per Bloomberg.
In the US, the entire system
costs between $250 and $300, and tests costs $20 each. Becton Dickinson's head
of diagnostics for Europe, Fernand Goldblat, said the company was talking
governments and health authorities in Europe about "where and how our
solutions would fit."
"It is really a
game-changing introduction here in Europe," he said. April and May were
the worst months for Covid-19 in Europe and "unfortunately I think we're
headed back in that direction. So the need [for Covid-19 tests] will be
extremely high," he added.
The approval of the rapid
antigen test in Europe comes as the continent experiences a worrying
resurgence in coronavirus cases.
As
for my health, I am probably the healthiest guy in our house, as I have no
major problems….blood pressure is fine, no diabetes, no heart or other
problems, just my ever present spasms.
But,
as for the spasms, with the help of the neurologist (Colin Wolpe) and our
family doctor here at the old folks
home(Mlungisi Kheswa), Dr. Wolpe ordered Epeleptin ( used against epileptic
spams) and Dr. Kheswa ordered Diclofenac (an anti inflammatory) and the two
work beautifully in keeping the spasms pretty much under control. I can dress
myself, even put my socks on, take a shower by myself, and, especially, I can
still drive and the spasms don’t interfere. The driving has been a blessing.
I
had a couple of sessions with the physiotherapist, who gave me some exercises
to do and they have really helped. As you already, I am sure, know, the after
effect of the knee replacement was these no good spasms, my left knee never got
straight, because when she tried to push down and straighten my leg after the
op, the spasms pushed up with more force than she was able to push down. So, one
leg is a bit shorter than the other because it isn’t straight which throws my
back out of line so I have to do something to counteract that and I am able,
when she gets finished with me, to walk
much straighter, and with less chance of moving that knee in a direction that
causes pain.
I
live on the second floor (American second, European first) 26 steps so I get
plenty of exercise each day as I am up an down at least 5 or 6 or more times a
day. Bu I miss cutting the grass and don’t get enough exercise, I feel, so that
I am going to get fat ( we get good food here).
Just
for curiosity sake, my normal schedule is rising at 4am. A very hot Shower.
Exercises and massaging my left leg, then back under the covers for a bit with
all muscles relaxed (say from about 4:15 to 6am). Then, 6am, get dressed and
have my oat meal porridge via the microwave, A kind of health drink full of
vitamins and healthy stuff, and then say my morning prayers, check my emails,
and at 7am head down for Mass, on the way preparing my bowl of bran flakes, a
pit stop before going to the chapel, and then prepare the readings for the day
( I tried, one week, to take my turn at the altar as the main celebrant but it
was too awkward as I always have to lean on something ( I use one crutch having
graduated from 2 crutches). Now I concelebrate sitting in the pew and read the
readings of the day. Mass starts at 7:30
and by 8 we are in the dining room for breakfast. Breakfast is prepared here at
MD (Mater Dolorosa, the old folks home). Remember his is an institution…Monday,
Wednesday, Thursday….either 2 slices of lunch meat or two slices of cheese
(wrapped in plastic). I also add a small bowl of Bran Flakes. A cup of coffee
and some jam or cheese spread. I usually have a piece of toast too.
Tuesday,
scrambled eggs…Friday, boiled eggs (usually hard boiled except if Baneli is
boiling them…she is the only one who knows how to make soft boiled eggs.
Sunday,
the jackpot…Bacon or sausage and eggs. Wow.
Breakfast is prepared by the one who is on duty or by a care giver.
The
morning is spent catching up on the internet news or doing some shopping or
getting my scrips at the pharmacy, which, involves driving (and getting out of
the house).
Afternoon,
usually a nap for maybe a half hour or stretching it to 2pm. More reading of
news and other things. About 3pm I use Whatsapp to phone a friend in LA and
after that more reading and preparing things for tomorrow (oats ready for the
microwave, Lifegain in the shaker ready for some water and mixing) and water in
the kettle for a cup of coffee.
About
5:40 pm I head downstairs to the sitting room where the others and I gather and
have a kind of kafeeklatch, before
supper. Supper can be anything from 6 to 6:30pm, after which we watch the news
till 7:30pm (BBC, AlJazeera, and some local stations to get a mix of world and
local news. CNN is too American for our gang here.)
From
7:30, I either read or make phone calls here and there using Whatsapp (often
video, which I just recently discovered, or using Skype, which costs me 2cent a
minute because of a special deal I managed to get years ago). I use it either for people who also have
Skype…then it is free… or for people, like my
Uncle Casey (92) who doesn’t have Skype.
Then
about 9:30 or so, I do the exercises that I did in the morning with my left leg
(ignoring the spasms) and by 10 or 10:30 I am under the covers.
I
think that this is enough for now so I will say goodbye or good night or
whatever.
If
you have any complaint with my news, let me know. I just feel that this
election is soooo important not just for the US but for the whole world which
will be affected by it in one way or the other. Prayer is definitely in order.
Everyone,
young and old, must vote. Lots and
lots of love, Cas
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