Texas' lieutenant governor suggests grandparents are willing to die for US economy

 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/24/covid-19-texas-official-suggests-elderly-willing-die-economy/2905990001/

The lieutenant governor of Texas argued in an interview on Fox News Monday night that the United States should go back to work, saying grandparents like him don’t want to sacrifice the country’s economy during the coronavirus crisis.

Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, 69, made the comments on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” after President Donald Trump said he wanted to reopen the country for business in weeks, not months.

Patrick also said the elderly population, who the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said are more at risk for COVID-19, can take care of themselves and suggested that grandparents wouldn’t want to sacrifice their grandchildren’s economic future.  

The Revenge of the Karen

 https://www.newsweek.com/revenge-karen-1992120

Over the last decade, the idea of "canceling" someone—boycotting them over offensive or behavior deemed, by someone, to be problematic—has become commonplace. In that cultural moment, the term "Karen" came about to describe, in derogatory terms, a middle-aged white woman who is caught acting entitled, like she "wants to speak to the manager."

These days, society throws the "Karen" label at "any white woman who dares speak against [someone] or condemns them," Ernest Owens, journalist and author of "The Case for Cancel Culture," told Newsweek. "That's not what a 'Karen' is."

COVID-19 and the Elderly: The Impact of the Pandemic on the 65+ Age Group in Israel

 https://brookdale.jdc.org.il/en/publication/aging-and-corona/

That the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the pandemic is clearly indicated by the mortality figures for COVID-19. According to UN data, the mortality rate among the 80+ population is five times that of the worldwide average, as of April 26, 2020 (United Nations, May 2020). Israel’s 65+ population at the end of 2018 totaled about a million (Shnoor & Cohen, 2020) and is estimated to reach 1.1 million by the end of 2020.[1]

House Covid-19 panel releases final report criticizing public health response to the pandemic

 https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/02/health/house-covid-subcommittee-report/index.html

The subcommittee, which is chaired by Ohio Republican Rep. Brad Wenstrup, a podiatrist, will hold a markup session for the report Wednesday before submitting it to the congressional record.

House COVID-19 panel releases final report: 3 key takeaways according to Republican conspiracy theorists

 https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5018188-house-select-subcommittee-covid-pandemic-report/

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic released its final report Monday, laying out numerous conclusions from its review of the federal pandemic response, including what the Republican-controlled panel believes to be the likely origins of the virus.

Pete Hegseth’s Secret History

 https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/pete-hegseths-secret-history

But Hegseth’s record before becoming a full-time Fox News TV host, in 2017, raises additional questions about his suitability to run the world’s largest and most lethal military force. A trail of documents, corroborated by the accounts of former colleagues, indicates that Hegseth was forced to step down by both of the two nonprofit advocacy groups that he ran—Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America—in the face of serious allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety, and personal misconduct.

Hegseth forced out of vets groups due to drinking, misconduct: New Yorker

 https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5017946-pentagon-pick-hegseth-misconduct/

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, was forced to step down by both of the two nonprofit advocacy groups that he ran due to mismanagement of funds, sexual impropriety and reports of intoxicated behavior, The New Yorker reported on Sunday.

The Kremlin Celebrates Trump’s Cabinet Picks

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-kremlin-celebrates-trumps-cabinet-picks-like-kash-patel/

“What an excellent team is coming along with Trump! Not with respect to Ukraine, but as far as everything else goes. If they are allowed to get in, they will quickly dismantle America, brick by brick. They are so great!” he said.

‘Morning Joe’ Airs the Same Chilling Clip of Trump’s FBI Pick 3 Times in a Row

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/morning-joe-airs-the-same-chilling-clip-of-trumps-fbi-pick-kash-patel-3-times-in-a-row/

“We’ve got to put in all-American patriots top to bottom,” Patel says in the footage taken from a 2023 interview with Steve Bannon, Trump’s former adviser. Patel later adds: “We will go out and find the conspirators not just in government, but in the media. Yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections.

Who Has Donald Trump Pardoned?

https://www.newsweek.com/list-who-donald-trump-has-pardoned-1993998

Michael Flynn –Former National Security Adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI over contacts with a Russian official.

Roger Stone –Trump ally convicted of lying to Congress regarding his attempts to contact WikiLeaks after the website released damaging emails about Trump's 2016 election rival Hillary Clinton.

Paul Manafort – Former Trump campaign chairman convicted of financial fraud, alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and conspiring to obstruct the investigation.

Charles Kushner – Father of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, convicted of tax evasion and witness tampering, and recently nominated by Trump as the U.S.'s ambassador to France.

Steve Bannon – Former Trump adviser charged with fraud related to a border wall fundraising campaign. Pardoned as one of Trump's final acts in office.

George Papadopoulos – Former Trump campaign adviser convicted of lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian intermediaries prior to the 2016 election.

Albert Pirro – The ex-husband of Trump ally Jeanine Pirro, a Fox News Channel host, convicted of conspiracy and tax evasion charges.

Rod Blagojevich – Former Illinois governor convicted of corruption for trying to sell Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. Trump commuted his sentence.

Lil Wayne (Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.) – Rapper convicted on firearms charges. Trump commuted his sentence.

Kodak Black (Bill K. Kapri) – Rapper serving time for weapons charges also had his sentence commuted.

Jack Johnson – As reported by Newsweek, Trump handed a posthumous pardon to Johnson, the first Black heavyweight boxing champion, who was convicted in 1913 for transporting a white woman across state lines.

Marit Ayin, Chashad, and Social Media

 https://www.etzion.org.il/en/philosophy/issues-jewish-thought/topical-issues-thought/marit-ayin-chashad-and-social-media

Some Poskim, such as the Peri Chadash, argue that only those things which Chazal explicitly prohibited because of marit ayin are prohibited. Anything else is permitted.[7] Others, however, argue that this is not the case.[8]

 Sometimes, a prohibition that seem related to marit ayin is referred to as chashad — it will cause one to be suspect.[10] Rav Moshe Feinstein (Responsa Iggerot Moshe, OC 2:40, 4:82) suggests that these are distinct categories.

 He writes that marit ayin refers to cases where Chazal wanted to avoid having a person do something that might cause others to violate prohibitions, by mimicking the activity in cases that were more problematic. This is rabbinic in nature.

 Chashad, on the other hand, refers to cases in which an observer may assume that the actor is violating a prohibition — and this is the biblical prohibition based on being clean in the eyes of man, which we saw above. This is true even though people should really give the “violator” the benefit of the doubt. However, as the Torah knows that this will not always happen, it forbids people from engaging in such suspicious activities. (Note that many believe that all these prohibitions are rabbinic.[11])

"Maris ayin” and “chashad”. What do these terms mean and how do they differ from each other?

 https://oukosher.org/halacha-yomis/talmud-often-uses-terms-maris-ayin-chashad-terms-mean-differ/

Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l (Igros Moshe (OC II:40)) defines maris ayin (literally, “appearance to the eye”) as the­ prohibition against giving the impression that one is doing something wrong when it may influence others to sin as well. Chashad (literally, “suspicion”) is the prohibition of causing others to suspect one of wrongdoing, even when it will not cause others to sin. Although maris ayin is the more serious violation, the mere appearance of impropriety is also forbidden. This is derived from the verse in Bamidbar (32:22), “And you shall be clean before Hashem and before Yisroel.” The tribes of Gad and Reuven wanted to remain on the east bank of the Jordan and not join the other tribes in conquering the Land of Israel. Moshe encouraged them to be clean (to act appropriately) “before G-d and before Yisroel.” “Before Yisroel” indicates that a person must be concerned about human perception. The Mishnah (Avoda Zara 11b) states that one is not permitted to follow a path that is designated as an entrance to a temple of idolatry. Rashi writes that this is because of chashad. Igros Moshe explains that maris ayin does not apply in this case, because there is no concern that a Jew will be easily influenced to worship idolatry. Yet, it is still forbidden to take the path towards the idol because of chashad—arousing suspicion about one’s own behavior.

COVID-19 and the Swedish enigma - the elderly were sacrificed for economic reasons

 https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)32750-1/fulltext

In the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Swedish national response continues to be an outlier with cases and deaths increasing more rapidly than in its Nordic neighbours.1,2 On Dec 20, 2020, COVID-19 deaths in Sweden had reached more than 80003 or 787 deaths per 1 million population, which is 4·5 to ten times higher than its neighbours.1–3 This difference between Nordic countries cannot be explained merely by variations in national cultures, histories, population sizes and densities, immigration patterns, the routes by which the virus was first introduced, or how cases and deaths are reported. Instead, the answers to this enigma are to be found in the Swedish national COVID-19 strategy, the assumptions on which it is based, and in the governance of the health system that has enabled the strategy to continue without major course corrections.

With this gradual approach, the number of COVID-19 deaths in Sweden peaked during the first wave at 102 reported deaths (7-day rolling average) on April 21, 2020,3 at a higher level and with slower decline than in the neighbouring Nordic countries, reaching a low in early September, 2020.1,3 Rather than anticipating the second wave and change course, the Swedish Government loosened restrictions in early October, 2020, increasing the numbers that could attend public events from 50 to 300 and allowing people older than 70 years to meet with family and friends.14

Many critical voices have been raised about Sweden's national response to COVID-19 and its failure to achieve its objectives to flatten and shorten the curves of cases, hospitalisations, and deaths.4,15 The Corona Commission (Coronakommissionen), appointed by the Swedish Government to review the national COVID-19 response, has focused initially on the situation among older people.16 On Dec 15, 2020, the Corona Commission concluded that “the single most important factor behind the major outbreaks and the high number of deaths in [elderly] residential care is the overall spread of the virus in the society”.16 In addition to the failure of the COVID-19 strategy, there are other unresolved structural factors related to the organisation of the care of older people in Sweden.

The Kash Patel Principle

 https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/11/kash-patel-principle/680838/

Trump has made clear how much he hates the FBI, and he has convinced his MAGA base that it’s a nest of political corruption. In a stunning reversal of political polarity, a significant part of the law-and-order GOP now regards the men and women of federal law enforcement with contempt and paranoia. If Trump’s goal is to break the FBI and undermine its missions, Kash Patel is the perfect nominee. Some senior officials would likely resign rather than serve under Patel, which would probably suit Trump just fine.

Of course, this means the FBI would struggle to do the things it’s supposed to be doing, including fighting crime and conducting counterintelligence work against America’s enemies. But it would become an excellent instrument of revenge against anyone Trump or Patel identifies as an internal enemy—which, in Trump’s world, is anyone who criticizes Donald Trump.