There are now 8,945,891 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the USA. There have been 228,668 deaths from the virus here as well. The White House signaled defeat in the pandemic as a coronavirus outbreak roiled Pence’s office. Yet, on Tuesday, in an official White House press release, the Trump Administration took credit for "ending the COVID 19 pandemic." Uh.... I don't think so... There's no way to sugarcoat it. COVID-19 cases are surging. One American dies every 107 seconds!
VIRUS NEWS:
Last Friday, Donald Trump said the pandemic will 'quickly end.' That same day, the US hit a record number of new infections --more than 82,600!
The US reported its second-highest day of coronavirus cases since the pandemic began on Saturday.
More than half of US states broke records in daily COVID-19 cases this month. Now hospitals brace for an onslaught.
The White House Coronavirus Taskforce has warned of 'unrelenting' spread. The US is going in the ‘wrong direction,’ says Dr. Fauci as COVID cases rise in 47 states and patients overwhelm hospitals across the country.
The U.S. continues to set new case records and Trump remains insistent that the country has ‘rounded the corner.’ (That's because he is leading us and he has no idea what direction to go in...)
The White House publicly denies it. But Trump's own COVID advisers now privately admit that he's pursuing a 'herd immunity' strategy. And that gambit could result in the deaths of thousands and thousands and thousands of people. Here is why proposals to largely let the virus run its course ("herd immunity") — embraced by Donald Trump’s administration and others — could bring “untold death and suffering”.
Daily COVID-19 cases will soon hit six digits, Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota warned.
At least five of Vice President Pence's aides test positive for coronavirus. Despite working closely with them, Pence is not quarantining. The White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, defended the decision to keep Pence on road during the final days of the campaign--even though he risks infecting others .
A senior State Department official tested positive for COVID-19 after a European trip.
The White House's admission on giving up on the pandemic response overshadows Trump's last push for reelection. However, The World Health Organization warns that giving up on efforts to control COVID-19 would be ‘dangerous.’
Dr. Rick Bright testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health recently: "Our window of opportunity is closing...I fear the pandemic will get worst and be prolonged...Without better planning, 2020 could be the darkest winter in modern history."
The US may not be back to normal until 2022, Dr. Fauci says.
Dr Fauci told Fox News that 'you cannot abandon public health measures' even with a COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Fauci says that small gatherings are driving COVID outbreaks and he worries about what Thanksgiving gatherings might bring.
The White House's Coronavirus Task Force has warned of 'unrelenting, broad community spread' in the Midwest and West.
Here is a list of the 5 most damning things Jared Kushner told Bob Woodward about Trump’s COVID strategy.
Trump’s campaign made stops nationwide and coronavirus cases surged in his wake in at least five places. The Villages, the nation's largest senior retirement community, recently had visits from Mike Pence and later Donald Trump. The events were mask-optional with no social distancing. 12 residents have died of COVID-19 as The Villages-area cases on the rise. Related to the rallies or not, it was NOT cool for the Republicans to hold those rallies among the most vulnerable population.
The governor of Missouri spent months ignoring recommendations from the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Now, the state has one of the highest rates of spread in the nation.
The governor of Texas has requested the use of the El Paso-area military hospital for non-COVID-19 patients as cases surge there. El Paso issued curfew orders to help curb COVID-19 as cases surged and hospitals reached full capacity.
Dr. Fauci and Joe Biden advocate a federal mask mandate, as daily COVID-19 infections have been hitting 83,000+.
A former FDA commissioner said that the US should consider national mask mandate for the winter.
If 95% of Americans wore masks in public, more than 100,000 lives could be saved from COVID-19 through February, a new modeling study suggests.
The CDC found that seniors are better at pandemic safety than young adults.
A woman was shot with a stun gun on a plane after a fight broke out over the required wearing of face masks.
Myths about COVID-19 busted: Masks, indoor transmission, cold weather, and more.
Maryland man arrested at polling place after refusing to wear mask to vote.
In Mississippi, more white people now have gotten COVID-19 than African Americans. Attitudes about masks might help to explain why, official says.
Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey who caught the coronavirus at the White House Rose Garden event, urges Americans to wear a mask and says they are not a 'partisan or cultural symbol'.
At a rally in Arizona, Trump was making up some weird lie about the mask rules in California. "In California, you have a special mask. You cannot under any circumstances take it off. You have to eat through the mask."
Will masks become the ‘new normal’ even after the pandemic has passed? Some Americans say so.
Jim Acosta of CNN asked Trump: Did you blow it on Covid-19?
MSNBC's Chuck Todd asked if Joe Biden is taking COVID 'too seriously.'
According to Dr. Fauci, Trump hasn't been to a COVID task force meeting in months.
In recently released audio, Jared Kushner bragged to Bob Woodward that Donald Trump was taking the country back from the doctors and said his father-in-law had done a "full hostile takeover" of the GOP.
Fauci says that findings on a potential coronavirus vaccine are expected by early December, but widespread availability will not come until later.
Fights over vaccine standards have created an unbridgeable divide within the Department of Health and Human Services, officials said, but the White House is unlikely to approve any changes until after the election.
Trump threatened to thoroughly 'vanquish' the COVID vaccine during his third long-winded campaign rally of the day on Tuesday.
AztraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are pressing on with their vaccine trials.
Vaccine hopes rise as Oxford's experimental vaccine seemingly prompts immune response among the old as well as young adults.
Israel will begin human trials of a coronavirus vaccine soon.
A weak COVID-19 vaccine is good enough, some scientists say. Others disagree.
The CDC will use a cell phone-based monitoring system for COVID-19 vaccine recipients.
The CDC will use a cell phone-based monitoring system for COVID-19 vaccine recipients.
Moderna says it’s preparing a global launch of its COVID vaccine as it takes in $1.1 billion in deposits
COVID-19 antibody therapies are showing promising early results in separate trials.
The U.S. will secure up to 1 million doses of experimental COVID-19 antibody drug, similar to the one Trump took.
Researchers have discovered a second 'key' that makes the new coronavirus so infectious.
The ‘very, very bad look’ of remdesivir, the first FDA-approved COVID-19 drug
New York’s LaGuardia Airport is now offering COVID testing — and it’s free.
Health experts now fear an outbreak of the polio virus in the Americas during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a delay in vaccinations.
Health experts now fear an outbreak of the polio virus in the Americas during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a delay in vaccinations.
Sewage testing shows a country flush with coronavirus cases
An artificial intelligence model can detect asymptomatic COVID-19 infections through cellphone-recorded coughs.
Amid the pandemic, hospitals are being warned of a 'credible' and 'imminent' cyberthreat. Five hospitals have already been attacked by ransomware.
Kaweah Delta is allowing visitors for elective surgery patients again.
There has been a high demand for flu shots and experts hope to avoid a ‘twindemic.’
Despite the Trump administration's new policy, many pharmacies still won't vaccinate children against flu.
With COVID 19 and the flu season anticipated to overwhelm hospitals, flu shots are highly recommended. Before you get a flu shot, try to get good sleep for the week leading up to the flu vaccine to increase its effectiveness, experts say.
Health officials have been warning of a “twindemic” since Flu season began. A hospital in Solano County, California has confirmed its first case of both a flu and COVID-19 “co-infection.”
There has been a 14% increase in COVID-19 cases in children with close to 800,000 US kids infected.
A fourth-grader in Roswell, New Mexico, walked to his COVID-shuttered elementary school to do his classwork over the building's WiFi because he didn't have internet access at home.
Dorchester County Public Schools in Maryland closed its school buildings after an increase in coronavirus positivity in the district.
Dorchester County Public Schools in Maryland closed its school buildings after an increase in coronavirus positivity in the district.
Several cases of the virus have been reported at schools across Redding, California.
A high school in Texas closing due to a COVID outbreak.
School COVID cases have risen again in Ohio.
A university in Massachusetts agreed to campus lockdown amid a COVID-19 spread.
A coronavirus case was reported at a Raleigh, North Carolina elementary school.
A religious school retreat led to a coronavirus outbreak in Wisconsin. One boy is believed to have infected 100 others.
A 13-year-old girl tested negative for COVID-19 – then she spread it to her whole family.
Trump debuted a new lie in Wisconsin last Saturday. He claimed that essential workers and doctors are inflating pandemic numbers.
Bill Gates slammed Trump's COVID-19 adviser, Dr. Scott Atlas (radiologist), as a 'pseudo-expert' who's 'off-the-rails.'
Fox News told staff that a long-tenured producer had died -- but neglected to mention that he died of COVID-related complications.
Dr. Anthony Fauci says President Trump’s personal attacks are just “noise” and a “mere distraction.” “They don’t bother me,” he said. “I know what my job is, and I’m going to do it.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci says President Trump’s personal attacks are just “noise” and a “mere distraction.” “They don’t bother me,” he said. “I know what my job is, and I’m going to do it.”
Dr. Birx identified what's behind the recent spike in virus cases.
The CDC revealed why the coronavirus is more dangerous for Americans than almost anyone else.
A coronavirus study revealed the scary way in which the virus spreads.
Kamala Harris suspended campaign travel after a staffer tested COVID-19 positive.
A top Trump health official warned of having to take 'draconian measures' if America doesn't mask up.
Delta Airlines said that wearing masks "is among the simplest and most effective actions we can take to reduce transmission" of the virus and banned 460 mask-refusing customers.
A passenger boarded a plane in Chicago and flew to Hawaii with COVID-19.
A 5-year-old wrote a book to help kids battle the stress of the coronavirus pandemic.
A Pennsylvania couple survived COVID-19 and celebrating 70 years of marriage.
A Trump official planned to give Santa Claus performers early access to a COVID-19 vaccine.
A wedding and birthday party in suburban New York turned into two COVID-19 “superspreader” events that infected more than 50 people and left nearly 300 in quarantine.
Senior citizens can skip DMV and renew drivers licenses by mail according to new executive order.
Brain scans show a whole spectrum of COVID-19 abnormalities we can't fully explain.
The Trump administration vetted the political views of 274 celebrities for botched $265 million COVID ad campaign.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to give a response on several key areas of dispute in coronavirus stimulus talks, including testing, state and local government relief, and unemployment insurance. She has been trying for months to move forward with this, but the Senate isn't budging.
Trump keeps promising a coronavirus relief package will be passed after the election — but Democrats say they are still far apart on a stimulus deal. However, Nancy Pelosi signaled that a COVID deal is still possible before January.
According to Fox News, North Dakota seeks to re-allocate $16 million in federal coronavirus relief funds toward fracking. Under the CARES Act, North Dakota initially received $1.25 billion from Congress.
A report says that billions in COVID-19 relief loans may have been handed out to scammers.
The Dow plunged more than 900 points as COVID-19 cases have been spiking.
Amazon posted its third-quarter earnings that blew away estimates as the COVID-19 effect boosts sales.
More than 80 percent of Republicans think the president is doing a great job with the pandemic. Here’s why.
Trump fights in court to block pandemic food aid for lowest-income Americans.
Second stockpile surge? Grocery stores and manufacturers prepare as COVID-19 cases spike.
Stay inside this Halloween with your household, doctors say.
A haunted house attraction, the Haunted Sawmill in Wisconsin, was the site of a COVID 19 exposure.
GLOBAL:
There have been 45,029,008 confirmed cases of the virus around the world. There have been 1,181,075 deaths from the virus globally. The five countries with the highest rate of infection worldwide are all in Europe, according to Johns Hopkins University's latest moving averages. And scientists are now warning of yet another new coronavirus variant spreading across Europe.
France tallied a record number of daily COVID infections on Sunday-- 52,010-- as cases surge in Europe. Disneyland Paris shut down again as France entered a new lockdown.
Coronavirus cases in the Netherlands hit new record as the Sunday new caseload was 10,023.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed to implement a partial second lockdown in a bid to control rising coronavirus cases. The lockdown begins next Monday and will see restaurants, bars and clubs closed in order to "avoid a national health emergency."
Italy reported a new record of 21,273 coronavirus cases as more restrictions are imposed.
On Sunday, Spain announced a new state of emergency as coronavirus infections soar.
The Czech Republic's coronavirus daily tally topped 15,000 for first time.
The Czech Republic's coronavirus daily tally topped 15,000 for first time.
Last week, Russia claimed to have the virus under control. This week, Russia ordered a national mask mandate as coronavirus cases spiked.
Brazil reported 231 coronavirus deaths and 13,493 new cases on Sunday. Critics there are slamming the government’s new COVID-19 drug, the anti-parasitic drug, nitazoxanide.
Mexico will not follow the USA in approving Gilead's COVID-19 drug.
On Saturday, Malaysia broke the 4-digit case number ceiling with 1,228 new cases.
On Saturday, Malaysia broke the 4-digit case number ceiling with 1,228 new cases.
Taiwan counts its 200th day of no new local coronavirus infections. Here’s how they did it.
Australia's coronavirus hot spot has reported zero cases for first time since June.
STATES:
Governor Janet Mills of Maine extended the coronavirus state of emergency for 8th time.
Australia's coronavirus hot spot has reported zero cases for first time since June.
STATES:
Governor Janet Mills of Maine extended the coronavirus state of emergency for 8th time.
In New York, Long Island 'superspreader events' threaten to undo its success at controlling the virus. New York City is seeing a 'very worrisome' spike in coronavirus infection rate.
The state of North Carolina reported a record number of new daily coronavirus cases Thursday--a whopping 2,885.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced 918 new confirmed cases of coronavirus along with 13 additional confirmed deaths on Thursday. Among them are at least two people who attended a recent Trump rally have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Georgia an increase of 1,823 cases and 47 deaths yesterday.
Florida reported 4,198 new cases on Thursday and another 77 residents dead.
There were 2,202 new cases of COVID-19 and 44 deaths in Pennsylvania yesterday.
Ohio set another single-day record for coronavirus cases yesterday with 3,590 new cases and 14 deaths.
Michigan issued new COVID-19 emergency orders with stricter rules for restaurants and gatherings. State officials reported 3,675 new COVID-19 cases and 41 deaths yesterday.
An Illinois health official was so shaken by latest COVID-19 surge numbers in her state, that she broke down in tears at a press conference. Yesterday, the state reported 6,363 coronavirus cases, which is the most since the pandemic began. There were also 56 deaths reported Thursday as well.
Kentucky set a weekly record for coronavirus cases last week with 9,335 cases.
91 residents in a nursing home in Tennessee have tested positive for COVID-19 and two have died. 32 staff members have also tested positive for COVID-19.
Minnesota reported 32 more COVID-19 deaths and a record 2,872 infections yesterday.
Polling places are closing down due to COVID-19 outbreaks in Iowa. The state reported 2,469 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday.
Active cases of COVID-19 soared in North Dakota to a new high of 1,222 on Thursday after three straight days of declines.
Texas is trying to shore up its hospital capacity in El Paso as coronavirus cases surge nationwide. The state's new coronavirus surge is also leaving critically sick patients stranded in rural areas. On Tuesday, Texas reported 6,500 new cases for the second day in a row. Amid the COVID-19 upswing, a doctor in El Paso says being in the ICU is 'surreal' and 'strange.'
Texas is trying to shore up its hospital capacity in El Paso as coronavirus cases surge nationwide. The state's new coronavirus surge is also leaving critically sick patients stranded in rural areas. On Tuesday, Texas reported 6,500 new cases for the second day in a row. Amid the COVID-19 upswing, a doctor in El Paso says being in the ICU is 'surreal' and 'strange.'
New Mexico reported 828 new coronavirus cases and two more deaths on Sunday. The state reported three new deaths and 1,082 additional COVID-19 cases on Thursday.
Utah’s hospitals are preparing to ration care as a record number of coronavirus patients flood their ICUs. Governor Herbert provided an update of 1,837 more COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths reported Thursday.
Arizona reported another day of relatively high new COVID-19 cases on Sunday with 890 new cases and 4 deaths. Arizona's Governor Ducey held a news conference yesterday on the growing number of cases in the state. 1,315 new cases and 13 new deaths were reported then.
Nevada reported 891 new coronavirus cases and 5 more deaths last Sunday. Coronavirus cases have doubled at Washoe County jail in the state.
CALIFORNIA:
California projected an October surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations. It didn't happen.
CALIFORNIA:
California projected an October surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations. It didn't happen.
14 North Bay Area hospital employees contract the coronavirus and now all of the staff must be tested.
California is expected to receive 11.9 million rapid COVID-19 tests from the federal government.
California is planning to partner with other West Coast states on coronavirus vaccine planning.
Los Angeles County slides further away from reopening as it moves backward from Governor Gavin Newsom’s COVID requirements.
While the theme parks in Southern California remain closed due to the COVID 19 pandemic, some of Disney's California Adventure's theme park shops and eateries will open as part of Downtown Disney's expansion of services during the outbreak.
Nearly a half million Orange County residents have already had the coronavirus, a study at UC Irvine says.
LOCAL:
Just in time for Halloween, a local escape room company has created an outdoor version during the pandemic.
Here is a list of Valley Halloween events in the year of the pandemic.
VOTE:
While the theme parks in Southern California remain closed due to the COVID 19 pandemic, some of Disney's California Adventure's theme park shops and eateries will open as part of Downtown Disney's expansion of services during the outbreak.
Nearly a half million Orange County residents have already had the coronavirus, a study at UC Irvine says.
LOCAL:
Students returned to Sierra Unified schools after the Creek Fire, COVID closures, and power shutoffs.
Arte Americas in downtown Fresno reopened its doors with a Dia de los Meurtos after closing in March due to COVID-19.
Just in time for Halloween, a local escape room company has created an outdoor version during the pandemic.
Here is a list of Valley Halloween events in the year of the pandemic.
VOTE:
Trump said he wouldn’t cut Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare. His 2020 budget cuts all three.
Robocalls, rumors and emails: Last-minute election disinformation is flooding in to voters.
Trump recently signed an executive order, which gives him more power to fire individuals that go against his way of thinking (such as Dr. Fauci). This completely undermines the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act — a law that came into effect in 1883 to ensure government employees were hired based on merit and protected from political retribution.
A Trump appointee resigned as a 'matter of conscience' over an executive order aimed at civil servants maintaining loyalty to the president first and foremost.
Virus cases are spiking just when they could hurt Trump the most.
Polls show Trump is losing ground where the coronavirus is surging.
Rising COVID cases and the stock market drop does not bode well for Trump's re-election chances.
Coronavirus cases are at an all-time high ahead of Election Day.
Joe Biden brilliantly trolled Donald Trump with a spoof COVID-19 Plan website.
The cash-strapped Trump campaign has shifted its resources in Florida as Democrats dominate the airwaves.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have threatened a lawsuit over billboards criticizing the COVID-19 response. One of the billboards did go missing though...
Donald Trump recently sat down for a 60 MINUTES interview and then walked off before the interview was concluded. He said he was treated unfairly and released his own uncut version of the interview. This was a major media miscalculation. Instead of showing a biased agenda, all he did was show a journalist doing her job and asking serious questions the president did not want to answer (instead of the softball inquiries he gets from Fox or OAN).
The New York Times says that tax records show Trump had over $270 million in debt forgiven after failing to repay lenders.
Trump has made a frenetic election push in states that highlight his COVID denial.
Health and Human Services spokesperson Michael Caputo pitched a coronavirus ad campaign as "helping the president."
Fox News host Lou Dobbs says 'I don't know why anyone' would vote for Senator Lindsey Graham.
Lindsey Graham called for a probe into his rival Jaime Harrison’s ability to out-fundraise him. The South Carolina Republican blames 'shadowy' forces — not his waning popularity — for donations pouring into his Democratic opponent’s Senate run.
Journalist Greg Palast sniffed out the Republican efforts for voter suppression in his book ‘How Trump Stole 2020.’
What is voter suppression? Tactics used against communities of color throughout history and in 2020.
Voters in Alabama’s largest county could have their ballots thrown out after a court ruled that the instructions they were sent are no longer valid.
At a recent rally in Pennsylvania, Trump made four false claims about voting in that state.
South Carolina's witness signature rule is a ‘grave risk’ in the COVID-19 era, AARP told the US Supreme Court.
Native Americans battle COVID-19 and other voting obstacles to cast their vote as Election Day nears.
New challenge seeks to void thousands of drive-thru votes in a Texas county.
North Carolina can count votes received 9 days after Election Day, the Supreme Court says.
The Maine Supreme Court says absentee ballots must be received by Election Day to be counted. So, Mainers--get those ballots in (and vote Susan Collins OUT while you are at it!)
There have been new warnings of hacking risks for voting systems connected to the internet.
With many of the president's and other GOP leaders' posts being flagged as misinformation or removed altogether, Conservatives push to discredit Facebook, Twitter and Google just days before the election.
Melania Trump joined the US election campaign trail, telling Pennsylvania rally she doesn't always agree with the president's approach.
Trump has stripped more environmental protections from the country's largest national forest.
A former adviser for Mike Pence said that voting for Joe Biden was an emotional relief.
Trump bizarrely said that if Biden is elected, seniors will have 'no air conditioning during the summer.' REALLY!
A prominent Kentucky newspaper endorsed Amy McGrath over Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell for the Senate race there.
At a rally in Arizona, Trump let Senator Martha McSally speak for one minute. This is how he addressed her: "Martha, just come up fast. Fast. Fast. Come on. Quick. You got one minute! One minute, Martha! They don't want to hear this, Martha. Come on. Let's go. Quick, quick, quick."
Trump allegedly privately told donors that it will be 'tough' for Republicans to keep the Senate.
A third televised debate between incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue of Georgia and his challenger, Jon Ossoff was canceled Thursday. Officially, it is said that Perdue pulled out to join Donald Trump at a rally in Georgia. However, many pundits believe the real reason is that video of an earlier debate showing Ossoff slaughtering Perdue with Perdue unable to defend himself---and then having the video go viral--was the real reason for the cancelation.
Women, tired of Trump, have been getting involved with local Democratic Party politics even in more rural areas since his election, injecting energy into places where the party didn't have visibility.
‘Shy’ Trump voters will power his win, says a pollster who called the 2016 race. (Jeepers, I hope he is WRONG!!)
Pennsylvania could decide the presidency. It could also plunge the nation into chaos.
How could republicans steal the election? Easily. Check this out:
or--more horrifyingly:
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins cast her vote from some 200 miles above Earth.
Pollsters see no evidence Donald Trump’s trademark campaign rallies are helping him with voters right now.
Houston voters are turning out in record numbers. Could they flip Texas for Biden?
Biden, if elected, will form task force to reunite the 545 immigrant children that were separated from their families by the Trump Administration which then deported the parents to parts unknown.
An MSNBC reporter showed how Biden cares more about the well-being of Trump supporters than Trump himself.
A judge ordered the United States Postal Service to restore high-speed mail sorting machines.
The USPS mail delivery is getting worse and has put mail-in ballots at risk (which was probably Trump's and DeJoy's plan to begin with...). Some swing state officials urge voters to bypass the mail to return ballots.
The Postal Service quietly awarded a $5 million contract to Louis DeJoy’s former company. The advocacy coalition, Lower Drug Prices Now, called this an ‘Epic level of corruption.’
In Pennsylvania, a Butler County elections director says the postal service lost an unknown number of mail-in ballots.
With the mail still messed up due to Trump's and DeJoy's meddling with the postal system and the threat of the president with the packed Supreme court rumored to stop ballots from being counted after election Day, this announcement reminds you what to do to make sure your vote is counted:
Phil Arballo takes on incumbent Devin Nunes in District 22.
Devin Nunes is facing his toughest re-election fight yet as his constituents turn on him.
The Fresno Bee says that it’s time to retire Devin Nunes from the 22nd District and elect Phil Arballo for Congress.
I.C.E. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is reportedly torturing detained African immigrants to force deportations ahead of the election.
A former Trump campaign official excoriated President Trump's reelection bid, insisting that his team has "worked very much against free speech and democracy."
According to Bloomberg News, Joe Biden is pulling off a strategy that Clinton couldn’t in 2016. He is recreate Obama’s election map.
The New Hampshire Union Leader, the conservative-leaning Manchester-based newspaper, endorsed Joe Biden (the first democrat candidate in more than 100 years) for president on Sunday.
Jennifer Aniston urged her fans to vote but said it's 'not funny' to vote for Kanye West.
A Michigan judge struck down a ban on open carry of guns at polling places on Election Day.
Is Trump still the law and order candidate? Was he ever?
Forty-six percent of registered voters in Texas had cast their ballots through this past Monday. In 2016, the percentage was 43.5% for the entire early voting period.
Emails show how Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his family mixed personal and official business.
NBC has moved Texas from 'Republican' to 'toss-up' in presidential race.
20 former Republican US attorneys endorse Biden campaign.
Californians--find where a safe, official ballot box receptacles are to drop off your ballots if you cannot vote in person. (AVOID the bogus ballot boxes set up by the GOP!)
Lyft will help voters get to the polls this year.
A woman in labor stopped to vote on her way to the hospital in Florida.
American University students Meredith Reilly and Zachary Houdek requested absentee ballots earlier this fall. But when they realized that the ballots had yet to arrive, the pair hopped in the car and drove 27 hours to Texas to cast their ballots in person.
Texas Latinos are fired up and headed to the polls early
Actor Paul Rudd handed out cookies to voters waiting in the rain to cast their ballots.
Disinformation researchers are expecting Election Day chaos.
Justice Kavanaugh seemed to argue that no votes should be counted after Election Day. He may get his wish in key states.
Vermont's secretary of state formally asked Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to correct an opinion he wrote Monday that mistakenly said Vermont had made no changes to its election rules due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Americans must be prepared to fight for every mail-in ballot to be counted.
CREATIVITY:Puddles Pity Party is back with a new rendition of I PUT A SPELL ON YOU just in time for Halloween. He also discusses how to celebrate Halloween at home---but if you want to just skip to the song, it starts at the 2:05 mark:
Halloween is my favorite holiday. However, with the pandemic and all, a lot of things aren't happening and those that are (i.e. Hobb's Grove's Haunted Forest and the Raisin' Hell Ranch Haunted Corn Maze), I don't think I could physically endure with my legs. What did that leave? The Haunted Car Wash across town. I headed over so I'd arrive 15 minutes early. I was hoping to just get there, go through and get home. WRONG! Oh my stars! There was a huge line. It went all of the way down one block, turned the corner and all of the way down another extra long block, before turning yet another corner.
I may have gotten there 15 minutes early, but I waited in line an hour and a half.
Fortunately for me (I suppose), it was at least dark when I finally got up to the mini-mart gas station with the added on car wash behind it.
Chucky from CHILD'S PLAY and Michael Myers from the HALLOWEEN series were out giving drivers a pre-wash scare.
Car washes at this place are apparently only $5.99. But for Halloween, you get to pay $9.99 for a special Halloween wash...and there is no extra charge for screams and unendurable fright.
There were some attempts at decorations in the build up to the car wash.
There was an elaborate skeleton dinner party set up on a grassy area.
The fake webbing was a nice touch.
As I crept closer, I noted the decorations on the driver's side that had been added.
One was a large, inflatable with thing. EEK!
And there, just before it was my turn to go through, was a big "Beware" sign hanging over the entrance. A passed out clown figure sat on a bench and another seemed to be bothering the driver ahead of me. Yikes!
On Wednesday, I went to the cardiologist. He was actually at the hospital doing an emergency procedure. Instead I saw his physician's assistant. My leg that I'd had the procedure on the previous week before was looking good (but was not totally free of swelling and was surprisingly still numb). I asked the PA about the possibility of a pacemaker that the doctor had mentioned previously when I'd told him about the probable CIPD diagnosis. She said that the plan was to put me on a heart monitor for a few weeks and check it out. They are mailing one to me and will call me with instructions once it arrives. I will go back in early December for those results.
On Thursday evening, I spent a delightful hour or so with my friends Shookie, Vye and Ricki for a ZOOM Halloween cocktail party. Ricki went as Wednesday Addams. Vye was Edgar Allan Poe, i was a generic pirate (or maybe Captain Hook). Shookie was Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter from Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Erich was a weeniehead and did not participate...but my friend Nedra happened to call which made for a surprise cameo voice appearance.
Stay SAFE! Stay HEALTHY! Stay ALIVE!
VOTE!!!!
CHEERS!
Continue to the next part HERE.
‘Zombie’ Trump campaign has been blasted by conservative strategist.
California voters, here is a voter's guide to the 2020 ballot measures.
California Election Day rules allow MAGA hats but no mention of Biden or Trump by name near the polls
How Valley candidates are reaching out to voters amid COVID-19.
Fresno County has seen a bigger turnout in early voting compared to recent years. in fact, Fresno County's residents are voting in historic numbers. The number of ballots received in Fresno County has already exceeded that in November 2016.
Fresno County residents, here is voting information and drop box locations you may need to know about.
People who place their 'I Voted' stickers on Susan B. Anthony's headstone will notice something different there this year.
A married couple in Massachusetts have dueling 'his and hers' presidential election yard signs.
Since 1928, the S&P 500’s performance in the three months before a presidential election has correctly signaled who will win 20 out of 23 times. Right now, it doesn't look good for the incumbent.
Trump supporters who dared freezing temperatures to attend a non-socially distanced, mask-optional rally at a remote airport in Nebraska, were left stranded in the cold for more than 3 1/2 hours afterwards. Many were hospitalized. The Lincoln Project dropped a scathing ad about this incident, saying Trump 'left his supporters to freeze' at an Omaha rally last Tuesday night. (There went those 5 electoral votes...)
Heat at Trump rally sends attendees to the hospital. Officials at the Trump rally in Tampa, Florida, said a total of 17 people needed medical attention.
Biden vows that he will not to make 'false promises' about pandemic.
Fox News' Tucker Carlson said on the air that he had damaging documents that could destroy Biden. He said that they were sent to him via a courier service that were somehow lost in transit...and they were the only copies. Many speculated he was making it up. Who doesn't make back up copies? Why didn't he FAX them or have them scanned and emailed? UPS says it has found the documents and is returning them. We will see what, if anything, they show. Best guess is that they are about as real as the bogus Hunter Biden laptop, which Rudy Giuliani and Trump are furious with Bill Barr about for not pursuing it legally.
Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi says that documents reveal that the Trump administration attempted to use $250 million of taxpayer money, meant for COVID-19 education purposes, as a "slush fund" to help President Trump's reelection campaign by trying to rebrand the pandemic.
It is no secret that Trump is hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. New details of the Justice Department’s handling of the accusations against Halkbank reveal how Turkey’s leader pressured the president, prompting concern from top White House aides.
There is a good chance that Trump, if he loses, will flee the country to avoid the the massive debt that is coming due shortly and to avoid the numerous criminal charges he will be facing. He is probably already communicating with non extradition countries for permanent residence status.
A Florida businessman pleaded guilty in a fraud case involving Rudy Giuliani associates. The guilty plea is a tantalizing development for those expecting the case to wreak further havoc in Trump’s inner circle.
Here's why early election results may be misleading.
Hurricane Zeta has left 5 dead, massive power outages, and has delayed early voting in Georgia.
Even with a large number of Senate Republicans in danger of losing their seats, Trump choses to focus only on his campaign instead of anyone else's.
A judge in Duval County, Florida who was leading the vote-counting board there has resigned from the board after it was reported that he had donated to Trump 12 times. That's not allowed.
Fact check: President Trump and his campaign have leaned in heavily on a misleading video to claim Joe Biden is not fit for office.
And just when you thought 2020 was bad enough, word has it that Donald Trump Jr. is considering a 2024 run for president.
CREATIVITY:
There is a pumpkin carving contest---deadline is TODAY (October 30) at 2 pm (PST). Details are HERE!
Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights has been cancelled due to the coronavirus. In order to make it up to the fans, the studio has posted three vintage POV walk through experiences of classic haunts La Llorona from 2012 (I saw this one), Clowns 3D from 2014, and The Horrors of Blumhouse from 2017.
Original cast members of the late 60s/early 70s gothic TV soap opera DARK SHADOWS are planning an hour-long broadcast live on Halloween, 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST. It will be broadcast HERE.
A new, 15-minute biography of Donald Trump was posted, narrated by Juliann Moore. Still thinking of voting for him? Maybe you will change your mind after watching it:
The election is Tuesday, November 3rd. Get your votes in ASAP! Don't delay. The political ads are pouring in. If you are undecided about anything, check these out and CAST YOUR VOTE!!
I don't know who made this, but "falling back" to Standard Time occurs Sunday, November 1, and this is so true:
This is not new...but recently rediscovered by my friend Vye. So you can blame,...er thank her for digging up this vintage cheese-fest. From 1976, it's the PAUL LYNDE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL featuring Margaret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch of the West), Billie Hayes (Witchipoo), Florence Henderson,. Roz Kelly (Pinky Tuscadero from HAPPY DAYS), Donny and Marie Osmond, and the very first TV appearance of the band KISS. Watch at your own risk!
MAIL:
I had a very nice card from Robin and Skye in Oregon.
"Hope that you are feeling good. We voted yesterday. I heard a band play when we opened the ballot box. Have mercy, Robin & Skye."
SHIRLEY:
There was another sunny, warm day last Friday. Even though it was late in October, fall hadn't really set in, so I put Shirley outside. She hadn't eaten in about a week and I was hoping she'd have something before going into hibernation.
It was obvious she was tired and ready for her long-winter's nap. She did eat some leaves from a bush and walked through the mud in the planter.
ME:There was another sunny, warm day last Friday. Even though it was late in October, fall hadn't really set in, so I put Shirley outside. She hadn't eaten in about a week and I was hoping she'd have something before going into hibernation.
It was obvious she was tired and ready for her long-winter's nap. She did eat some leaves from a bush and walked through the mud in the planter.
She then took a nap under a rose bush.
After offering her food and moving it to several locations, she finally ate on the lawn. She actually ate well. I was happy.
Then, with her pea-smeared face, she walked back into the kitchen...
Went to her "shack"...
She's either in there voting or she started hibernating. Normally, I'd move her to a guest bedroom to give her some quiet. However, my guest bedrooms will soon be occupied as I have a few house guests heading this way very soon. Shirley can just snooze away in the kitchen for now.
Sweet dreams, Shirley. I'll see you in the spring.
On Friday morning, I got notice that my ballot had been received and accepted. Hooray!
My neighbors have had their trailer parked in front of my house for weeks--MONTHS! With the community pick up coming up, they threw an old, dead freezer in the street in front of my house as well. Classy...
As I inched closer and closer, I wondered just what sort of spooky fun was in store. I didn't expect all that much. After all, it was just a car wash.
Some creepy clowns showed up.
They literally tried to open car doors. They mostly didn't bother with me---as I'm a middle-aged man. Not a screaming girl or a bunch of scared kids.
It was nothing too elaborate...but again, this was just a Halloween-themed car wash---nothing more.
It looked kind of cool---and was possibly the most interesting thing to see that night---but you never got a close look at it.
There was a sign announcing this as Fresno's only haunted car wash. I'm sure that with the hundreds of people who had been in line that next year it will NOT be the only one in town... Ha!
And then, it was my turn to go through. I filmed the whole thing, which you can watch below...if your heart can stand the terror of it all. It was shockingly mediocre!!! Snore...er, I mean, EEEK!
On Tuesday, I saw the neurologist. I do have C.I.D.P. (Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy). CIDP is like an evil twin (fraternal--not identical) sister of Guillan-Barre Syndrome (if you know what that is). In fact, if you look up the organizations for GBS and CIDP (and why is it that diseases always have "organizations" behind them? Ha...), you will see that GBS and CIDP share the same website ( gbs-cidp.org ).
Like Guillan-Barre, it does the whole disabling thing, starting by going up the legs and then into the rest of the body (before, in GBS, slowly retreating). However, unlike GBS, CIDP is very slow moving but does not resolve without treatment---it just gets worse and worse and WORSE. Most CIDP cases seem to happen in a matter of months. Mine is atypical in that it has slowly been happening over the course of years. However, like a snowball rolling downhill---first very slowly and without much to it before growing and speeding faster and faster, getting bigger and bigger as it does so--my problem is rapidly spreading at a much quicker pace. I've told you that I use a cane now. My arms are now affected. I had a heck of a time just putting away dishes from the dishwasher the other night...and my arms (triceps) burned as if I had just done a major workout for days afterwards.
The neurologist told me that he will contact the insurance about getting IVIG for me. He said it's about $30,000 a dose (Is that right? Jeepers!) and I would need 5 doses over 5 days. After that, I would need another dose every 1 to 3 months, depending on how I respond to it. He anticipates a 2-3 week lag between now and getting the insurance onboard before we can start treatment. In the meantime, he started me on a 6 day dose of steroids (methylprednisolone).
If/when I do start IVIG, just like GBS, there is no guarantee that I will get everything I've lost back. If I don't get anything back but can just maintain where I am and not lose anything more, I will be happy (NOT ecstatic, but happy). I've read different things on different websites about CIDP. Depending on the site, it only affects 1-2 (or 3-5) people out of 100,000. Crazy odds... but, instead of winning the lottery---I won a rare disease. Whoopie. Some sites say that the minimum length of treatment is 6 months--others say (and my doctor seems to be in this camp) that it (since it is chronic) lasts for the rest of your life. So, it looks like I will go ahead and continue my plan to move to Whidbey Island in Washington state to be near my mom, brother, and nephew in case my situation gets worse and I need more help.
Yikes! It is ironic to me that the disease that freaked me out in nursing school the most (GBS) and that I saw so much of when I was working at the hospital---I end up getting a variation of. I had never even heard of GBS or CIDP before school.
I know there are people who are a LOT worse off than I am, people with various cancers and other diseases or disabilities. I am relatively okay. I can get around, I can go to the store, and I'm continent. I just get sooooo EXHAUSTED so quickly. One brief trip to the store for something and I am DONE for the day. So, of course, I am getting heavier from inactivity. Joy... I start physical therapy on Friday for 3 weeks (but you'd think that would wait until AFTER IVIG, right? Whatever...)
UGH! I am so tired of doctors!
On Thursday, I received a notice from an insurance company about them reviewing my "cancer claim". HUH? I had to spend a couple of hours on the phone trying to get that straightened out. GRR.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
Stay SAFE! Stay HEALTHY! Stay ALIVE!
VOTE!!!!
CHEERS!
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